# Funerals and photography?



## grenadilla (Jun 6, 2015)

Been following this thread and had a few thoughts as funeral photography was mentioned a few times:
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=26602.0

In North America where I live, there seems to be a general tendency toward aversion of funeral photography. It is something that perplexes me. At most instances of rites of passage photography as well as other forms of documentation are welcomed activities, with the photos cherished for generations to come. Why then is it then that funeral photography seems to be viewed as unfavorable in many cases? What is the reasoning behind the desire to leave the final chapter of a person's life untold, to be non-remembered? 


Your thoughts?


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## distant.star (Jun 6, 2015)

.
You may want to look at this thread...

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=26492.0


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## grenadilla (Jun 6, 2015)

Thanks for the link. It seems that discussion is more focused on funeral photography as a business. My query is more about photography in general at funerals, whether it be professional, Uncle Joe with the nice camera, or by family members with smart phones. In light of surapon's thread, I'm wondering about the perceived appropriateness of the activity.


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## archiea (Jun 6, 2015)

Well If funerals were planned as well in advanced as weddings, then IT's be different... 

I think the question is whether the funeral represents a celebration or a tragedy. 

Wedding CAN become tragedies ;D its just they usually don;t start that way....


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## Hillsilly (Jun 6, 2015)

When we are born, we have everything. We have parents who love us, grandparents, brothers and sisters and other close relatives. We have our full faculties. We have the neighborhood where we grew up and knew everybody. We have our friends. As we get older, we start to lose all of that, until we eventually get to the stage where everything we cherish is gone. Funerals are the constant reminder of that. Most people would prefer to remember their loved ones in better times.

Still, even though I raised it in the linked thread, I'm not 100% opposed to the concept. Funerals are one of the rare occasions where everyone gets together. Done respectfully, such photos can be important. But butting in to someone else's funeral to take "arty" shots of people's grief doesn't sit right.


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## AlanF (Jun 6, 2015)

Hillsilly said:


> When we are born, we have everything. We have parents who love us, grandparents, brothers and sisters and other close relatives. We have our full faculties. We have the neighborhood where we grew up and knew everybody. We have our friends. As we get older, we start to lose all of that, until we eventually get to the stage where everything we cherish is gone. Funerals are the constant reminder of that. Most people would prefer to remember their loved ones in better times.
> 
> Still, even though I raised it in the linked thread, I'm not 100% opposed to the concept. Funerals are one of the rare occasions where everyone gets together. Done respectfully, such photos can be important. But butting in to someone else's funeral to take "arty" shots of people's grief doesn't sit right.



That is a pretty miserable prognosis. But, I think it is fundamentally wrong. We accumulate knowledge, friends and accomplishments as we grow older. If we are fortunate, we will leave children, grandchildren and a line of descendants to occupy the future. If we teach, we endow the world with future generations of teachers and our knowledge passes down and is spread. If we create, we bequeath to the world our works. I have attended many funerals recently where we have celebrated the lives of the deceased, and their achievements live on.


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## fragilesi (Jun 6, 2015)

I think it's quite simple. At funerals people are often raw with negative emotion, often at their very lowest. It is the most solemn and private of occasions. Most people do not want to be photographed in that state. I know I wouldn't.


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## privatebydesign (Jun 6, 2015)

fragilesi said:


> I think it's quite simple. At funerals people are often raw with negative emotion, often at their very lowest. It is the most solemn and private of occasions. Most people do not want to be photographed in that state. I know I wouldn't.



That depends on your religion, or not having one, and your general outlook on life and the philosophy at your core.

There are no tears or negativity at many funerals.


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## fragilesi (Jun 6, 2015)

privatebydesign said:


> fragilesi said:
> 
> 
> > I think it's quite simple. At funerals people are often raw with negative emotion, often at their very lowest. It is the most solemn and private of occasions. Most people do not want to be photographed in that state. I know I wouldn't.
> ...



That's why I said "often"


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## Khufu (Jun 6, 2015)

fragilesi said:


> privatebydesign said:
> 
> 
> > fragilesi said:
> ...



Aye, I think you were totally playing devils advocate there, privatebydesign 

'Many' is fine, but in relative relative terms I imagine 'a minority' would be an understatement... Even celebrating people's lives, those people are going to be missed and intense sadness is going to be a factor if people care enough to celebrate the life of someone they no longer get to interact with.

I don't think this really needs to be any kind of overly-intellectually discussed issue, it's just massively disrespectful in my opinion to point cameras at uncontrollably grieving people... the Wake (as we call it in England, no idea of international upstage; the "afterparty",) sure, that's a whole other story, that's maybe worth documenting


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## dolina (Jun 6, 2015)

My personal experience from two funerals within the family.

First was with my father's mother. The elders encouraged us to wear white and I was asked to do photography. Due to my exposure to western practices I found the request somewhat inappropriate then I was firmly asked to document.

Second was with my mother's funeral/wake. I am thankful that friends were able to take photos on our behalf. I still find it difficult to look at the photos but for the relatives who were not able to make it it would be comforting for them to see.

I still have dreams about my mother on most nights and I think about her everyday.


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## privatebydesign (Jun 6, 2015)

Khufu said:


> fragilesi said:
> 
> 
> > privatebydesign said:
> ...



Only if you take a Western Religion/mindset point of view, and yes, I was playing devils advocate. 

'We', Western religion/mindset, are in the minority, we just have an undeserved sense of superiority and belief in our 'knowledge'.

But all that aside, whilst I very much take your point that there are often very negative emotions at funerals, there are often the most touching, loving and caring moments, these times bring people together, people that often don't gather together but are bound by a stronger tie. Now I agree that images of the 'negative' or sad emotions might be inappropriate, but surely there must be an angle for the caring and loving moments, the ties and connections that might never be repeated? Sure it will never be wedding photography! But with that much emotion there must be a place for a record?

And yes, the 'wake' might well be an easier event to work, but who wants easy? I agree that many people will never be comfortable with the photo/recording mindset, but I don't see that as an insurmountable hurdle, just a smaller market.


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## Old Sarge (Jun 6, 2015)

Hillsilly said:


> Still, even though I raised it in the linked thread, I'm not 100% opposed to the concept. Funerals are one of the rare occasions where everyone gets together. Done respectfully, such photos can be important. But butting in to someone else's funeral to take "arty" shots of people's grief doesn't sit right.





Khufu said:


> I don't think this really needs to be any kind of overly-intellectually discussed issue, it's just massively disrespectful in my opinion to point cameras at uncontrollably grieving people... the Wake (as we call it in England, no idea of international upstage; the "afterparty",) sure, that's a whole other story, that's maybe worth documenting


In the other thread I mentioned the two times that I have done "funeral photography." As I was reading this thread it reminded me that I had misspoke. A few years back I attended a funeral for a retired firefighter. His son asked me to video the End of Watch ceremony at the cemetery. Of course I complied. I also did some group/family shots at the family luncheon (more of a tradition in Texas/Oklahoma than a wake or....I really liked this term....afterparty). I only took pictures as requested. I also did similar family pictures at the funeral of an elderly aunt. Most of us cousins hadn't seen each other in many (20-30+) years. These were also done at the family luncheon after returning from the cemetery.


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## dcm (Jun 6, 2015)

It depends on the situation and your approach. My brother-in-law passed away recently after 5 years with ALS. During his illness I had converted their photos and slides from over 35 years as well as 80 years of his parents slides, film, and prints to digital. I created a thumb drive they could plug into the TV or DVD player so he could watch them or they could reminisce. Photos were a part of their life and would be part of the celebration of his life.

I offered to take photos of the family gathering for his wife - she wanted no pictures of the service itself. I discretely took a few handheld photos after the service with my M/22: the church (no people in sight), the receiving line, the urn alone in the chapel, the memorial display in the lobby, and the luncheon. 

Later that day during the wake I took hundreds of photos from the periphery of family and friends in their well lit great room with a glass wall on the south side (great lighting) using my 6D and 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8 . The speakers stood in front next to the large screen TV playing a loop of about 200 photos of the deceased I culled from thumb drive during the days prior to the wake. The slide show elicited a lot of stories from his life before, during, and after the toasts. Some of the photos were framed with the current TV image alongside the speaker. During the wife's starting toast I was lucky and managed to get a photo of her standing alongside a photo of the couple on the TV. Others were of the attentive audience, often in laughter. 

The family wanted to see the photos I shot so after the wake I quickly downloaded the photos to my iPad and started a slide show of the day's events on the TV for the remaining family members during dinner and the rest of the evening. Turned out to be a hit. Posted the album for family and friends to view, some asked for copies of their photos. I posted the announcement of his death and added an album containing selected wake photos to his facebook page.

Around sunset I switched to a 35 f/1.4 to avoid flash as the family lounged, talked, and snacked. Got a few requests while I was shooting and was glad I had the 6D. Pulled the photos over WiFi to my iPhone and sent them via SMS so they had them within minutes. 

I had a discrete/hidden video camera (Polaroid Cube) on the mantle which captured most of the great room during the wake. I put the video together for his wife to view and gave her the link to share with others if/when she wanted.

His burial with military honors at a National Cemetary is coming up soon so I offered to take photos. Once again, no photos of the service, focus on the celebration of his life afterwards at the luncheon and hotel where we are all staying.

Shot with M/22.


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## slclick (Jun 6, 2015)

I think my overwhelming sadness would lead to horizontal deficiency.


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## Khufu (Jun 6, 2015)

Nicely handled, dcm, and thank you for sharing the story!

A close connection with those present does seem like a near-necessity in these situations though. I guess a hired photographer might not seem as displaced in a lounge-bar or entertainment hall type venue for a wake, handled professionally and respectfully, but having a family friend or family member doing the documenting certainly seems like a more comfortable situation... 

I might put that order of 'Funeral Photographer' business cards on hold for now


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## tron (Jun 6, 2015)

4 years ago I lost my father. Even though I am a hobbyist photographer I can assure you I wouldn't want any photographer near me.


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## dcm (Jun 7, 2015)

Khufu said:


> Nicely handled, dcm, and thank you for sharing the story!
> 
> A close connection with those present does seem like a near-necessity in these situations though. I guess a hired photographer might not seem as displaced in a lounge-bar or entertainment hall type venue for a wake, handled professionally and respectfully, but having a family friend or family member doing the documenting certainly seems like a more comfortable situation...
> 
> I might put that order of 'Funeral Photographer' business cards on hold for now



Thanks. It was the first time I tried something like this. My wife and I spent the week between his death and the funeral with his widow helping out with the preparations and everything else so we had lots of time to discuss the plans. It just sort of evolved. Being part of the funeral party there really wasn't any chance to do photography during the service anyway, especially from my front row, center aisle seat. Afterwards I just blended into the background with my camera. 

I don't think I would even attempt funeral photography or videography (i.e. during the service), even though I have done photography and videography during other church services at the pastor's request. No flash and shoot from the back so I use fast, long lenses to shoot stills - fortunately its a small chapel. I also shoot video from the back with a zoom lens and have a stereo mic for the back of the chapel to catch ambient audio with a second mic/recorder at front to capture audio around the altar. 

The wake photography I did was much like typical family, church, sports, and school events I shot in the past. The others were easier for me. I chose to be discreet and blend into the background but that's my style in general. No poses unless requested. I've done a fair amount of photography at church events over the years on request. If someone asked me to shoot a funeral and the reception afterwards I might be willing after discussing it with them. But that's something that nobody has asked me to shoot yet.

I'm not for hire and don't consider entering the business so I haven't really thought how I would approach this from a business perspective. If you already do event photography, you might add wakes to the list and see how it goes. I'd probably want to do some market research first - attend several funerals/wakes without a camera and talk to some folks a few weeks afterward to find out what photos they wish they had taken or what they liked from the inevitable cell phone photos everyone takes while it is still fresh in their mind to get an idea how I could approach it before I jumped in. Then I'd probably focus on working with my church first, then other churches in the area that would even allow it so they could add it to their list of offerings and recommend me.


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## slclick (Jun 7, 2015)

Photographers at the service with Throbbing Gristle playing in the background....right.


Look, start a western (portraying us as closeminded/uncultured) vs eastern debate all you want. When loved ones depart, which lens to use is the last thing on your mind.


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## privatebydesign (Jun 7, 2015)

slclick said:


> Photographers at the service with Throbbing Gristle playing in the background....right.
> 
> 
> Look, start a western (portraying us as closeminded/uncultured) vs eastern debate all you want. When loved ones depart, which lens to use is the last thing on your mind.



Er, that isn't what I was saying at all! Close minded and uncultured, no; different, yes.


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## fragilesi (Jun 7, 2015)

privatebydesign said:


> 'We', Western religion/mindset, are in the minority, we just have an undeserved sense of superiority and belief in our 'knowledge'.



Maybe some people do . . . but that's true of almost any group of humanity. It's by no means a particularly "Western" trait.


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## privatebydesign (Jun 8, 2015)

fragilesi said:


> privatebydesign said:
> 
> 
> > 'We', Western religion/mindset, are in the minority, we just have an undeserved sense of superiority and belief in our 'knowledge'.
> ...



Again, that isn't what I meant. The thread sounded like it was coming from a "Western" mindset, where death is very much classified as a sad and negative time and not so much a thoughtful retrospective gathering of the closest people to the departed where their life is celebrated and honoured and the people who are gathered, possibly for the last time if the departed was the common bond between them, can enjoy reminiscing the times shared and the firm belief that the departed has transitioned to a 'better' place.

Even the 'Western' religions that believe in an afterlife still center on mourning, black clothes, hushed 'respectable' tones etc. I am not anti 'Western' or pro anything not Western, I am stating the obvious. The 'Western' mindset to funerals is not celebratory so even the thought of a photographer is an anathema to most people, so the business suggestion would need to take that kind of mindset into account.

I have my personal beliefs and after losing my Mother when she was just 53 I wish somebody had taken pictures at her funeral, now, 24 years later, I would love to see who was there, put faces to names and have an actual image to remind me of that celebration of her life by the people who were nearest and dearest to her. Of course I think about her every day, and I probably wouldn't have appreciated the images for many years, but I realise now (and have for years) I would have liked a record, and some images would have done that nicely.

So get over all your negativity and see that I was just pointing out the hurdles the target market's mindset will present to the business idea. It would be a hard sell and unlike a wedding where the results are eagerly anticipated in a short time frame, the true value of funeral photography probably wouldn't be appreciated for many years.


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## Valvebounce (Jun 8, 2015)

Hi privatebydesign. 
I too thought that I was seeing a predominantly western culture point of view, not that I am too well versed in other cultures, but I have detected more of a celebratory aspect from other cultures. 
I lost my father just over a year ago at the age of 82 after a life full of experiences, I felt that his wake may be the last time I saw some of his friends and work colleagues, he was the only common connection between many people there, I took my camera and I have some pictures of people celebrating his life and how he touched on their lives, as well as some discreetly showing the sadness others felt at his passing. I did feel uncomfortable whilst taking the photos, but it is part of how I was dealing with loosing my dad, he gave me my first camera, one that he no longer needed so you could say it was partially his fault! ;D

Cheers, Graham. 



privatebydesign said:


> Again, that isn't what I meant. The thread sounded like it was coming from a "Western" mindset, where death is very much classified as a sad and negative time and not so much a thoughtful retrospective gathering of the closest people to the departed where their life is celebrated and honoured and the people who are gathered, possibly for the last time if the departed was the common bond between them, can enjoy reminiscing the times shared and the firm belief that the departed has transitioned to a 'better' place.
> 
> Even the 'Western' religions that believe in an afterlife still center on mourning, black clothes, hushed 'respectable' tones etc. I am not anti 'Western' or pro anything not Western, I am stating the obvious. The 'Western' mindset to funerals is not celebratory so even the thought of a photographer is an anathema to most people, so the business suggestion would need to take that kind of mindset into account.
> 
> ...


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## fragilesi (Jun 8, 2015)

privatebydesign said:


> fragilesi said:
> 
> 
> > privatebydesign said:
> ...



With all due respect, it might not have been what you meant, but it is exactly what you wrote. 

And please stop talking about whatever “negativity” you have somehow perceived from me because I have my own view and ideas on what is a very personal subject. The very fact that you are talking about “target” markets and “business” ideas when it comes to funerals tells me all I need to know. If someone wants to have a funeral photographed for their loved one that’s 100% okay with me. I simply expressed the point that I would strongly object to it for a funeral for my family. You can write that off as “negative” if you have to but with that mindset anyone would run into trouble trying to do this.

For what it’s worth I am sorry to hear about your mother I really am. Partly because I empathise with you, sadly mine passed away much younger. I have memories of her that I absolutely cherish but as a teenager Lord only knows what I would have done to someone pointing a camera at me during the service that day. So, if anyone happens to photograph a funeral for people that want it I hope they do a good job and that they value the images. It does require understanding and a bit of respect for those whose beliefs don’t tie in with it bearing in mind there might be a mixture of beliefs about this at many funerals. I think we're both in agreement to that extent?


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## distant.star (Jun 8, 2015)

.
*Celebration or Commiseration?*​
_*Live your life, do your work, then take your hat.*_​-Thoreau on life and death​
Grenadilla asks, "What is the reasoning behind the desire to leave the final chapter of a person's life untold, to be non-remembered?" This question, he says, comes from a North American perspective.

I believe the question is valid and has a mostly, but not entirely, basis in fact. There are some cultural differences even in NA, but the dominant culture here in NA deeply fears death. Therefore, it does everything possible to keep it tucked away in a closet -- including not having pictures around to remind us. So called news media never show pictures of dead bodies, "poor taste," they say. Newspapers used to have obituary writers (where a new reporter typically started because you didn't have a moving target and the deadline was soft, so to speak.) People with terminal maladies are said to be "battling" against something, as an acceptance of death is verboten. Even as hospice has become more broadly accepted, it is not respected by the "rage against the dying of the light" crowd and their Vince Lombardi mantra, "Winning isn't the most important thing, it's the ONLY thing." A battle until the final breath is the only way to be respected as a human. If you're looking for a social war, mention assisted suicide! This aversion to death was not always the case, even in the dominant culture.

From the early days of photography, we see death treated as simply the part of life that it is. Mathew Brady once had a New York exhibition of dead bodies littering a Civil War battlefield. Go to MOMA and offer such an exhibition today; they will probably have you escorted to the door. At the climax of that century it was not uncommon for survivors to have pictures taken with bodies of their departed loved ones -- and the bodies staged to appear as they were in life.

I will offer that in the NA dominant culture, death policies, procedures and rituals are based in the concept of commiseration rather than celebration. The celebration rituals focus on ongoing life (birth, wedding, reunions, etc.); the commiseration rituals focus on loss and grief. We in NA tend to focus solely on a future devoid of the person we have "lost." It is sometimes said we are a people without a history. I don't know about that, but I do know we do not value history. We find it hard to look at the life of the deceased and find wonder in what they gave us -- and to see that as a cause for celebration rather than commiseration. It seems narcissistic to me that we focus solely on ourselves and our loss. It's over and time to get on with it we somberly say. Reset the clock and let a new game begin. Break out the cameras again and resume celebrating LIFE -- weddings, graduations, sports, fishing trophies!

I hope that is an answer to the original question. This will change, is in fact, now changing. However it will take generations before "funeral photographers" in this culture will ever be viewed the same as wedding photographers. A few of us, as so generously offered in this thread, are pioneering a new appreciation for the value of visual remembrances in what we now see as the land of commiseration. I very much appreciate the wonderful stories that have been told here.

Standing with us is Magnum Photographer, Martin Parr. In an "assignment" he gave to document a funeral, he has written:

"I always take photographs when I attend a funeral. Most people there know who I am and expect me to be there with my camera. I think many of the photographs submitted for my directive come from family albums, rather than from people going out there specifically. That's understandable: it's a hard task. I think the most successful image is of the family burying an urn, with a bunch of balloons. But the assignment shows that some people do have common sense, and have taken photos at funerals because they are an event worth remembering. The camera's job is to document life, and it's crazy not to do it. Sometimes you feel uncomfortable taking a photograph, but that's all part of the job."

That is from: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/aug/27/photographs-funerals-smoking

All part of the job. For some of us, as photographers, our job is to show ourselves to ourselves, and we should do that as comprehensively as possible I believe.


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## dcm (Jun 13, 2015)

A few photos from after the service at the national cemetary using the M3+11-22. They chose a national cemetary after seeing the WW II memorial cemetaries in Europe while stationed there.

Even though I brought a less conspicuous setup, the camera stayed in the car during the service. Got a few photos of the funeral procession lining up and the people visiting before the committal ceremony. I'll go back on a nice sunny day with the 6D+11-24 when the tombstone is in place. 




IMG_1357 by dvmtthws, on Flickr




IMG_1375 by dvmtthws, on Flickr




IMG_1438 by dvmtthws, on Flickr


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## distant.star (Jun 14, 2015)

dcm said:


> A few photos from after the service at the national cemetary using the M3+11-22. They chose a national cemetary after seeing the WW II memorial cemetaries in Europe while stationed there.
> 
> Even though I brought a less conspicuous setup, the camera stayed in the car during the service. Got a few photos of the funeral procession lining up and the people visiting before the committal ceremony. I'll go back on a nice sunny day with the 6D+11-24 when the tombstone is in place.



Nice images. The national cemeteries can make for dramatic pictures. I need to go redo pictures of a school pal who died in Vietnam (two weeks before I got there!). He's in a grave with his Dad (WWII) and Mom. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to be on the lookout now for a good weather day.


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## Khufu (Jun 16, 2015)

Nice use of cropping, dcm! I've been considering this recently, how difficult and off-putting people can find ultra-wide shooting, when it can wind up presenting so much irrelevant visuals, or an image can even become dominated by skies or busy backgrounds when you just want to capture something with a bit of context around it... You've done great with that first picture in particular


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## dcm (Jun 16, 2015)

Khufu said:


> Nice use of cropping, dcm! I've been considering this recently, how difficult and off-putting people can find ultra-wide shooting, when it can wind up presenting so much irrelevant visuals, or an image can even become dominated by skies or busy backgrounds when you just want to capture something with a bit of context around it... You've done great with that first picture in particular



Thanks. The first lent itself to a panoramic treatment the best, otherwise the sky and sea of grass in the foreground dominated.


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## ClickIt_AC (Jun 16, 2015)

I was asked by my ex-wife to take a photograph of the funeral of my Mother-in law comprising the horse drawn carriage. I think mainly on the basis that it had cost so much and they wanted a record of the 'send-off' which was justifiable on several levels if not just on that basis alone. I had to plan well ahead and could not see a way of using my 5D3 SLR with wide angle, without it distracting others, even though I would not get much time to complete the task. In the end I opted for a compact and stitching, as the only way! In my opinion it did not turn out so bad but I spent a lot of time PP removing background reflections from all that glass on the carriage!!Bless her!


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## MARKOE PHOTOE (Jun 16, 2015)

Hillsilly said:


> When we are born, we have everything. We have parents who love us, grandparents, brothers and sisters and other close relatives. We have our full faculties. We have the neighborhood where we grew up and knew everybody. We have our friends. As we get older, we start to lose all of that, until we eventually get to the stage where everything we cherish is gone. Funerals are the constant reminder of that. Most people would prefer to remember their loved ones in better times.
> 
> Still, even though I raised it in the linked thread, I'm not 100% opposed to the concept. Funerals are one of the rare occasions where everyone gets together. Done respectfully, such photos can be important. But butting in to someone else's funeral to take "arty" shots of people's grief doesn't sit right.



Well said. 
I've shot a funeral and the 'celebration' after the ceremony for a dear friend and his wife. He died at an early age of 60 and his wife followed within the second year of his passing.
It was the celebration of life and all of the wonderful memories they/he created during his illustrious life. He was a giver, a great man and a patient soul.
Friends and relatives came from all over the US to pay their last respects. This was so memorable to have so many friends and relatives together for one purpose. 

Only wish Canon would have a completely silent shutter (electronic) like Fuji and now Sony is providing on their new A7R-II.


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## patrickfd (Jun 16, 2015)

Last year I was one of two FD photographers asked to photograph a firefighter line of duty death funeral. I found it to be a very uncomfortable experience. While you are trying to get pictures for the Fire Dept and the family you are trying to stay as far under the radar and as invisible as possible. 

http://www.squadfirephotos.com/Other/Hartford-Ct-LODD-funeral-101314/i-P6gwCgk


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## distant.star (Jun 16, 2015)

patrickfd said:


> Last year I was one of two FD photographers asked to photograph a firefighter line of duty death funeral. I found it to be a very uncomfortable experience. While you are trying to get pictures for the Fire Dept and the family you are trying to stay as far under the radar and as invisible as possible.
> 
> http://www.squadfirephotos.com/Other/Hartford-Ct-LODD-funeral-101314/i-P6gwCgk



Thanks for sharing those. I see a lot of work that went in to getting all those shots from good angles.


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## bereninga (Jun 16, 2015)

patrickfd said:


> Last year I was one of two FD photographers asked to photograph a firefighter line of duty death funeral. I found it to be a very uncomfortable experience. While you are trying to get pictures for the Fire Dept and the family you are trying to stay as far under the radar and as invisible as possible.
> 
> http://www.squadfirephotos.com/Other/Hartford-Ct-LODD-funeral-101314/i-P6gwCgk



Good angles and shots. I really like 40 and 119. The giant watermarks though really detract from the quality of the images.

It's hard enough to get good shots for celebrations, but for a funeral it must be a lot more difficult. Props to you.


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## patrickfd (Jun 16, 2015)

Thanks for the positive comments. I agree about the watermark and I hate them but I had a picture taken from my site and published in a magazine without my permission or credit to me as the photographer so now the watermark.


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## Tinky (Jun 17, 2015)

People aren't at their best. Probably want to look back on happier times rather than 'oh remember that very sad day when we buried him'

Also, if there was say a role for an official photographer it would become like weddings where indignant uncle bobs bring their massive lenses and flashguns and ruin the atmosphere, kids taking selfies on their iphones etc.

I've been at one funeral when the papparazzi were outside the church and then trying to sneak into the graveyard amongst family and friends (a family friend was the innocent victim of a notorious murder) and it was phuqqing horrible. 

I attended a funeral earlier this year which was a really brilliant, humourous celebration of life, by the end of the tributes I was sore kaughing with some rekindled memoties of a great guy who succumbed to mnd. I almost wish I had an audio recording of the service, as it was such a considered and uplifting affair. But that would be disrespectful.

There were bits in the first example where I cried a lot, bits in the second example where I cried a little. Despite the packed halls on both occassions, it was essentially a private moment in a group context.

If we held 'viking burials' or in a culture where mourning is more public and acceotable, then there might be a case, unfortunately, for every discreet, compassionate photographer who treats things with dignity, there is a blithering idiot with no sense of occassion or self.


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