Pictures at a funeral

...

"Oh no," says my brother, "taking pictures at a funeral is a bit, well, brash."

I go ahead anyway. Roy, if he were still here, would have said "Go ahead." And after all, there's an outfit videotaping the ceremony. And small digicams start popping out of handbags. Lucky I brought the 70-200mm.

All this PC about taking pictures. Soon as you ask permission, you've lost the spontaneity, the subject stiffens up and the shot is lost. How

would Cartier-Bresson have got all his shots if he had to ask permission!

Sombre as the funeral may be, the children and their curiosity about the coffin being down in the grave, and running around amongst the diggers lighten up the event.

...