This morning found me outdoors in a cemetry covering a funeral. This was my first time ever doing this. And my last. I have decided that funerals I won't do. Even if I get offered good money. It's just not my thing. I mean, how do you go snapping away at people grieving even if it's them that want it? If someone enquires about it from me, I'll direct them to other photographers.
Today's funeral was extreme. 5 cameramen: 3 still, 2 video. And that's just the official ones. Of course the papparazzi were out in full force. I saw 3 at the cemetry. (An aside, one of the cameramen had Raul's twin. Right down to the flash, vertical grip and missing flash sync connection cover. Had I not being carrying Raul in my hands, I could have sworn he stole it from me!).
If you think the above was bad, there was a funeral next to the one I was covering where, eh, I just got bemused. You know the way after a wedding service people pose with the bride and groom outside the church? That's exactly what was going on. Complete with the person co-ordinating the posing. I kept hearing, now it's the siblings. Okay, after siblings, let us have the uncles and aunts. Okay, now the cousins. I couldn't believe it.
And so, as a PSA, let it be known Raul will never ever cover funerals. At least not while being handled by yours truly. If someone wants to borrow the camera to cover one, by all means let them do so after having left me a sizeable deposit to replace Raul should the grave suddenly appear too attractive to him, as well as paying a good use fee. Big enough to deter anyone from using Raul thus.
I follow Alain Briot's outlook on photography. I will not cover things that evoke negative emotions. That's why I didn't take shots during the chaos earlier this year. That is why I am choosing not to cover funerals. Others that have no problem covering that can and are very welcome to do so.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Funerals are not my thing.
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6 comments:
We got married in Kenya and we could not believe when I saw papparazzis selling our photos even before we were done with church.
Here we were walking out of a church and a guy was displaying our pictures of us exchanging our vows for sale on the wall outside.
There should be a law against papparazzi's in Kenya.
Hi egm,
I don't think I follow Alain's outlook on matters. I like to take pictures that can evoke any kind of emotion, be it disgust, sadness or delight.
However, I have never in my whole little life heard of people photographing at funerals! A part of me finds that disrespectful to the dead. (That being said I do take pictures of dead animals...)
Hmmm, what do people get out of photographing funerals? Actually I am not sure on what my outlook is now, for I wasn't thinking about this without being impartial. (I was thinking about the funerals I attended you see.) I'll shut up now. It's past bedtime! (My second excuse).
Here's what I don't get...when will the family ever sit to ooh and aah over the funeral pics. Imagine someone saying "Oh, girl...you are really working that LBD-little black dress"...jeez! It's just downright creepy! At least they didn't pose with the corpse ;)
I was about to comment on the post and then saw hapo on the right side , the "and the God said sijui which equations and there was light".
Funerals are just too sad. I can't imagine trying to capture tearful mounful people. But I suppose if you are in the line of work you have to develop some tough skin?
Mwari Wa David
Ssembonge
Karibu kwangu.
Papparazzis... this comment has inspired a post!
Beans
Hi Beans,
And that is why I believe you can never fail to get someone that will do the kind of photography you want. It's great to have this varied opinion on what one is comfortable doing and what is not. That way the entire spectrum of subjects can be photographically covered. I just know that for me, I will shy away from anything that evokes negative emotions. If something I take does do that, then it will purely be inadvertently so on my part.
Wambui
Tell me about it!
3ToC
Hmm... wacha tu!
Mwari
Karibu back after a period!
Well, capturing the photos, that I can do. If it was just something mechanical disregarding the emotions ruling the day, I would have no problem. But my thing is, I find I cannot be as free to be as creative in such a situation like I would be at say, a wedding or birthday party. Seeing what I saw at yesterday's funeral, I'm sure there are more than enough photographers around that will do that kind of work, leaving me to do what I enjoy and have no problem doing.
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