Photographer Plans Large Format Book on Home Funerals

I've been approached by a well established west coast photographer named Jan Sturmann (first name pronounced "Yon") who is very interested in creating a large format photography book that will visually tell the stories, over time, of about a dozen families as they encounter the final illness of a loved one, on through the actual death, and beyond, to a home funeral. He's envisioning a book that will include families throughout the U.S., and will be multicultural. The emphasis will be on candid photography but text will also be included, perhaps about a thousand words per story, perhaps in the family's own words.

His work will involve a series of interviews and photography sessions over time. He'd like to get started by working with one specific family soon, with the hope of getting a major publisher interested in the project once they see the quality of the photos. One of the challenges will be finding families who are willing to be photographed and interviewed during such intimate times, and learning about them in time to capture the story before the death comes.

I think such a project has value from a couple of standpoints. First, we are as a culture so removed from caring for our own dead that it's hard for most people to even understand the concept "home funeral" and to visualize what it entails. Second, photography can convey in a way that text cannot how beautiful and indeed sacred a home funeral can be -- allaying gut reactions that caring for the dead is somehow scary.

Perhaps one of our readers will find himself or herself involved with a family that is facing a loved one's final illness and will be in a position to mention this project and ask gently for possible participation. Please keep Jan in mind. Please email me if you come across something promising. Thank you.