A Catholic Lithuanian funeral in South West London.
One of my commissions during 2020 was to photograph a funeral. An unusual request? Maybe not so during a pandemic where numbers have been limited at such events. The family wanted a record of the event to have for other members of the family who could not be present. My brief was to photograph from beginning to end. I began with photographing the family as they gathered around the hearse in the street outside their home. I then went with the family to the crematorium and covered the service in the chapel. This was followed by mourners gathering in the flower garden and lunch at a local restaurant.
Of course, there were many painful moments to witness but what struck me most was the sheer beauty there is in grief. It was not unpleasant or morbid. It was beautiful.
So what skills does one need to photograph a funeral? Fortunately, having had 20 plus years photographing classical musicians, the ability to work discreetly comes very naturally to me. Having the utmost respect and empathy for the people I am photographing is crucial as is the ability to do my job and go unnoticed.
A documentary photographer at heart, it was a privilege to photograph such a private and moving occasion. Having trained originally in Documentary Photography from the legendary course of the same name at Newport Gwent in South Wales, I was able to fully utilise all the skills I had learnt in telling a meaningful story with images. A story which this family will also cherish.
You can see the rest of the images here Catholic Lithuanian Funeral
Sisi Burn
Testimonial
Sisi is an incredible photographer and a lovely person!
We hired Sisi to photograph our mother’s funeral and are incredibly impressed with Sisi’s professionalism, respect to the occasion, and the photos she took!
Sisi’s experience photographing such sensitive events was evident, as I guess the thing one looks for most when searching for a funeral photographer is their ability to go unnoticed on the day, blend into the background and be very respectful to the family and friends of the deceased during such a difficult time for them – Sisi did exactly all of those things incredibly well and took incredible photos.
Her photographic skills are very impressive – Sisi produced some truly stunning photos.
Sisi was friendly to work with, quick to reply to emails and punctual.
I recommend Sisi wholeheartedly.
Nick.