11 Comments
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Amy Cowen's avatar

It sounds like the photos ... of things... is a beautiful and meaningful series. You will be so glad you have those.... and they, too, tell a story. So sorry for your loss.

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Theo W's avatar

Bill, Oy vey. I am so sorry to hear of this. I understand to the extent I can. I photographed my grandmother pretty much my whole life and even when I lived with her as her health declined and then passed away. I did photograph her after her passing and my family. For me it was a way to process. Sometimes it might have felt like it was exploitive. But I've photograph my whole life and I show 5% of what I photograph. Actually learning to stop taking photos is something I'm working on now. (Says the man with 88,060 photos in the icloud...) I probably will visit the photos on my hard drive...maybe in the future. Maybe not.

I really appreciate this processing piece of writing. So so sorry Bill.

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Bill Sawalich's avatar

Thanks so much, Theo. I appreciate your thoughtful comment!

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Ashley Gieseking's avatar

Bill, Thank you for sharing this. I am so sorry. It is a profound time in one’s life, and I believe those moments are most strongly represented in our mind. It's a tall order to capture such emotion, and try as we might, we can only ever achieve a glimpse of the experience. For that reason, I prefer to put the camera down, and be as present as possible. The camera allows me to disassociate from the full experience, become an observer, rather than a participant. It sounds like you endured the full experience, which is harder. Rest assured, your mind will hold on to what is important.

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Bill Sawalich's avatar

Thank you so much.

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Jay Fram's avatar

So sorry about your dad, Bill, and this was a lovely remembrance. I wish I could have met him. Funny how photography becomes a tool for interpreting your life, even in the act of deciding when not to make a picture.

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Bill Sawalich's avatar

Thanks, Jay. I appreciate it.

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Jane's avatar

What a beautiful, revealing description of your thoughts and feelings and of this moment. Thank you for sharing. I get it.

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Wesley Verhoeve's avatar

So sorry for your loss Bill

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Scott Spaeth's avatar

I'm sorry for your loss, Bill. I find that I almost never photograph intense emotional moments - that I can only wear one hat at a time and to be there for those moments, I'm not capable of composing an image. My granddaughter almost a month old, and though I've taken my camera to see her on multiple occasions, I never get it out of the bag. I didn't photograph either of my parents' last days. I admire people who can do both at once - be in the moment emotionally and still see the image to be made, but that's not me.

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Bill Sawalich's avatar

Thanks so much for your comment, Scott. Congratulations on your granddaughter!

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