I am so impressed by the courage people have to be photographed in a state of mourning, after losing one of their very closest and most beloved. Sarah Sorell lost her husband James this June after they fought together through 9 years of cancer. They celebrated their love along the way and had two beautiful children. James did not resign to sickness but lead an extraordinary life in the thick of it, loving his wife, children, and many other people so well. Not feeling sorry for himself, but even seeing his suffering as a blessing.
Sarah is a photographer and their whole life as a family is documented well. I think she is so wise to know that one day her kids might gain perspective and important remembrance by having these photos. I have been changed by getting a glimpse of James and his extraordinary life. Thank you for allowing me in.
These photos are from James’ memorial service. My friend Kelly Jackson is Sarah’s best friend, so she photographed the burial and balloon release at the end.
http://www.vimeo.com/29113079
6 comments
This is so beautiful and heartbreaking. It makes me wish I had pictures from my mom’s funeral. I love your work and reading your blog, Becca!
Becca, you will never know how grateful I am to have had your gracious and beautiful heart seeing this day and capturing all that it was. Thank YOU for being courageous yourself and stepping into this tender place. These pictures are priceless, friend. I will do my best to remember to have Abbie and Asher call you in 30 years to tell you exactly how special these images are to them.
Wow. Becca, watching your slideshows and reading your thoughts about why memorial services should be documented has changed my outlook on documenting them. I cried watching this. I was so touched (for a lack of better words) by the praise that was given to God. The uplifted hands and emotion was so powerful and so so beautiful in spite of the grief I’m sure everyone feels. And Kelly, I love the balloon release images. The horizontal image of all the balloons released amidst the blue sky and the woman centered at the bottom of the frame with her back to the camera…yep, that one belongs in a frame.
Becca, what a priceless gift you have given this family. The suffering this family (and the Blakes and Franz’s)has endured over the past years has been met with grace, abiding faith and pure determination to go on living. My heart breaks for their loss, but I also rejoice for heaven’s gain. Beautiful.
This is beautiful. I think I watched it 4 or 5 times. My dad passed away when I was 2 and I often wonder what his service was like. Thank you for sharing.
how could I watch this and engage in these images and not comment? I wept. these images were so moving, becca, and you served them so well in the way you captured it all. amazing.
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