FUNEOGRAPHY & VISUALS

Firstly,  I'm very pleased to announce that we'll be at the London Funeral Exhibition at Epping Woodland Burial Park on 9th and 10th of July. The new revised price for funeography as from May 2011 is £700.00.... Still a reasonable and affordable sum when compared to the cost of weddings. This information will be on our website soon.

The cross over between photography and the funeral industry is far apart but at the same time they fit so nicely together. I read an article recently written by Kate Day (The Telegraph) and I was astonished at what Christian Payne had to say about Funeral photography. That's the last time anyone is going to hear me say that. I feel the word Funeography is more fitting. He had some really interesting and valid points to raise, until he got to the part where he said that all funerals should be free, including photography. I wonder if he has other means of making money with his photography? I have chosen to specialize with Funeography only and I have for one have no feelings of guilt in earning a living from it. Christian also said he is waiting for the world to get used to the idea of photography. Why wait? If  Funeography isn't shown to the world people won't have the opportunity to get used to again. I'm not denying that it will take time. It's taken well established and successful funeral directors many years to earn the trust and confidence of their communities and to perfect their craft.  

I have been asked a few times now if I have permission from families to display some of the images in our archives for promotional purposes. The answer to that is: the terms and conditions clients sign when they book us states the promotional side of things, we also explain this to our clients. More importantly though; As a Funeography company how are we supposed to show the kind of work that we do and allow clients to see what they're paying for unless we display some of it? Our work ethic is always to respect the client. On looking at our website the natural documentary method of our work shows the innovative way we approach Funeography.
Another question we are asked is packages. What kind of packages do we have? Based on my past experiences with organizing funerals and also what I've seen when clients are booking us, is mass indecision.
Understandably there are different options to choose when dealing with the funeral directors, and these can sometimes be too much to deal with. Once this part is done and clients decide they want Funeography for the occasion, Do they really need packages? I find that packages when offered can sometimes sound reasonable and once it's explained in detail the cost can creep up. I find that grief is confusing and difficult enough to try and handle without the added stress of which package to chose where images are concerned, especially if clients have never had the service before. We do offer a eulogy reading and writing service though.

To suggest that this service should be free is a disservice to all Funeographers out there, aspiring or established. I think it also detracts from the importance of documenting this type of occasion.


I dedicate this blog to the first person whose funeral I covered, the wonderful and warm Lena Lloyd.

Dispelling The Fear Of Funeography®

                                                         Priscilla Etienne Funeography©                          


Two cousins from a close family, at a celebration.........a celebration of someones life, their nan's.
She was also a dear friend to me. I wasn't commissioned to cover the funeral, but our services were offered. Being a funeographer though, I was compelled to bring my camera as I have done many times before as a mourner. I couldn't contain my desire to take funeographs (funeral photographs) any longer. Having missed some beautiful and memorable moments, particularly the great granddaughter standing next to her nan's open coffin. She was about 3 years old and was leaning against the coffin drinking from her bottle and twisting the lace gently with her fingers; completely unperturbed by being in the presence of her nan. It warmed my heart incredibly and strengthened my beliefs on the importance of including children with funerals and conditioning them to have no fear around death. It was at the wake the family started to realize the importance of having a funeographer.

So..... for this blog I have decided on shameless self promotion.                                                              
I'm happy and thankful to say that nearly all of the feedback  have had for the concept and reasons for creating funeography in the format I have chosen, has been positive. There are some photographers who have expressed their opinion with the earning potential and some have said it's morbid and will never catch on. I believe it will catch on and will be a great success because it is far too valuable, important, and precious not to. Courage to use funeography is pushing it's way to the front of the queue. Just like it did when I embarked on the wonderful task of putting the funeography portfolio book together and then the company.

Funeography is for everyone, regardless of class, culture, gender and age. It does appeal to some cultures more than others. Some cultures forbid any type of documentation of a funeral but the younger generation within these cultures have different attitudes to funeography. More and more people across the board want to have such a memory and there is no reason why this shouldn't happen.
There is nothing wrong with photographing funerals, it's a beautiful way of capturing some emotion and laughter from the day, and there is always laughter after the tears. Unlike a wedding, the images are real and unrehearsed or planned.
Before anything else, passion for my work and the feel of funerals drives me. The response and joy from the families we have worked for sustains me.
Funeography also creates opportunities for new creative, talented photographers to delve into the world of funeography and experience this kind of work.

Once the decision to look at funeography and commission us is made, it's the start of a wonderful legacy.


I dedicate this blog to the wonderful, much loved and missed Violet Lynch.


 






                                                        

More Time To Grieve

We were recently commissioned to photograph the funeral of a well known and well loved person in the local area. While visiting the family prior to the funeral, another visitor mentioned how difficult it is to organize a funeral in a week. He suggested that two weeks would be more reasonable.
It got me thinking of the initial grieving period. You take in the news of the death, then you have to absorb it and think about what changes it's going to bring with it. How can this be possible when you have to make the arrangements as well as have the time and space to grieve?

It can feel like there is a hurry to get on and complete the process. I'm wondering if there is a possibility for changes in the future? I think it would be really good for families, although I don't know how the funeral directors would feel about it. What we pay for funerals and ensuring those we love get the send off they deserve, surely should have some bearing on how much time we need to grieve and prepare.

I dedicate this blog to Stanley Wise (Senior).

When The Funeral Is Over

                                                        Priscilla Etienne Funeography©

I recently took part in a Sunday morning Radio London phone in with Jeni Barnett. Her sister in law had just died and she wanted to talk about the grieving process. The show was about grief, death and dying and how we cope with it.
There were some excellent points raised among the people that phoned in and some talked about the circumstances relating to the deaths of friends or family. One of the things that interested me the most was what happens after the funeral. The days leading up to it are the busiest, there's lots to plan and visitors come in abundance. There's barely time to be alone with your thoughts such is the level of support that tends to arrive at the door. Then the day of the funeral arrives, there's thoughts of how we're going to feel when we start seeing mourners arrive. Some we may not have seen for so long and feelings of nervousness start to set in. Once most of the mourners coming to the house have arrived, the wait for the hearse or carriage gets really intense. The first glimpse of it making it's way towards the house carries with it a sinking feeling.

When the funeral is over, that's when you feel you're on your own. Everything is quiet and the days tears, laughter, and chat seem to resonate in your mind. May be then we should have the 9 day wake.

I'd like to say a big thank you to Jeni Barnett she gave me the opportunity to talk about the benefits that Funeography brings to so many people and was fascinated with the concept. 

It's said that hearing is the last sense to go when we die. I can still hear the events of my mothers funeral after 15 years.

I dedicate this blog to the very vocal, far from quiet Ethel Woods.

Funeral Protocol - Who Sets The Rules?

I attended the funeral of an elderly lady yesterday, she was to celebrate her 90th birthday this month. She was the nan of a dear friend. At the funeral there were five generations of her family. I was sitting next to one of her great grandsons. On the top of her coffin was a photo of her with her husband, he had died some years before. Her great grandson turned to me and said: "Just think, all the people in this room came from them, it's amazing isn't it"? I had to agree it was, until you see the generations together you can take family connections for granted.
Her name is Millie and as the priest said she lived a long and full life. She was also a huge fan of Cliff Richard and so, for the first time in my life I was forced to endure listening to him but somehow on this occasion, it didn't feel like torture. I can't remember which Cliff song she had played but I've found a really lovely one for this posting.

When it was time to leave the chapel for the burial another Cliff song was played. The priest left everyone to their usual quiet thoughts while it was playing... except it wasn't quiet. People began to talk among themselves everyone sharing their funny stories and discussing things, laughter began to break out in different rows. It was then that I realised that Millie and her husband not only created these people but she encouraged the vibrancy and freedom they all felt with the presence of her coffin.
It was a wonderful atmosphere, although when the funeral directors came in to take her for the burial they were clearly surprised . There were one or two tears as the family followed Millie out of the chapel but the upbeat mood among the majority continued all the way to the graveside.

The wake was lively too,with a young relative singing with an acoustic guitar. The second song she sung was written for Millie. She got rapturous applause and encouragement from her family, another granddaughter even shouted: "You've got the x factor"!
I came home feeling completely inspired and happy It's nice to see that not everyone feels they need to stick to protocol. These type of funerals are definitely feeling natural to more and more people.

I dedicate this blog to someone who certainly did not conform to protocol, my dear Aunt Gotty John.

The Void At Christmas

The end of the year brings mixed emotion. A time when we think about our loved ones we have lost. It can be a sensitive time for many of us anyway, and the memories come flooding back. I most certainly get tearful and they are tears of heartache, regret, happiness; like I said, mixed emotion.
Christmas and new year is about spending some time with immediate as well as extended family. We're supposed to be together talking about good times and past experiences but when there are familiar faces missing we feel it.
It will be fifteen years this month that my mother died. The time moves on but the feelings I get sometimes still feel new. There's still so much I want to say to her and do with her. They say time is a great healer but I'm far from healed, although I have definitely got to the stage of acceptance and it took longer than I thought.
I can accept and come to terms with the fact that shes not here now but......... I don't have to like it.


I dedicate this new year blog to the person who motivated me to keep pushing on with Funeography and breaking down barriers.  My mother, Bernadine Etienne

Make Your Mark

I am trying to get these blogs posted on a weekly basis but gosh, I find it pretty tough, although I'm sure in time that will change and I'll be writing the next one in my sleep.


Anyway... Onto the blog. We are most definitely all here for a purpose, to live life to the fullest and take all the opportunities open to us remembering to show love, compassion and respect for each other along the way. I feel it's a great dishonor to ourselves and also to society not do.
It pleases me so much to hear about the wonderful legacy a person leaves behind. This could be creative work, or charitable work, whatever the person was passionate about.

I was at the funeral of a remarkable woman this year, except when she was alive I had no idea of her achievements. The latter part of her life was lived incredibly simply. Yet she and her husband founded the fabulous Chelsea Girl Clothing Company in East London. This company was as fundamentally important to east Londoners as Mary Quant was to Carnaby Street in the 60's. When I close my eyes I can still see the black carrier bags with the yellow flowers.


So for her contribution to east end fashion and to a small section of society, I proudly dedicate this blog to Lynne Skidmore.