An unusual photo shoot! - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM

06/16/2007 03:56:44 AM · #1

Well, I had a phone call from my brother last wednesday evening asking if I could take some photos of his father-in-laws funeral on the friday morning. Now, I was going along to pay my respects anyway but all of a sudden it turned into an unusual job.

So of course with it being my brother I said yes without even really thinking about it. So then came friday morning and I get to the funeral service and I suddenly realise how uncomfortable I feel. Normally I shoot weddings in churches, not funerals.

The story is my brother's wife's side of the family is Italian and they have a lot of relatives overseas who couldn't be there. One of the relatives supplied the floral arrangement which adorned the coffin and she particularly wanted photos of these. I felt a little better when another relative arrived with a video camera to film the event as well.

Now I found that I couldn't get overly close to the coffin so as not to get in the way of those that were grieving and also there's nothing worse than a big shutter 'slap' when it's all quiet, but I suddenly found myself looking for, I guess you could say, artistic ways to shoot the scene.

Now I haven't posted any of the shots up here as some may find it perhaps a little morbid (no, there was no open coffin and it's just the coffin and flowers) but perhaps I may later. I was wondering if anyone else has ever taken shots at a funeral or any other unusual event. Please share!!

xantangummi

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

06/16/2007 04:13:43 AM · #2

I work at a cemetery and I see poeple doing this almost everyday. It's quite normal.

Simms

06/16/2007 04:17:10 AM · #3

Makka, post them mate, I hear about this kind of thing more and more and would love to see your interpretation of it.

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

06/16/2007 04:46:06 AM · #4

Originally posted by Simms:

Makka, post them mate, I hear about this kind of thing more and more and would love to see your interpretation of it.

Ok...I will look at putting a couple up soon! Cheers for the feedback!

NathanWert

Canon EOS-90D

06/16/2007 07:00:06 AM · #5

I have a coworker that may soon die from liver cancer and I'll most likely be there taking photo's. However, I do not have a DSLR and there is no noise when I take a photo, so I won't have that problem. My pictures will not be artistic, but more along the lines of PJ style.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/16/2007 07:04:17 AM · #6

Well here is a couple of them. Wasn't really sure on the best way to process them but to be honest I don't think the family would really care. It's for my own satisfaction I think to make them presentable.

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

06/16/2007 07:22:20 AM · #7

Left you some comments - I think you did very well. Thanks for sharing as I'm sure others can learn from your experience.

06/16/2007 07:25:21 AM · #8

Originally posted by Melethia:

Left you some comments - I think you did very well. Thanks for sharing as I'm sure others can learn from your experience.

Thanks Deb. It's appreciated as I've never done anything like this before.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

06/16/2007 08:11:51 AM · #9

I *know* how you feel!!!

My father-in-law passed away in January. My mother-in-law asked me to take pictures. But what she wanted most of all ... I just couldn't do! She wanted "candids" of the people around the open casket paying their last respects. What an EMOTIONAL time. I just couldn't bring myself to take pictures of people openly crying over their lost dad/son/brother/etc.

Luckily, her daughter was there with a camera and was willing to take the pictures. If she hadn't, I probably would have, but since she was willing to do so, I quickly backed out of it and gave her free reign.

I took lots of pictures at the funeral site (here we do a dedication of the grave before putting the casket in) and I took tons of pictures of the luncheon. So she got some good images from me. Just nothing from around the open casket.

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

06/16/2007 08:28:56 AM · #10

Originally posted by dwterry:

Thanks for sharing those David. I guess mine was different in a way because they were wanting me to more capture shots of the coffin and flowers more than the people attending. I think I would of backed out of it if that had of been the case. I don't think I could of taken shots like those on your site, for the same reasons you stated.

xianart

Canon EOS-7D

06/16/2007 08:53:46 AM · #11

the same thing happened to me. a friend's fiancee (who was also my friend) died, very young. we were in botswana, but she was from zambia, and many relatives couldn't be there.

when we arrived in the town for the funeral, someone approached me and asked - N said you're a photographer, will you video the funeral for us? well i couldn't really say no, but i hated it. they did ask specifically for me to film her in the coffin, but i just handed the camera over to a relative for that - i was already feeling voyeuristic enough.

you got some very nice shots from yours, david and neil. i think, though, that this isn't something to ask a firend to do at a funeral of someone they knew. it makes one into an observer, rather than a participant.

that said, i almost wish i had pics of my parents' funerals, as i have no idae who was there - they're both complete blurs.

fotomann_forever

06/16/2007 10:37:41 AM · #12

They couldn't have gotten anyone that was better for the job. You did great. These are beautiful.

MikeJ

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

06/16/2007 10:45:19 AM · #13

Yes, this can be a very emotional time... but I read a long time ago (and found it to be true) that most extended families (and some smaller ones) almost never mange to get together except at weddings and funerals. So many funerals also turn into a family reunion because sometimes that's the only time some people get to see relatives they haven't seen in a long time and new family members that were born or married into the family since the last gathering. So yes, you will find a lot of people taking pictures at funerals... especially as the people get older. And these pictures are passed around and talked about just as much as wedding pictures and other family reunions. And for those that can't attend, it's a chance to see people they might not have seen for a very long time.

Mike

cryan

Nikon D700

06/16/2007 10:45:40 AM · #14

Funerals are hard to shoot. While in the Navy I shot many for fallen sailors. Just a couple of years ago my wifes grandfather passedaway, he had been in service of the NYPD for his entire career. He was given full honors including honor guard from NYPD and was buried with full military honors. He had won the Congressional Medal of Honor. From what I see you did a great job.