Farewell Focus

Dancing and singing to the grave. It's never just a party.

You may have seen the "Dancing Pallbearers" from Ghana — the ones who went viral worldwide. What fewer people know: Suriname has its own version of this tradition, and I photographed it. The dragiman of Wi Kan Doe carry the coffin to the grave while dancing and singing.

Is it a celebration of the life that was lived?

Or a celebration that this life is over, and the soul moves on to the next?

Or is it about warding off spirits, in that in-between time between this world and the next?

I don't know the answer. Maybe it's all three at once, depending on who you ask that day.

What I do know: I can never stand still while documenting a funeral like this. I love to dance myself — and even with a camera in my hands, I make sure my settings let me move with the band without blurring the moment I'm trying to keep sharp forever.
It made me think: how do you want to be carried to your grave?

I'd love mine to be a dance, even though this tradition isn't part of my own culture. But dancing fits me. And maybe that means a farewell like this would fit me too.

However you say goodbye — the images of that goodbye matter. This family said goodbye to a daughter, a sister. These photos help them see, again and again, how they said goodbye to her.

That's why I do this work. Follow me if you are interested in this type of work or get my free guide via link in bio

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Three reasons why pictures of a funeral matter.

Enen though I can think of thousand reasons…

What would be your reason?

Please let me know your comment

Why Farewell Photographs Matter: Three Simple Reasons Three simple reasons why photographs taken at a farewell are import...

Right now I am in Venice, Italy.

And almost nobody here believes what I do could actually be a profession.
A profession that changes lives.
A profession people gladly pay for.

They’ve never heard of it before.

Walking through Venice feels surreal.
A city frozen in memory.
A beautiful place trying to hold on to yesterday, while the world keeps moving forward.

Many Venetians have left.
Tourists fill the streets.
And somewhere underneath the masks, history and nostalgia… there is also fear of change.

But the past is not coming back.

So what if, instead of mourning what disappears…
we create something meaningful with the time we still have?

That is exactly why I do what I do.

I believe memories matter.
Connection matters.
Human stories matter.

The world is still a beautiful place — especially when we dare to look deeper.

Maybe my vision will touch you.
Maybe it will challenge you.
Maybe it will inspire you to see life differently.

If it does… come join me. 🤍

Follow my journey on YouTube:
My YouTube Channel

The Future of Meaningful Photography What does photography still mean in the age of AI? This playlist is for photographers who believe the most valuable images were never about perfection — but ...