I met recently with a Skipton based lifestyle photographer by the name of Jo Denison. She is extremely successful in her field of photographing primarily food and people. Think of those glossy ads that our major food outlets put out that literally make you salivate and crave the dish in front of you. Like you can almost smell it, taste it? Well, the likelihood is that highly commended Jo took that photo. So, what does this have to do with my work as a celebrant you may wonder? Well, Jo reached out to me with a concept that, I believe, could be extremely beneficial to someone who has lost a loved one, and is dealing with the heart-breaking task of dismantling their home and belongings.
I have done a fair few family meetings here in Yorkshire, at the home of the deceased, where family members are doing exactly this. And in some cases, for example, if the property is council owned, there is really not much time to carry out this sad but necessary job.
But what if there was a way to capture the home of departed loved one, exactly how it was? Every tiny detail that might seem like nothing, but a detail that encapsulates the life of a person who mattered? And, almost by accident, this is what Jo has found to be almost a vocation, quite aside from her usual work.
These are her words :-
“A portrait of home, exactly as it was left — a series of images preserving the small details that hold memory and meaning.
When life changes and moving on is inevitable, it’s impossible to hold onto every meaningful object. I photograph homes exactly as they’ve been lived in, capturing the quiet details that tell the story of a life, the feeling of a space, the personal traces that made it a home. These images become something tangible to hold onto when physical belongings must be let go.
Nothing is staged or altered. I spend several hours alone in the home, quietly observing and documenting it as it stands. I work with deep concentration, responding intuitively and not always consciously aware of what I’m drawn to capture.
The project began during a time of personal loss. When my grandmother left her apartment to go into dementia care, my family had to empty her home. Her possessions held memories, sadly with the dementia it wasn’t clear if she could remember them anymore, they also carried powerful memories for us and to remove them felt deeply upsetting.
In response, I photographed her home exactly as it was left. Knowing we had a record of her home helped us to move on. Years later, my grandma has since passed away, the images are still deeply moving and I am grateful that I captured them in memory of her.
I have since photographed multiple homes creating artworks from those images, quiet monuments to the homes and lives they represent.
It is a privilege to document these spaces respectfully. I hope my images offer comfort and something lasting to hold onto during times of loss.
A home is more than walls and furniture; it is a collection of moments, memories, and a basis of identity. We shape our homes, and they shape us. Capturing these memories not only honours the life lived within those walls and preserves it for family and future generations, but it also reflects on our own mortality and our relationship with the physical world”
You might think, as indeed I did, that anyone could take photos of a loved one’s home after they have passed, we all have cameras on our phones right? Then I saw Jo’s work…..
It is quite simply, beautiful. Capturing those details like the worn arms of a fireside chair where someone has sat for endless hours, or a chipped ornament that meant so much to someone it couldn’t be discarded. Details that could quite easily be forgotten with the passing of time, yet Jo can capture those memories and turn them into something tangible, something that can be treasured over time.
I personally think it is a wonderful idea.
If you think Jo could help you, then reach out to her via her website below.