of loss and the importance of photographs

[mwooten]

of loss and the importance of photographs

Two weeks ago this morning I received the type of telephone cal that all of us dread. I had just finished watching the qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix. It was 8:27. My cell phone rang with a call from my fiancee. Her brother had been killed Friday night when, while riding his Ducati, a man on a moped made a left turn and turned into him. Joe was more than my future brother in law; he was my friend. We miss he so. He was a good man, and a good friend. (Obituary)

There was a thread started by back-alley concerning if your photography was important. I stated in the simplest way that mine was important. I hadn't thought so before that first weekend of our loss, but afterwards I did. The family was gathering up photographs of Joe to provide the funeral home material to produce a slide-show. I was asked if I had any photos of Joe, and I show them the one attached to this thread. It was included in the package that we sent to the funeral home. A short time later, while we were sitting alone, Joe's older brother asked -with tears in his voice- if a larger version of the image I took could be made. I told him I would be proud to do it. He told me that I had captured his brother perfectly.

It was just a quick snapshot. Taken at Easter dinner this year at their mother's house.

Joseph Pannell
Feb. 14, 1959 - June 5, 2009


_________________________

Please, if you will, post your photos of those you lost this year.
Those quick shots that didn't seem really important at the time, but are worth more than gold later.

(Also just for once maybe--
We don't need to know what type of camera or lens were used because it doesn't matter at all.
Nor does film type, or digital capture matter.
So don't tell us, and please no one ask -- because it doesn't matter.)

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Yvette, my friend for 40 years. Died March 16.

 

[FrankS]

Similar story to Michael's, with my wife's father a couple of years ago. I looked through my neg files and printed up several 11x14's for his visitation/funeral. They were very important. One in particular, I printed for my wife's mother and for each of his children and his remaining brothers and sisters. Our framed B+W print is in our living room that I can see by looking over my shoulder right now.

 

[vrgard]

mwooten, my sincerest sympathies for your loss.

And despite my answer in that other thread of "no, except to me," I do have to agree with you that sometimes a simple "snapshot" later becomes something more ("worth more than gold" as you stated). I snapped the picture below while eating breakfast in a coffee shop with one of my very best friends and his mother. This picture is of his mother. She passed away unexpectedly last year, about a month after I took this picture. While later asking for a print of it, he commented that "this was probably the last picture ever taken of her." So, while my photography may not be important on any larger societal, national or international level, it is important to me and to those who find some value or worth in it.

-Randy

 

[sanmich]

I'm sorry for your loss. tough times...
I went into photography after my grandpa died and I started to archive and duplicate old pictures. For me one of the almost mystical strenghs of photography is about recording a snapshot of something for the future. It is about death also.
that is why I make a very special point of using the most stable material at hand, black and white film and kodachrome for family stuff. It sounds crazy to lots of people but I think the pictures I shoot now will have a tremendous interest for my kids and grandkids a few decades from now, and I would rather see these shots in good condition. Also, after having thought about the whole question, I started to insist on being photographed with my wife and kids. I even started to shoot 16mm film from time to time. I think these will probably survive long after the tens of video cassettes we shoot.
My mother died suddenly one year ago. I have a few shots and even a short 16mm take of her during a nice afternoon less than 24 hours before she collapsed.
I am very happy to have these, and even happier to have these "for good", on a stable support.

 

[Ben B.]

I'm really sorry for your loss...

I lost a cousin last october to brain cancer. Rachel and I were born on the same year and she was more of a sister to me... Anyway, when she died I searched my negs for some pictures of her and I was surprised and disappointed to find so few of them. I guess I was too busy living the moments I was spending with her to document them. Here's my favorite one :

Another cousin of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago. And she's only 29... They're not related. Murphy's law I guess...

I had lunch with her last week right before chimo and I took my camera with me. She doesn't like to be photographed but she gracefully accepted which is, under such circumstances, a great token of trust for me. I also think using B&W film was my strongest agrument 🙂

I just hope the few snapshots I took by the window will do justice to her beauty that day. Just finished the roll, will develop it soon...

One last thing: I know she's going to be OK. She was lucky to spot that tumor early. I just realized that I -as a photographer- didn't want to miss out on those moments anymore. As I read it in another thread on this forum, I want to photograph to show my love.

Benjamin.