Ger


  • Photographer
    aidan weldon
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    2009
  • Technical Info
    D700, 50mm and 80-200 D ED

These photographs represent the decline of a man I was introduced to six months before he died of bowel cancer. My aim was to capture the different sides of Ger. I was given limited access, three shoots and his wedding.

Story

Ger had lived a colourful life. Through a contact I was introduced to him at a benefit night to raise funds for his treatment. He had bowel cancer. Though he had battled cancer for over a year, it was thought he had a chance but unfortunately this was not the case.

I asked if I might photograph him and he jumped at the chance. He was very upbeat and excited, right through to the day he died. He was on morphine sticks and under palliative care at this stage.

I managed to photograph him three times (The first shoot was in February 2009) and only for short periods each time. The only time I had full access to him was on the day of his wedding (28th March 2009). This was an unbelievable event, he beamed throughout the day. Later that evening he had to lie down for a good period to get his energy back. Post wedding was a bad time for Ger as it drained him both physically and mentally.

Further to the photo shoots I managed to interview Ger on video where he posed for a portrait shortly after. This was the second last shoot. The last shoot was captured in the hospice. He asked me to lift him up in his bed, he weighed a fraction of a normal persons weight. It dawned on me then he had not long left. This was May 11th 2009. He died on the 31st may 2009. I made and lost a great friend in a period of months.

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