Ellie ’25 spends time with the elderly helping them to feel at ease so she could capture their natural expressions in memorial photographs for them and their families.
This summer, I visited two nursing homes and a church in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, to take memorial portraits for the elderly. Memorial portraits are photographs of the deceased that are displayed at funerals to commemorate their lives.
When I first started this project last summer at a small nursing home, my father and I traveled with my photography teacher since I had no experience in portrait photography. Using what I learned from that experience, I was able to manage the entire process myself this summer. I enjoyed every step, from renting photography gear and adjusting aperture and program settings to setting up the lights and camera at the nursing homes.
This summer, I had the opportunity to photograph a total of 53 elderly individuals. From working with them, I learned that the most important aspect was my interaction with the subjects, not the lighting or composition, as the elderly were often uncomfortable with being the center of attention. Their natural expressions only emerged when they felt at ease in the setting. Additionally, I was able to apply my knowledge of aperture to accommodate each of the three locations, which had different lighting, windows, and furniture.
My family and I spent several days selecting the best shots for each person, carefully comparing their expressions and postures. Currently, I am working with a photo editor who will edit the selected photos before they are sent to the nursing homes.
Yesterday, I received a call from a nursing home requesting a portrait of one of the elderly residents who had recently passed away. I sent them an edited file of her photo to be used for her funeral service. This was a poignant reminder of the impact these portraits can have.
I used my CSGC grant to cover the costs of renting a camera lens and lights, editing the photos, and printing each portrait on high-quality paper. I am grateful to have received the funds from the CSGC to bring my vision to life.