Powerful Portraits of Individuals Before and Directly After Their Death


Photographer Walter Schels was terrified of death, so much so he refused to see his mother after she passed away. Upon entering his 70s, Schels finally decided to overcome his fear through a bold, bizarre project – photographing individuals before and directly after their death.

The black and white portraits are a clinical confrontation with the the unknown, the proximity of the lens to subject unflinching and slightly macabre. Images are paired with startlingly frank accounts of the deceased right before their passing, each person dealing with the inevitable in their own way.

Read the full post on Feature Shoot.

Walter_Schels_Andersen_01 Walter_Schels_Behrens_03 Walter_Schels_Kotzahn_09 Walter_Schels_Cao_05 Walter_Schels_Schmitz_12

Walter_Schels_Andersen_01 Walter_Schels_Behrens_03 Walter_Schels_Kotzahn_09 Walter_Schels_Cao_05