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Basics of fine-art photography/Creating works in necrophoto

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Creating works in necrophoto 		Creating works in neosurrealism photography

Necrophoto (photography related to death) is a neologism used by the author of textbook to designate a genre where the objects of photography are burial places, ritual (funeral) paraphernalia, remains of people, mummies, relics, and everything that is related to death and subsequent events/processes.

Hanging coffins (Sagada, Luzon island, Philippines)
Photo from book "Two months of wandering and 14 days behind bars"

If the age of the subject is several hundred years old, photographic works can be attributed to the intersection of two genres: the one described in this article and "archaeological photography".

General information

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This theme has been used in the history of photographic art since the invention of the camera. However, to this day, “photography associated with death” does not have a stable classification, and has not taken one of the places in the hierarchy of genres. The encyclopedia reports only about "Post-mortem photography", where the subject of the shooting are deceased people, which "posing", like the living; however, topic is limited to the indicated scope and does not include what is listed in the preamble of this article.

Ways of implementation

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The genre of "necrophoto" can serve both documentary and artistic purposes, depending on the choice of the author. Since this textbook is directly related to art, the emphasis will be on the artistic side of the issue.

In my opinion, the combination of necrophoto and travel photography is the most interesting.

The traditions of the world associated with the funeral ritual and other actions accompanying the death of fellow tribesmen (such as mummification, etc.) are worthy of being captured. For example, the Ma'nene Festival in Indonesia, during which aborigines temporarily remove the bodies of long-dead relatives from the ground in order to return them to their graves after a short “communication”; or Merry Cemetery in Romania, there are many examples. The attitude towards death among the natives, the so-called exotic countries, is fundamentally different from the perception of this fatality by Europeans, therefore, the photographs taken by you will arouse interest among compatriots upon your return.

As for the choice of space for actions, transport and ways of moving, the Internet and your own imagination will help you, and 15 examples from the practice of the author of this article can be seen in the gallery below.

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Photos from books "Two months of wandering and 14 days behind bars"; "Six months by islands... and countries"

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    Coffins from Bangao Mummy Cave
    (Kabayan, Luzon Island, Philippines)
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    Mummy from Bangao Cave
    (Kabayan, Luzon Island, Philippines)
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    Mummy in Pasir Putih
    (West Irian, Indinesia)
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    Mummy II from Bangao Cave
    (Kabayan, Luzon Island, Philippines)
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    Tinongchol Burial Rock
    (Kabayan, Luzon Island, Philippines)


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  • "You look like death warmed up! Indonesian villagers dig up their ancestors every three years and dress them in new clothes in ancient ritual to show 'love and respect'". dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  • "NECRO — dictionary meaning of the prefix". crossword-opener-en.slovaronline. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
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