Is it possible to photograph at a funeral?
You are probably wondering why the marketing agency writes about photos of funerals. The funeral home industry does not stand out in marketing, and they also report the demand for photos for their social media accounts. You probably know the topic of your industry yourself, that if you do something right, customers find you themselves and ask for other services.
The same story was with our company. We help run social media for funeral homes in Munich, and their clients, seeing our photos, contact us with a request to make a film or photos during the ceremony.
Okay, but that’s not what the article was supposed to be about, so we’re about to finish and we invite you to read the article. And by the way, see our photos.
When the funeral day comes, however, usually difficult emotions dominate and we often remember the ceremonies themselves as if in a fog. Although some say that this is a normal mental reaction: the human body defends itself against the difficult and tries to weaken these difficult moments, also by not storing them in memory. What to do, however, if we want to someday – calmly, when the emotions have subsided – come back to the last path? When we want to gaze at the coffin, flowers, ceremony, and mourning guests at a time that we see fit?
Taking pictures at a funeral
Then funeral photography can help. This type of photojournalism is one of the most controversial and gives rise to the most lively discussions, as it touches upon very personal issues and moments. After all, no one can deny that it is at the funeral that the most tears and pain occur. Somehow instinctively, in times of such weakness, many people would like to hide – while reportage funeral photography is by definition obliged to capture just such moments.
So a question may arise: is it possible to photograph at a funeral?
is it possible to photograph at a funeral?
Funeral photos
Experience shows that it is possible, but it is necessary for this difficult task to be undertaken by a person not only of high technical level, but above all endowed with purely human qualities, such as empathy, compassion, and the kind of subtle sense that tells us at what moment and where to lower the lens. There are situations in which pressing the shutter button exceeds the limit of not only good taste but also culture. For funeral photography – if it is already done – should be specifically artistic. Sometimes one detail can tell about the atmosphere of this last road – like a combination of a drop of water on a flower petal in a bunch with the sun’s rays falling through a church window – than a close-up of a tearful face … to take photos of the deceased lying in a coffin more – it is a common truism …
Is it appropriate to take photos at a funeral?
The funeral photographer has a really difficult task: he should be in every place where he is needed, while trying to be as if invisible so as not to disturb the people involved in the ceremony not only physically, but above all emotionally.
Is funeral photography necessary at all? Probably not to everyone and not at every celebration. Usually, the photos are taken at the funerals of public figures known – as a documentation of that last chord summing up their lives. Photographs at the funeral of private persons can also serve as an archiving – preserving the memory of not only people, but also rituals for future generations. However, it is always worth remembering that? as in any other field – take these photos so that you do not have to be ashamed of them. After all, even in the face of death, the proverb “When they see you – that’s how they write you.” And yet each of us would like to be remembered as best as possible …
Below are examples of photos that our client shared on his social media. The funeral subject does not have to be blunt and obvious. In particular, this industry should have exceptional customer empathy and understanding.
