Why do some people take pictures at a funeral?

Question

I noticed that people were taking pictures at the last two funeral services that I attended. I found it strange and had never seen it done before. Is this creepy to you?

The picture were being taken of the deceased person and of the mourning people.

Answer 1

Well, if you think about what photos are for, it's not all that strange. They're for capturing memories. Most of the time people only take pictures of joyous occasions and birthdays, but by doing this, they are not accurately portraying their life in pictures. They are choosing only to document the happy times. It would be creepy if people were taking pictures of the dead body, but I don't think taking pictures to document a memory is wrong, especially because you often see loved ones at funerals that you don't have much chance to see otherwise.

Answer 2

I find it very bizarre and rather creepy as well. Other than the police taping funerals of high profile or mysterious death cases, or the media following a big story, I'd never seen anyone do it until a few days ago when our local TV news video camera (at a funeral for the sudden death of a popular young person) caught the back of a young woman snapping pictures of the coffin being carried into the church as well as pics of bystanders (no comment was made on air). She was not the media but part of the congregation...very odd. (My husband's family shocked me with a 10x14 photo of a relative in his casket, pic taken about 6 ft away--ugh) Personally, I was brought up to believe/think/know that all this is just bad taste. (In this graceless age, is nothing sacred?)

Answer 3

No, I don't think it's strange. I took pictures at my grandfather's funeral 2 weeks ago, in fact. It's the last time I'll ever see him before he's put underground forever, I want a picture to remember him by. His funeral pictures actually looked nicer than the picture I took of him 5 months ago. He suffered for years but at his funeral he looked a good 10 years younger. He looked young and at peace and I want to remember him that way. So I took pictures, since I'll never see him (or rather, his body) again.

Answer 4

Perhaps a close relative of the deceased was unable to attend the wake and funeral. This happened to my mother-in-law when her mother died. She was in a hospital, 3,000 miles away, unable to even go by plane. When everyone left the wake, her sister took a few picture of the flowers, and the casket, so my mother-in-law would get some closure. And, after all, that is the point of the funeral.

However, if people were just taking pics cuz it was a big ol' party to them, then that is just tacky.

Answer 5

I took pictures of other guests at the last two funerals I was at, because relatives I hadn't seen in ages were there. But I'd never take pictures of the deceased, or someone crying.

Answer 6

Well i wouldnt say it's creepy. Here's why, at funerals family members tend to emerge out of nowhere. You see people you havent seen in years, reconnect with old freinds. Sometimes funerals are the rare occasion when someone will make the journey to pay their respects. So it's a rare gathering, lots of familiar faces are around and some people want to capture the memory of that old familiar face.

Answer 7

it truly is taking issues way too some distance. I honestly have numerous photographs of deceased relations that were provided as component to the funeral plan decrease back interior the day even as that style of aspect changed into conventional. those human beings were useless earlier i changed into born and it nonetheless creeps me out after I run for the length of those photographs, so i'd really be disturbed by using a image of the body of a three twelve months old that changed into those days deceased. someone desires to assert some thing to the man that revealed the image. We each and every have a real to grieve in our own way, to an volume, yet it truly is only morbid and extremely offensive in my view.

Answer 8

My guess would be that the funeral/s is the only time those particular friends or family members have all been together. Just like weddings. It takes a momentous event for all to be at the same place and time, especially for those who had to come fromout of town/state/country..........

Answer 9

I forget what group it was, either polish, german, or italian, but from talking to my parents they said that it was tradition to take pictures by the casket. I dont know how true that is, or if it was just a family tradition. We dont do it anymore, but I have heard of it. Funerals are events too, and maybe people just want to remember it for some reason.

Answer 10

Sometimes there are older folks or shut-ins who can't make it to the funeral services and request someone to take photos. It is a little unnerving the first time, but after it was explained as to why, I became more understanding.