Photo Essay Example 1
Learning Life Lessons by Faking One’s Own Funeral
ANDONG, SOUTH KOREA – AUGUST 01: (SOUTH KOREA OUT) Participants wearing linen shrouds meditate and think about their lives as they lie down in a coffin during a “Death Experience/Fake Funeral” session held by Happy Dying on August 1, 2016 in Andong, South Korea. (Photo by Jean Chung/Getty Images)
Here is a link to the above Photo Essay
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/08/learning-life-lessons-by-faking-ones-own-funeral/493883/
The photographer is Jean Chung, whose an award-winning photojournalist from South Korea. She is currently a contract photographer for Getty Images based in Seoul, South Korea, and is working for international media notably The New York Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, etc.
The photo essay talks about the program called ‘Happy Dying’ which aims to address the high suicide rate in South Korea by having participants fake their own deaths. They write their own eulogies, make out mock wills, and pen farewell notes. Then, they dress in traditional burial linens, climb into coffins in a darkened room, and meditate on their lives for 30 minutes.
At first, this work by Jean Chung made me felt creeped out, but as I continue to view her images along with the captions, I realised that not only does it raise the awareness of suicide rates in South Korea, but it is also a really great opportunity for one to reflect upon their lives, and come out being someone who starts to appreciate life more and lead a better and more meaningful life. It also gives me the idea of having a second chance at life after one wakes up from this experience.
Most of Jean’s photos were close-ups, which gave the idea of being able to relate to the participant and putting myself in their shoes. The sequencing of the photos made me reflect upon my own life and made me imagine myself going through the process. The first photo was a close-up shot of a person’s body without showing his or her face, in the coffin with his hands bound. I think the photographer placed that as the first photo to arouse the curiosity of the viewers, by giving them the ending first followed by the process.
The photos all started with close-up shots of the process of faking one’s death, which connects the viewers and brings them to the program and then it ended off with long shots of all the coffins with people inside meditating, this made me think of the countless lives lost due to suicide, and that’s what I think the photographer is trying to show through her photos, she aims to raise the awareness of this issue to the public, by having these long shots of people in their coffins which mimics the thousands of lives lost in South Korea from suicide.
Example 2
‘Plot’ by Caleb Ming
Photo by Caleb Ming. Rochor Centre, November 2013.
Here is a link to the above Photo Essay
Caleb Ming’s work examines aspects of modern living and its ironies. Working predominantly in photography and film, he explores issues related to people and the environment, telling stories through the landscapes he photographs.
In Plot, Caleb talks about the issue of the fast development and overcrowding of Singapore. His photos are the documentation of spaces awaiting for the continued development of Singapore.
While looking his photos, it made me feel that in the midst of development, perhaps, Singapore has neglected the preservation of culture and beauty of its history, and in the process, losing a lot of its heritage and things that make Singapore unique and through Caleb’s work, I can sense that nothing is going to change despite such issues being brought up as Singapore will continue to develop, and the beautiful places with rich history will be gone someday.
In his sequencing, Caleb brought up beautiful places and historical places being lost in the midst of Singapore’s development, but he ended with the city skyline of Bayfront, showing the tall buildings right behind of the field he is at. He then ends off saying that it’s the favourite place for kite enthusiasts, ‘kites add a colourful touch to the city skyline, which has been carefully designed according to a night lighting masterplan drawn up by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.’ which suggests that Singapore is becoming rigid and is losing its uniqueness and flavour as a society. Lastly, in my opinion, I feel that the sequencing of the photos seems to suggest that in the future, the beautiful places he took at the beginning will no longer be available for Singaporeans to enjoy and be with the nature, and do activities such as kite-flying and have to resort to traveling to places planned by the government just to have fun.