Life Before Death

                                                         Photograph by: Walter Schels

German photographer Walter Schels and journalist Beate Lakotta approached terminally-ill people and asked if they could spend time with them during their last weeks and days. The series of portraits and article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday April 01 2008 on page 6 of the Comment & Features section. My wife brought these images to my attention. The portraits are a fascinating look at life and death. All photographs were taken before and on the day they died.

Examining the series affected me personally because of the loss of my mother almost two years ago. I had thought about photographing her the night she died but couldn't because I didn't want to remember her that way. For me, seeing her with my own eyes is enough to last a lifetime. Examine his work, "Life Before Death."