What would you do if you saw a jumper, and have a camera with you

[jasonlcs]

Thank you for sharing your experiences on the other side of photography.

Life as it is ...

Never experienced any paranormal events, no ghosts climbing out of the corpse etc.

A corpse is just a lump of dead meat, smelly sometimes and can be very gruesome but
it's dead. Life after all can be viewed as simply a method to keep meat fresh. (tongue
in cheek).

Jumpers tend to be pretty intact though there's sometimes a fair amount of blood. But
compared to other forms of suicide such as a gun to the under jaw area where the
projectile exits via the skull, which indoors leaves quite a good spray of brain matter,
blood and other material in an arc up the wall over the ceiling and sometimes down the
other wall, while a massive amount bleeds from the nose.

Even that's pretty tame compared to folks who slit their wrists (lengthwise, rather than
cross wise) as that is pretty damned messy.

But for real fun and games you either have to get in to murders (I've seen some horrors)
or warfare (seen far worse there than almost anywhere) or refugee camps when the
population is starving (gut wrenching stuff to photograph a kid and mother who will be
dead in a few hours or days while you return to the hotel to a big dinner), or barbaric
killings such as South African Necklaces where a tyre is jammed over the victims shoulders
and petrol poured in the tyre and it's ignited (photographed one very discretely in the
early 80s).

But the worst by far are photographing people dying, where you cannot help them as they
can't be reached, be it a drowning, car accident, collapsed building or fire. People killed
in fires can be godawful to look at, especially if the skin plasticises and "slumps" where
the facial and body features deform and turn a slate gray/red colour. It used to almost
put me off the next meal.


For me the worst ever job was in Bangkok in the late 80s when I photographed a hospital
ward with about 40 young women in it, all under 21 and all dying from AIDS. The ward was
so quiet and these poor women just lay huddled on top of their beds in the heat and
humidity, there were no drugs and the whole lot were dead within a week. That one was
possibly the hardest shot I've ever taken and it still haunts me and it's the only time I
went out and got drunk as a skunk after a job.

 

[glenntbk]

Of course, I will shot at jumper with my camera. There's not doubt about it.

This is how he looks like before he jumps from the leave.

Jumper also mean Jumping Spider (JS).

 

[harper]

quite amaze by the no. who chose to take a pic from the poll now...

personally would never press the button when I see that...

 

[limwhow]

Never experienced any paranormal events, no ghosts climbing out of the corpse etc.

A corpse is just a lump of dead meat, smelly sometimes and can be very gruesome but it's dead. Life after all can be viewed as simply a method to keep meat fresh. (tongue in cheek).

Jumpers tend to be pretty intact though there's sometimes a fair amount of blood. But compared to other forms of suicide such as a gun to the under jaw area where the projectile exits via the skull, which indoors leaves quite a good spray of brain matter, blood and other material in an arc up the wall over the ceiling and sometimes down the other wall, while a massive amount bleeds from the nose.

Even that's pretty tame compared to folks who slit their wrists (lengthwise, rather than cross wise) as that is pretty damned messy.

But for real fun and games you either have to get in to murders (I've seen some horrors) or warfare (seen far worse there than almost anywhere) or refugee camps when the population is starving (gut wrenching stuff to photograph a kid and mother who will be dead in a few hours or days while you return to the hotel to a big dinner), or barbaric killings such as South African Necklaces where a tyre is jammed over the victims shoulders and petrol poured in the tyre and it's ignited (photographed one very discretely in the early 80s).

But the worst by far are photographing people dying, where you cannot help them as they can't be reached, be it a drowning, car accident, collapsed building or fire. People killed in fires can be godawful to look at, especially if the skin plasticises and "slumps" where the facial and body features deform and turn a slate gray/red colour. It used to almost put me off the next meal.


For me the worst ever job was in Bangkok in the late 80s when I photographed a hospital ward with about 40 young women in it, all under 21 and all dying from AIDS. The ward was so quiet and these poor women just lay huddled on top of their beds in the heat and humidity, there were no drugs and the whole lot were dead within a week. That one was possibly the hardest shot I've ever taken and it still haunts me and it's the only time I went out and got drunk as a skunk after a job.

If I may ask a question: You have seen quite some deaths, and not of the normal style nor fashion. Perhaps more so than many working in the hospital environment would see.
I am sure death is never a phenomenon that any photographer would like to capture. But if so required of you professionally, would you do so again? And how differently would you approach it photographically now?

 

[redmonsoon]

quite amaze by the no. who chose to take a pic from the poll now...

personally would never press the button when I see that...

Care to share why?

 

[Ian]

If I may ask a question: You have seen quite some deaths, and not of the normal style nor fashion. Perhaps more so than many working in the hospital environment would see.
I am sure death is never a phenomenon that any photographer would like to capture. But if so required of you professionally, would you do so again? And how differently would you approach it photographically now?

The ones who see the worst in a normal city are the police forensic photographers followed by either ambulance or coronors department personel.

As for me, I'd shoot corpses again if required to, though like any sentient being with a stroke of decency I'd rather not, but since I view the job as being a witness to what happened it's not hard to do either. Apart from using digital cameras I'd not change much in terms of photographic techniques that I use. In the past I've used everything from long lens shots to ultra wide angles, fisheye etc with such scenes. In terms of discretion there's nothing more to change, I have my techniques that are discrete when required.

 

[aryanto]

Photo evidence may be required to record position of body etc, which can help determine if another person is involved (ie murder/accident rather than suicide).

 

[flipfreak]

having taken photos of suicide victims before, it is not something i would wanna do if its not require for work. why would u want to shoot it for fun unless you are morbid? i almost threw up the first time i saw a 1 week old corpse found lying in a drain at JE mrt station after being murdered. the discoloration, the blisters, the smell, the maggot. take photos? throw up first.

 

[m3lv1nh0]

having taken photos of suicide victims before, it is not something i would wanna do if its not require for work. why would u want to shoot it for fun unless you are morbid? i almost threw up the first time i saw a 1 week old corpse found lying in a drain at JE mrt station after being murdered. the discoloration, the blisters, the smell, the maggot. take photos? throw up first.

I heard that the smell of a roting corpse will linger in your nose for a long time. Is that true?

 

[flipfreak]

I heard that the smell of a roting corpse will linger in your nose for a long time. Is that true?

on your clothes also. after seeing one, bring home wash straight away or throw away. most of the time throw away then draw a new one from store. :bsmilie:

 

[limwhow]

The ones who see the worst in a normal city are the police forensic photographers followed by either ambulance or coronors department personel.

As for me, I'd shoot corpses again if required to, though like any sentient being with a stroke of decency I'd rather not, but since I view the job as being a witness to what happened it's not hard to do either. Apart from using digital cameras I'd not change much in terms of photographic techniques that I use. In the past I've used everything from long lens shots to ultra wide angles, fisheye etc with such scenes. In terms of discretion there's nothing more to change, I have my techniques that are discrete when required.

Yupe. Like a forensic pathologist who needs to be at the scene. If one is called upon, one just has to be there. It is all part of being professional.
Thanks so much for sharing, Ian.

 

[limwhow]

I heard that the smell of a roting corpse will linger in your nose for a long time. Is that true?

Actually, more like lingering in your memory for the rest of your life, if I may share...

 

[Ian]

I heard that the smell of a roting corpse will linger in your nose for a long time. Is that true?

The first few linger a while but after a while you simply don't smell it, unless it's in the soup stage and that smells bad bad bad. Badly bloated corpses that have been out in the sun for a few days have a whole new smell sensation that most people find gut wrenching, but like everything you get used to it after a few hours.

 

[Ian]

Photo evidence may be required to record position of body etc, which can help determine if another person is involved (ie murder/accident rather than suicide).

That's a job for the police and or their forensic photographers or accident investigation photographer depending on the structure of the police force. Most law enforcement agencies do not appreciate amateur photographers snapping shots of the dead and only just tolerate card carrying press corps photographers. Iv'e seen amateurs set on by the family of the deceased in a couple of occasions and who can blame them.

 

[nerdie]

Wow..
Thanks Ian for sharing..
In my line of work, i see a fair bit of dead people as well.

The question was more directed at whether pple have the macabre curiousity to take photos of a dead body and keep it. Not to post in forums or help in police investigations (i don't think they will want your photos anyway). And also assuming the jumper is dead already.

I appreciate the honesty in people voting "yes", "abnormal" people are definitely more common than you think

 

[Ian]

Wow..
Thanks Ian for sharing..
In my line of work, i see a fair bit of dead people as well.

The question was more directed at whether pple have the macabre curiousity to take photos of a dead body and keep it. Not to post in forums or help in police investigations (i don't think they will want your photos anyway). And also assuming the jumper is dead already.

I appreciate the honesty in people voting "yes", "abnormal" people are definitely more common than you think

It's ok nerdie,

A lof of people have a macabre fascination for death and corpses, in part probably because most people who live in cities are so isolated from the natural cycle of life, illness and death compared to people who live and grew up in the country.

Cheers

 

[texasrs]

i think this kind of jumping is acceptable.. dead bodies a little too insensitive for my liking.