Can Photography Help with Grief? …YES!

HOW? 

I love photography and take tons of digital photos in almost any situation, but I’ve found so many ways that photographs help heal my grief and the grief of others.  The positive feelings and memories they can evoke is very healing, and even the sad ones can be cathartic. The pleasure of viewing or taking photos capture so many emotions  Our ABJ nonprofit is acquiring funding to do grief-relief true-expression type emotional photos as part of our Project “Choose to Heal”.

A few interesting articles on how photography helps heal grief:

• Psychology Today:  “Grief and the Use of Photographs“
• What’s Your Grief?’:  “Coping with Death;  Grief and Photography“
• Journey Through Grief:  “The Power of Photography in Dealing with Grief“

Some types of photography which may help:

• pleasant photos of deceased loved ones – feeling the love between you
• photos of family & friends enjoying each other in common or special places
• contemplative or reflective photos of children, animals or nature
• photos that evoke our emotions in a happy or cathartic way
• self-portrait photos in various situations or settings which trigger emotions
• photos expressing our grief or meaningful thoughts directly, visually

It’s this last type of photo where we at ABJ are placing emphasis in our nonprofit project to invite bereaved families and individuals to express themselves by writing (washable) meaningful statements on their skin while we photograph them.  The photos capture their feelings to make a statement, release an emotion, or to help others understand and heal.  They can be in any language and are VERY powerful!  

A few examples:  (we are building a gallery)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More sayings examples:  (express whatever YOU want!)

• “Grief Is The Price of Love”
• “You Are Not Gone, You aAe Forever In My Heart”,
• “Though The Voice is Quiet, The Spirit Echoes Still”

Our goal is to help grievers express themselves in a simple, visual form that will help us to elevate the discussion on this difficult topic.  While we specialize in working with bereaved families that have lost a child, grandchild or sibling (at any age from any cause) — we also plan to photograph others effected by loss.

What amazing messages we expect to come out of those suffering traumatic grief, from the caregivers, and from those supporting these individuals and families!

It will allow them to be HEARD…  it is CATHARTIC and HEALING…  and it will eventually raise awareness so that we can ALL more openly discuss our grief and be better supported.  Participants receive a digital copy of their own photos.

JOIN US & EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS!

Contact me to set up a HEALING PHOTO SESSION for your group …  OR  participate individually in an event…
  SCHEDULE A CALL WITH ME  HERE