A topic I covered in my memoir was an aspect of photography I never considered until the first time it happened to me. And that was that photos of loved ones, pets, and others that bring joy can also be used to memorialize.
Photographers shoot things as they are happening. We capture live moments and we do not often think beyond what they will look like on the wall, the story they tell the viewer right now. We rarely ever stop to think that we could be making the image that will used to remember someone gone from life, whether to young, suddenly, or otherwise.
It’s a bleak topic. But having our images used for memorials can happen fairly frequently.
Casey Schulman (A fellow SAS F 12 voyager of mine) I took this photo just a day before her unexpected and tragic passing in December of 2012. I had provided the image to her to send to her family and it was used around the world. This photo memorializes her amazing spirit— click the photo to support the foundation created in her name.
The first time I experience creating an image that was used to memorialize someone was entirely unexpected, heart wrenching, and painful. The above image of Casey was that image. I was a photographers assistant on the Semester at Sea fall 2012 voyage and was assigned a story on second generation voyagers of which Casey was. I spent just an hour or so with her, capturing moments, witnessing her joy with friends, and creating this image.
She had asked me to send her a few of them to send home before the story ran and I saw no problem with that as they were going to be public images in a few days time anyways. I didn’t know then that a day later she was pass in a tragic accident. I didn’t know that my image would be the last of her and the one her family would use to remember her.
It was my first experience with this reality of photography. I learned my image was used when the photographer worked under said it was in the Washington Post but that I hadn’t been attributed. I was surprised, but I didn’t care like he did that I wasn’t credited. To me it was enough that something I did gave her family something to remember her, I need no recognition and to this day for photos that end up as memorial images I refuse to be acknowledged as the creator. Their purpose is remembrance, honor, and family closure not a photographers pride.
Andrea and her oldest boy whom learned to ride on their lost but not forgotten Melody.
Autumn, Andrea, and Tina
It’s happened several times that my images have memorialized those no longer with us. However the latest case affected my equine friends. Their heart horse passed suddenly from colic and for anyone with a beloved pet you know the pain.
I had been out the year before to shoot portraits for her and at her coworkers requested turned one into a portrait, which they asked to have printed on metal and framed. That portrait arrived yesterday and I was told she sobbed while lamenting how she missed her.
Today we recieved a very nice momento from my two BFS at work. The tears let loose when saw this photo...especially when I could see every detail from her brown eyes, white eye lashes, brown flecks, crinkles in her nose, her swirl, and more.
All I could mumble was "I Miss Her"
This photo was taken by Tiffany a couple years ago and so glad I decided to get photos of her and KayTee done.
Deepest heart felt thank you to Tina & Autumn for having this keepsake made. I know exactly where to put it. ~Andrea Lude
As photographers we do not always know how our images will be used or their true value. But we are freezing time, and keeping memories alive with our work and skill. It’s never ideal to see your work as a memorial image but it is a true honor to have created something so valuable it helps keep those who are gone memories alive.
Blog post feature image by Kateryna Hnidash: https://www.pexels.com/photo/opened-magazine-with-photos-and-fresh-flower-placed-on-bed-7530394/