This website may seem a little morbid to some, and challenging to the sensibilities. In essence, a German photographer photographed 22 dying individuals right before they died, and when they were deceased. Yes, a photograph of a dead face.

The photos are beautiful and sensitive, and when I looked at some of them, I wondered what the person was thinking, as all knew that they were close to death when the portraits were made.

When I was in nursing school, death was mentioned but as sort of a side remark. Patients weren’t supposed to know, and we weren’t supposed to know that some of them died. Our patient assignments during our clinical roations were carefully selected, in that none of the patients were too ill. End of life was mentioned briefly in textbooks, mostly as it related to pain relief.

I’m hoping that programs have gotten a little more 21st century, and acknowledged that as a nurse working in acute or long term care, patients are going to die. Get used to it. These photos symbolize, at least to me, that transition–when one is aware that the end is near, and the camera has captured that awareness in their eyes and facial expression. And then afterwards, when their soul has been freed and the body is at peace.