Okay, I have these distant relatives in Campulung Moldovenesc (Romania) who make pics of the dead (lying in coffins, with the living relative looking at them lying dead there). So what do you think? Creepy, bad taste, funny, yucky...? Anyone else has this habit? We don't here in Bucharest, but when my grandma died a few months ago we had to follow the tradition and I have pics of her dead.
when i was 12 my best friend died. her dad took pictures of her when she was lying in her coffin & mailed them to me and her sister, as if we didnt make it to the funeral or something. that scarred me for life. but other than that i think its interesting, not weird. there is beauty in death as well as life.
Ugh... theres beauty in death, i know, but i dont know if there is beauty in a rotting corpse! They moved on from their body, shouldnt we? i think its a little gross
My generation doesn't, but my grandparents used to. I have a picture of my grandfather that my grandmother took when he died.
My cat recently died and i took some pictures of him in his grave, he looked so peaceful... i think i understand.
With still births hospitals offer to take pics of the parents holding the infant. It is to help with the grieving process. I wouldn't have it done and don't want to see the pics either.
My relatives in Campulung Moldovenesc also have this Adams Family style habit of putting these photos of the living and the dead on the walls of their houses. It's a small rural community not much touched by modern technology.
I think it is a cultural thing. We 'civilised' Westerners tend to think death is something creepy and scary and should be left alone. Many cultures treat death differently. I have photographed death and the dead whilst being burned and whilst lying on the streets. Death can be beautiful and serene.
Before cameras were everywhere, and people had to go to a photographer for pictures, photos of the dead were common. Especially of babies and children, since the family may not have had any pics of them before death. It's only gross if you're gonna sell them on ebay
Great tradition! Sounds weird maybe, but I actually like pics of dead people. On a pic it's so clear how the soul is totally gone in comparison to pic of someone alive. It's great. It's a good way to 'say goodbye'.
i don't think its weird or anything to photograph the dead. christ, that is a job. i think i would enjoy doing it and not because i'm fucked up. i am a photographer. but i think it would be really interesting.. good money in it too. lol
Whats really weird, is my buddy from mexico told me that in mexico, when someone is murdered, they take a picture of the body where it lies, and if they catch the person/people who killed them, they are in the picture too. They then put it in the NEWSPAPER for the adoring public to see. im not sure if this is everywhere in mexico, but my buddy's dads bro was murdered and he saw it in the paper. I think it's more disrespectful than weird or scary. But then again like someone else said, it's all about the culture.
I've been watching Six Feet Under, & own some artwork from Alan M. Clark...However, looking at pictures of my dead friend when he was alive makes me very depressed, because I miss him so much. From an artistic standpoint, I can see value in it, from the viewpoint of acceptance of death I can understand it..Would I want a picture of my buddy, or my grandmother, or grandfathers dead body, even looking all nice and peaceful in a casket on my livingroom wall...? No, not really. I do find it an interesting custom though. I have to admit, if I visited the house, I'd be amused...Would also probably be pretty curious about the people in the pictures. Oh, yeah, & people look at Christ on a fucking stick all the time, & think nothing of that...*ahem* Just making a point.
