Life before Death

[Mr. Jon Donnis]

This sombre series of portraits taken of people before and after they had died is a challenging and poignant study. The work by German photographer Walter Schels and his partner Beate Lakotta, who recorded interviews with the subjects in their final days, reveals much about dying - and living.

www.guardian.co.uk/society/gallery/2008/mar/31/lifebeforedeath?picture=333325401

[exile]

Very moving. Without the interviews they would not have the same effect in my mind.

[Mr. Jon Donnis]

it is very moving i agree

[bobdezon]

Sad, but I think people should concentrate more on the living than dwell on what happens after death. Its not your quantity of life that counts, Its the quality.

[exile]

Yes, I agree. The pictures and interviews are maybe meant to convey that. I came away from them thinking that the need to live and enjoy every moment comes stronger once we are close to death. As though the small things in life that bother us are nothing compared to not having any future to worry about the outcome of those worries. There was a man in the photos that reminded me of someone close and it just made me aware of how everything could be gone so quickly.

[Amaris]

A very emotional and moving website, I found it touched on the importance of living. We do naturally become obsessed by our everyday lives but without appreciating our life and living.

[conbott]

Very well presented and moving. It hits home how selfish I can be by smoking. I remember my uncle dying of a brain tumour. Watching him slowly diminish. Both me and my mum walked into his room as he was dying and there was nothing we could do. The look on his face as he took his final breaths, everything was shutting down in front of us. The look of death is unique but you know that all the pain, etc, has come to an end. A very thought provoking website and done in a graceful and respectful way.

[kaya1]

Very moving