Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/27

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Subject: Re: [Leica] funerals ! :-(
From: Simon Stevens <simon@camera-craftsman.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 20:20:06 -0500

Ted grant wrote:

>However, your point and Johnny's are well taken and I can understand
being
>there as a photojournalist at the request of the family.

I did this last year at Arlington National Cemetery. It was an
interesting experience and a great justification for shooting an M (for
their quietness). Even though it was the widow who hired me I still felt
very self conscious and tried to keep my distance while still getting
the shots they wanted. Other than this, the only real challenge was the
government funeral director who apparently thought he was Secret Service
(he wore shades, screeched around in a car with lights and generally
behaved like a self-important jerk) Despite my best efforts at being
discreet, he started yelling at me during the ceremony even though the
family had told them they had hired me. I really wanted to say
something, but obviously that wasn't the time, and any complaint really
had to come from the family, not me. But as a veteran myself, and also
as a photographer trying to do a job for a bereaved family, it did burn
me up.

Simon Stevens