For our family, a large chunk of time is taken up inside the hospital. I often take my camera because I want the memories, good and bad of our time there.
Okay, some people don't understand this need and that's okay and it can seem strange to the nurses and doctors but for me photography is a great stress outlet.
- Where do you start taking photos of the hard things?
- How do you use the difficult times to create memories?
There are a few important issues that need to be considered first.
* Always ask permission.
When you are in a public place like a hospital, it's always wise to ask if it's alright to take photos of people, who are not family or friends. They might feel that their privacy has been broken if you just start clicking away. I find if you ask first, people are usually happy to be part of your shoot.
Most of the time I will take pictures without the faces of the doctors or nurses, focusing on their hands instead. Especially if I have plans for putting the photos on my blog.
* Be sensitive to the situation.
If it feels inappropriate, it probably is.
I tend to avoid any procedures that are being done. I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable when they are doing something important, besides that I'm usually involved with my daughter too, so a camera doesn't really have a place.
Instead, I try to photograph the finished product.
*You can still tell the story with the use of inanimate objects.
If I want to photograph the fact that Ivy is on intravenous antibiotics, I will often take pictures of the drip machine, the bag and line (and if I'm lucky, the vial). These few things can really accentuate what I am trying to capture, rather than a photo of Ivy sitting with the fluids going in.
It kind of punctuates the memory.
* Consider black and white.
Sometimes difficult times (like hospital) can be confronting to some. Black and white can soften the atmosphere and make it less traumatic.
* Finally, always try to capture some of the happier times too.
Even though difficult issues are… well, difficult, there are always happy things that happen. It's good to focus on those as well. Even in the most stressful and traumatic of events, there are sure to be some things that will bring up happy, wistful and sweet memories later on.
When my son died the nurses took photos for us. When I looked back on those pictures, I found two really sweet photos at the end.
One was of my three daughters sitting by the fountain, in the courtyard of the hospital where he died. The other, taken by my then youngest daughter, was of the chocolate chip biscuits that they baked when we arrived back at my In-Laws' house.
I hold those photos dear because it reminds me of life in the face of death. They are happy moments in a traumatic time.
Taking photographs of the more difficult times might be confronting for some people but if those memories are an important part of life for you, it is good to keep a record.
I hope that these tips help and I would love to hear about some of the hard, yet special memories you have captured.
When Tiff isn’t sprouting photography tips, she is blogging about life with seven little Australians over at Three Ring Circus.
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When Josh spent 8 days in the hospital fighting to breathe with RSV, we took photos constantly.
We recently took photos of Ethan when he died. I miscarried him 14 weeks into my pregnancy and unexpectedly gave birth to him in my bathroom after only 3 hours after signs of impending miscarriage began. Those photos and my pregnancy test are the only mementos we have of him.
Hi JoAnn,
I'm very sorry to hear about Ethan but I am glad that you have some photos of him and of the pregnancy test. I know the photos of William are so very important to me, even four years on.
Wow Tiff, what a great post. You're right, the hardest photos I've taken are the ones when Connor was in NICU, but they're a great reminder of how fantastically perfect he is now!
WOW! what a wonderful post. Your tips are wonderful, and your transparancy is refreshing.
thanks! I was really worried about whether it was appropriate or not. I'm so glad it was okay.
Simply beautiful post, Tiff. You are a strong and courageous woman, and I always love your pictures. If it's about capturing the moments of life, it makes sense that it's OK to photograph difficult times, and this post reminds me of that and is a great guideline of how to do so tastefully.
If I could go back in time, I would have taken pictures at my mother's funeral – I carry snapshots in my mind of a particular flower arrangement that touched me and some other moments that meant a lot to me, but so much of the day is a blur.
I took a picture of my grandmother saying goodbye to my grandfather who had died a couple hours earlier. They had been married for 56 years. I am so glad I did.