Funeral Photography

No, I’m not talking about taking selfies with dead bodies- that’s a discussion for another day. I’m talking about having the proceedings of a funeral documented. Some people are horrified by the thought of it. “It’s disrespectful!”, “It’s inappropriate!”, “It’s not the time or place for such things!”, “Death is sacred”, “We take photos of every other thing in our lives-can we just have this time without cameras in our faces?” Fair points.

Personally, I wonder why, if we document every other aspect of our lives, why not the end of our lives? Why is the end of life so ‘sacred’ that it can’t be documented? I am at the age & stage of life where funerals are now the only time I see certain family members or people I grew up with. They are markers in the timelines of our lives, reunions of sorts. So, why wouldn’t these times be documented? When my step father died, his cousin took photos at the funeral. I certainly hadn’t thought of taking photos - I was engrossed in caring for our young children who were deep in grief and missing their Grandfather. My step-father’s cousin happened to be a very important person in my life - a source of wisdom and calm and fun, a beacon of light during my ‘teenage angst’ years. When he died, what did I go and immediately retrieve? The photo of us at my step father’s funeral. I had forgotten that he’d also sent me photos of my children with him. My children don’t remember him, but I am so happy to have photos of all of us together.

The majority of the funeral services I conduct are sound recorded. These recordings sent to family members unable to attend the service. More & more services are being live streamed around the world, so families can be part of the important ritual of honour and farewell. Funeral videography is gaining popularity - for the same reason, as is photography. What do I see when I look at funeral photos- connection. So many moments of connection. We are connected in life, we are connected death.

A wonderful photographer I have worked with in the wedding world, also shoots funerals. Here’s what Terri has to say about her experiences.

What was your journey to photographing funerals?

My journey into photographing funerals happened out of chance. I have a friend who's father passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. 

I'll be honest with you, after shooting weddings for more than 12 years, for a split millisecond I was a little taken aback. More so because I had not photographed anything like this and was very concerned about the etiquette involved in funeral photography. This was a celebration I had not photographed before, but knew that if I approached the service with compassion and respect, the imagery would be a beautiful tool to help family and friends through the grieving process. 

Chatting with my friend after delivering their images I found that the images became a way to share the service with those that could not attend - the deceased’s sister and family in the U.K, friends from all over Australia, etc. They felt that for them, images would be more appropriate than a video of the service. They also felt that the images would be something that would be looked back on if they ever felt the need in the future.

Why do you think there is a stigma attached to photographing funerals?

I feel there is a stigma attached to photographing funerals because it's not the norm.  All sorts of questions come to mind when you think of funeral photography. "What are we going to do with the images after the day?”, “What is the value of having images of the funeral”, “Who is going to want to look at the images?”, and also not knowing if it is something you want in your arsenal of healing tools. 

It's a very personal decision to choose to have a photographer at a service. And with the right photographer involved, as mentioned before it can become an incredible healing tool.

Personally, when asked to photograph funerals, I approach them in a different manner to any other event. Discretion, compassion, understanding, and empathy are key factors. I find it vital to capture moments without any disruption to the service and to be as unobtrusive as possible at all times. I work closely with both the family, celebrant and funeral homes to determine the best etiquette for each situation. I also modify my shooting so there are as little disturbance and distraction to the service and guests as possible. I use equipment without flashes and always stay back as far as possible so that I am not an eye sore or obtrusive at any point in the service.  And I always keep in mind the sadness that is attached to funerals. 

I feel it is important to place importance on choosing a professional photographer with experience, compassion, and understanding of your grief. 

How can this type of photography assist in grief?

Funeral Photography is a very personal choice and not for everyone. Imagery can be an important part of an end of life celebration for anyone unable to attend, but still wanting to feel part of the day and also for anyone who wants to look back and remember the service. 

Experiencing the loss of someone, whether it is sudden or expected can still be quite a shock. Everybody grieves in their own unique way and having the ability to look back over end of life celebration images may help through the grieving process. Having tangible memories to reflect on, regardless of how small, can have an impact on how we feel during our moments of grief.”

Images below by Terri Hanlon Photography