Author Topic: Have you ever heard of anyone taking pictures at a Funeral? (Read 4463 times)

Kong · « **on:** February 21, 2011, 02:05:19 PM »

I've been to a fair number of funerals, and I'll be going to another one here in a week or so. To the best of my memory I do not recall ever having seen anyone take photographs at a funeral, and that's after more than 50 years of funeral-going. For the open casket ones I don't seen any particular reason not to have a few photos, after all, it is the last time anyone is going to see the deceased to know what they looked like once it was all said and done.

You ever see it?

Damfino · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2011, 02:13:52 PM »

Haven't seen it personally, but have plenty of pictures of dead relatives to know it was once common. The most recent of them is my great-grandfather who died in 1947. Probably best to take photo's before or after the wake, once the crowds have gone, these days. Some are a little put off by it I think.

nomad · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2011, 02:18:03 PM »

Yep. I've never done it, but have seen/ heard of it being done. It really doesn't bother me, but I've known of some people who got a little bent over it. It really depends on the person and what kind of stressed out, emotional level they're at at a time like that.

When my dad passed several years back, I had relatives asking if I wanted any pictures of him at the funeral home. I told them no. Not because it bothered me, but rather I didn't need them. I had plenty of fond memories of him and pictures of him when we were together. I didn't really need one of him in his casket.

Quote from: Kong on February 21, 2011, 02:05:19 PM

... after all, it is the last time anyone is going to see the deceased to know what they looked like once it was all said and done.

Like I mentioned before... there are other pictures of better times that are probably best suited to remember someone by. A picture of a loved one's lifeless body just doesn't do it for me. That's just me though.

72 yellow · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2011, 02:19:27 PM »

Yup. My cousin gave me a picture of my mom that he took when she passed 9 years ago. I have a couple of pics of my grandparents at their funerals. Also one pic of my dad's 2 year old brother who died of diphtheria in the early 20's.

Kong · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2011, 02:21:33 PM »

Well, your comments so far are interesting. Actually I wasn't thinking of just photos of the deceased, I mean of the entire funeral. I'm thinking more of a regimen of photos sort of like you'd see of a wedding. Sort of before, during, and after - funeral home to grave-site.

nomad · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2011, 02:25:45 PM »

Quote from: Kong on February 21, 2011, 02:21:33 PM

Well, your comments so far are interesting. Actually I wasn't thinking of just photos of the deceased, I mean of the entire funeral. I'm thinking more of a regimen of photos sort of like you'd see of a wedding. Sort of before, during, and after - funeral home to grave-site.

Nope... never seen that before. That sounds almost like a wedding photographer (but very odd). I don't think I'd care to have someone snapping pictures of me and my family at a loved one's funeral. I don't think it'd go over too well to have the flash going off repeatedly during the gathering/ ceremony. Maybe you should run this question by the closest relatives of the deceased to see if they would mind.

Bodi · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2011, 03:32:16 PM »

I went to a funeral of an acquaintance once, I didn't know he was a "1%er" biker. I was more or less driving another friend there. There were a lot of well dressed burly guys taking photos and videos of the event.

Steve F · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2011, 07:25:41 PM »

We've had photos after the funeral of groups of family members and others that attended. We never had any photos of the deceased or the funeral though. It's like the old saying that the only time you'll see some people is at weddings and funerals, so the photo opportunities are limited.

754 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2011, 07:57:54 PM »

Lots of picture taking at most bike people funerals I have been to, but not all of them..
I have taken pictures of the people at funerals. pretty common to see a video camera, I would say..
Cant recall a lot of casket/occupant pics.. but have seen some in biker mags..

my78k · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2011, 08:33:20 PM »

I have seen both photos and videos but generally have been friends of mine from the Caribbean. Not sure if it is a cultural thing that it is a little more accepted. I know that in a couple of these cases the photos were used for friends and family that couldn't make the trip.

I do know that at the "reception" afterwards my family will usually take a few pics of some of the family we don't see very often...

Dennis

demon78 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2011, 03:45:06 AM »

Last time I saw pictures taken at funeral was when I was on an honor guard for a pilot that didn't make it, I thought it was a bit odd at the time but it was an official RCAF photo type.
Bill the demon.

HondaLover77 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 07, 2011, 06:21:32 AM »

when my grandmother died about 3 years ago I did take pictures of the family after at the reception, and that is all the family that i dont see much, as we live in diffrent states. I did however get a good shot of my Aunt her 2 daughters myself and my mom when we were at the reception, and was glad i did, because that was the last time I was able to see that particualr aunt alive.

MRieck · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2011, 12:36:38 PM »

Back in the 70's I worked at me uncle's funeral home. One time I saw people take pictures of the deceased ( in the casket) prior to the wake. I mean they were up on chairs to snap a pic from above. They must have popped 20 photos. I thought it was bizarre then and still do.

nomad · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2011, 01:03:12 PM »

Now this was some creepy stuff (to me anyway) they use to do way back in the day... it was called Victorian Postmortem Photography.

WARNING: Some of these images may be disturbing!

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&q=Victorian%20Postmortem%20Photography&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi#q=Victorian+Postmortem+Photography&um=1&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&tbs=isch:1,ic:gray&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=e0V1TazhOqGX0QGU6Z3FAQ&ved=0CBUQpwUoAg

If the link doesn't work for some reason, simply search Google Images for "Victorian Postmortem Photography." It's odd how they saw it as an absolutely normal act to display and photograph their deceased this way. Then again, some cultures would look at us like we were crazy for embalming a body and then covering the hands/ face in makeup to make it appear as though they're still alive and are asleep. I guess it all depends on your point of view and the culture you grew up in.

edbikerii · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2011, 03:00:16 PM »

Back in the 1980's I attended Malcolm Forbes' funeral on Park Ave. There were hundreds of bikers there, and plenty of photographers.

MRieck · « **Reply #15 on:** March 07, 2011, 05:42:05 PM »

Quote from: nomad on March 07, 2011, 01:03:12 PM

Now this was some creepy stuff (to me anyway) they use to do way back in the day... it was called Victorian Postmortem Photography.

WARNING: Some of these images may be disturbing!

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&q=Victorian%20Postmortem%20Photography&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi#q=Victorian+Postmortem+Photography&um=1&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&tbs=isch:1,ic:gray&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=e0V1TazhOqGX0QGU6Z3FAQ&ved=0CBUQpwUoAg

If the link doesn't work for some reason, simply search Google Images for "Victorian Postmortem Photography." It's odd how they saw it as an absolutely normal act to display and photograph their deceased this way. Then again, some cultures would look at us like we were crazy for embalming a body and then covering the hands/ face in makeup to make it appear as though they're still alive and are asleep. I guess it all depends on your point of view and the culture you grew up in.

Creepy is right. Mostly small children.

Goofaroo · « **Reply #16 on:** March 07, 2011, 06:03:08 PM »

I'm not saying it is right or wrong although I think it would only be appropriate for the immediate family to decide if they want photos or not. I would personally NOT want anyone taking pictures.
I'm 46 years old and have been to plenty of funerals and have never seen anyone with a camera either before, during, or after the funeral.

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #17 on:** March 07, 2011, 06:40:29 PM »

Had a neighbor that was a childhood friend of a guy's dad that died. The goofball brought a video camera to the service and started taping, the guy told him to shut it off for good reason. That guy never was right in the head...

MidTNJasonF · « **Reply #18 on:** March 07, 2011, 07:29:12 PM »

I had never personally seen it myself until a funeral of one of my wife's high school classmates. Someone walked up in the middle of visitation with a DSLR and snapped a couple photos of the deceased. The also took a few photos of the folks talking and milling about in the hall that were there for visitation. It sort of creeped me out honestly. No one seemed to say anything but there were more than a few very strange looks thrown the photographers way and also a few disapproving stern looks. I guess it is a significant event in the lives of the family and friends of the deceased so they may want to document it in much the same way they document a birthday, a wedding, or a baptism. It seems all sorts of weird to me but far be it from me to say what is right for someone else.

MoMo · « **Reply #19 on:** March 08, 2011, 05:05:52 AM »

I was a photographer for 10 years and no one ever hired me to take photos at a funeral. If someone did, I would have said no thank you...Larry

754 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 08, 2011, 09:06:56 AM »

I am sure the phrase has been uttered;
I cant make it to the funeral, I hope someone takes a few pictures.

..............................................................................

I agree that it can appear, but not necessarily is tasteless..

But.. if you feel that it is for the most part tasteless, how do you feel about this..??
Currently it is becoming common for Funeral homes to broadcast the funeral live on the internet, for those that cannot attend, or simply want a record of the funeral.
How do you feel about that..?

MidTNJasonF · « **Reply #21 on:** March 08, 2011, 10:03:21 AM »

Quote from: 754 on March 08, 2011, 09:06:56 AM

But.. if you feel that it is for the most part tasteless, how do you feel about this..??
Currently it is becoming common for Funeral homes to broadcast the funeral live on the internet, for those that cannot attend, or simply want a record of the funeral.
How do you feel about that..?

Funerals are for the living not the deceased. In this day and age where people can get so spread out geographically I guess I can see it. I personally could not see myself on the watching end of that webcast but maybe some folks would be more comfortable than I doing that.

If I can not manage to get there I will just send flowers, cards, or make some phone calls to the family to convey my condolences. If it was someone I was close to I would just have to mourn in my own way from afar I guess.

weekend_junkie · « **Reply #22 on:** March 08, 2011, 10:58:18 AM »

I've seen it done, it's an old European immigrant practice. The idea is that you would take a photograph with loved ones around the deceased and send it back to the family members still in the old country. It was meant to comfort those who were not in the US so they would know that the deceased was around loved ones when they died.

Now if you want to get into creepy, think about the origin of the term Living Room. People were given a wake in the parlor room of their own house. The mortician would do his business, or the body was literally just kept on ice. When Funeral Parlors became more popular, people stopped using the term parlor for their homes. The parlor was more notably now a room for the living, and no longer the dead, thus the name Living Room.

754 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 08, 2011, 09:35:37 PM »

Re the PostMortem photos..
Times were different the, infant mortality rates were high..
folks traveled less, often only knowing relatives through photos and letters.

A century and a half ago, the majority of people never got more than 100 miles from home.. in their lifetime..

tortelvis · « **Reply #24 on:** March 16, 2011, 12:53:14 PM »

My mom took pics of her dad when he passed, lying in his coffin. I thought then that it was a bizarre thing to do, especially as he was killed in a head on crash!

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Author Topic: Have you ever heard of anyone taking pictures at a Funeral? (Read 4463 times)

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