After considering photographing gavin rennie, a family friend diagnosed with terminal cancer and given 2-3 months to live just a few weeks ago, i have searched death and photography and found this on the guardian website.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/gallery/2008/mar/31/lifebeforedeath#/?picture=333325401&index=0
The key elements of a portrait are listed by david bate as - 'face, pose, clothing and location' (Bate, year ; 75). This image addresses all aspects individually and the result collectively is beautiful. The face with its wrinkles speaks of time endured and life experience. Perhaps the most readable i feel, pose, is her face. Narrowed eyes that feel angry, a mouth forced shut as she has realised crying again wont help. The only hint of clothing we see if the peireced ears. Significant as they, as much as the wrinkles on her face, reference her life lived. The location here and in all the portraits in the series is against a black background, in the dark...
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