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Photographing the Dead
My experience with post-mortem photography
As a student midwife, I had the privilege of experiencing some of the most joyous moments of people’s lives. I also came across some heartbreaking situations, one of them being the worst possible thing a mother and parents can experience. The death of a child. After a baby has died, as a part of the process in the UK, the parents are offered a series of bereavement services. These services include having photographs of their baby taken, as well as hand and footprints taken.
At this point in life, I had known someone who had died, but I had never been on the inside of grief, never experienced it firsthand. I didn’t understand the practice of photographing the dead.
When my grandad died I was next to him, holding his hand while he died. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. The feeling of being completely powerless to help someone you love is a harrowing experience. The difference now was that I was on the inside of grief. No matter how shattering grief is, it did mean I was much better placed to understand the practice of photographing the dead.
I took photos of my grandad after he died. A lot of people might think this was morbid, but I am glad I did. After my grandad died I didn’t want to let him go or leave his side. I sat, holding his hand for 11…
