Funeral photography, video recording and live streaming

Funeral Photography

The thought of commissioning a professional funeral photographer might make you feel a little uncomfortable. Funerals are full of very real, particularly raw emotions, but they are also full of many beautiful moments, friends and family, love and compassion.

The job of the funeral photographer is to capture these moments as friends and family pay tribute, discreetly and sensitively from a distance, not disturbing or interrupting the flow, but simply documenting those precious exchanges and creating memories to look back on in years to come.

There are many reasons why families choose to have a photographer capture a memorial service. If family members are unable to attend due to ill health or mourners are overseas, it is an opportunity for them to still feel that they have experienced the day.  Where there are young children in the family, and a decision is made for them not to attend the funeral, or indeed they will be too young to remember the occasion, the photographs will be a precious keepsake that can help with their grief journey in years to come. Or, you may simply want to record the respects paid and emotional goodbyes, as part of a celebration of your loved one’s life.

Many people just aren’t sure about how photography would be received on the day, and the way around this is for the person leading the ceremony to make a simple announcement to let everyone know what’s happening.

The photographer can cover as much or as little of the day as you prefer. From the arrival of the funeral cortege at the family home, the memorial service, the laying of flowers, the graveside blessings and even the wake if needed. We will work around you and your day and are here to help capture as much of the day as you need – the bond between family and friends as they help each other through the day, the smiles on faces as stories are told, the respect and reverence from the funeral directors, and of course the love reflected all around.

 “Viewing the pictures from the day of the funeral is always a tender, yet often deeply painful experience for me.  However, after moving through the years since we said “goodbye,” I have learned time and time again, just how valuable these images are. Not only do they help us remember, they also help us heal. These images are so deeply valuable to those left behind.” Ryan Doubleday Child Bereavement Support Worker at Nature and Nurture

One of the photographers that we recommend is Wendy from Wendy Aiken Photography. She says, “Some people find it strange when I say that I have photographed funerals for bereaved families. In many other countries and cultures, it’s a normal thing to happen. At such a sad time for family and friends, I have found that the gathering of loved-ones and the sharing of treasured memories becomes a very beautiful thing.

I, as many people have suffered the pain of losing someone very close to me and am very sensitive as to what a difficult time it can be. My approach is simple, I capture the moments that can so easily be missed. I record people arriving and key moments throughout the service. At the wake I capture the sharing of stories, the joy of memories and groups of friends and family on request.

I discretely and respectfully put together a complete record of your day. All the images are provided on a memory stick for you to use and share freely and can also be translated into a beautiful photo book to treasure.”

For more information or advice please contact us.

Video recording and live streaming

Each crematorium that we work with has it’s own policy on recording and streaming funeral services. At other venues, we work with local company Splice Creative to enable you to have a lasting memorial of the service.

The funeral service can be recorded for those who may be unable to attend the service to show them at a later time.  Depending on the WiFi/broadband/internet available, we may also be able to offer a live streaming service over the internet for friends and relatives who may live too far away to attend the service.

Our camera operatives work very sensitively to cover the ceremony without unnecessary intrusion and each service can be filmed according to your requirements.  Please get in touch to discuss further if this something you may want to consider.