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Emotional Day
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This shot was taken on the way to the main shoot location, the groom wished to stop at his fathers grave with his son for a quick shot.
The bridal party all stood in silence as he said a prayer with his son, very moving to witness.
Great shot Ricky, i can feel the chaps pain
It just goes to show that weddings are not just a celebration, they also open wounds for the people whom we have lost.
DeeHi Ricky, whilst photographically this is en excellent shot, I have to say that I think the overall subject matter is more crass than
sensitive.
Really sorry to be the downer, but the shot looks a little posed to me. I guess you had to have been there?Thanks for the comments. The shot was croped a bit as there were other people at the grave side. I get what your saying about the posed look kenh but i can assure you i was just lucky as i didnt want to start directing marcus how to stand at his fathers grave!
Personally I see this as a very private photograph… not something for public divulgance over the internet.
I just don’t see what purpose has been served by posting this… “crop this, crop that, I don’t like the processing”… it sort of all goes out the window… “well captured moment, I feel the pain”… well, I mean, why wouldn’t you… anyone standing at their father’s grave irrespective of how good or bad the photo is will invoke that sort of emotion.
Sorry… but I just don’t see the point in posting this photo here. It’s something maybe for the family to cherish… and not a bunch of forum members.
This is a very personal topic for me.
There was a similar post on this site in April and I was the
first to reply asking why the poster took the photographs
and subsequently what the purpose of the photographs was.In this case I felt the same emotions but held off on commenting
to see what other members might say.I can not for the life of me see any value in displaying
a photograph of a grave and grieving relatives here.I can’t seem to appreciate it’s photographic qualities because of the subject matter.
It will not move me to go and do something that might improve the world
around me or the lot of my fellow humans.
It depicts, in my opinion, an extremely private moment and not one that I
would wish to intrude on.This photograph could possibly upset certain viewers.
That is obviously not a good reason in itself for not posting it.
But I would ask what value would be got from upsetting anybody with this
particular image.
If it were an image of some injustice or other situation that might move or
upset the viewer enough that they would maybe do something about that
injustice/situation or even get them thinking about it I could see value in
posting it.As I said in April maybe I’m not the right person to be commenting on
this image but these thoughts have been rattling around in my head and
I thought I better let them out.I’m not even sure I have explained my thoughts very well but I
have done my best.Thanks for listening.
John.
Call me odd but I don’t have a problem with this image being here. I’m not contradicting other views – it’s everyones entitlement to make a viewpoint. But there’s always a taboo with graveyard photography when there’s a person in it or it isn’t infrared.
It is an emotional image – unless you’re made of stone or brain dead that’s obvious. The fact that according to Ricky it was requested by the groom gives it some sort of permission and justification. I couldn’t answer whether the family, or groom approve of the image being here as only Ricky has that information. I wouldn’t consider this a sort of image for C&C from a photographic sense but since there isn’t another avenue then what can you do.
What I do find appealing, if appealing is the correct word, is the power of the image. OK, it does look a little contrived having wedding attire but that was the event so couldn’t be helped. It’s striking and is far from the norm when it comes to wedding photography. It’s also a portrayal of how their family bonds. If the family were happy for it to be taken I’ve no problem viewing it.
Alan.
kenh wrote:
Hi Ricky, whilst photographically this is en excellent shot, I have to say that I think the overall subject matter is more crass than
sensitive.
Really sorry to be the downer, but the shot looks a little posed to me. I guess you had to have been there?Since it appears confirmed that the person involved actually asked for a record of his grief – I find that even more bizarre.
I agree with Ken… I mean who requests photos of family members mourning?
I don’t know… I mean there are stories of sorrow and grief that need to be told… and then there are matters which should be private where I am concerned.
Or maybe I’m missing something… and there’s an opening in the market for Funeral Photographers. Nothing would surprise me in this day & age.
Yes-
absolutely what Alan said.The wedding album performs an important documentary function,
often overlooked at the time the pictures are made.Should the people involved make it as far as their fiftieth anniversary, for example,
the album will be dusted off again to reveal just which members of which groups are still with us.It transforms from a celebration of youth and promise into a memento mori with the passage of time.
Often, at the ceremony, a chair will be left empty for a departed loved one,
a metaphor for somebody who should have been there-
in the case of this picture, it’s a very literal representation,
but one that was obviously important to the people in the photograph.I made an assumption that it wasn’t posed by the photographer when I left my first comment;
in a similar situation, I would have made sure to document what happened,
but wouldn’t have thought of imposing an aesthetic myself.
It did seem obvious to me that the subjects were complicit in the making of the picture.As has been said, there is a taboo about death in this culture-
very obvious, as some comments have shown-
and it took a photograph to bring it to our attention-joseph
If the bloke wanted the photo, then he wanted the photo… I find it a bit strange personally, the heart is the place where I’d keep such things, but each to their own.
Sharing the image with family and friends, invoking memories of lost loved ones… no problem with that.
Where I draw the line is posting these intimate photos on a public forum for critique… I just don’t see the purpose of showing a bunch of strangers some more strangers mourning.
What is the relevance of sharing this on the internet? If there’s a bigger picture to be seen then fair enough… but there are matters which I believe should remain private.
What’s next… a thread in General Chat… “Show us your Photos of your Lost Loved Ones”?
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