Photography allows us to vicariously "experience" people, places, events and phenomena that we may never have the opportunity to experience directly. This series is a remarkable example: portraits made of people who knew they were dying, and who gave their permission to be photographed shortly before — and immediately after — they died.

Photographer Walter Schels and editor Beate Lakotta have documented these profound final moments with the utmost compassion. They have titled this body of work noch mal leben, or Life before Death

The results — literally and figuratively — force us to look death squarely in the face and contemplate mortality. To see this work in an exhibition space, each portrait slightly larger than life-size, is to experience an emotional blow that makes an indelible impression in one's consciousness.

I first saw this work just last week while participating in the City of Hamburg's Phototriennale. After returning home, it was the one body of work that I could not stop thinking about. My friend, photographer Elaine Duigenan, just saw the exhibition in London (where it is appearing at the same time), and wrote to me:

"I have just seen the show 'Life Before Death' here as it is at the Wellcome Collection - I am not surprised that you are headlining with it - phenomenal, truly amazing! What was most strange was the 'quietness' in the space where people view the images - a truly important and emotive experience unlike any other..."

Lens Culture is honored to be able to present six of the portraits here, accompanied with brief and compelling texts that give us some personal insight about each of the subjects.

Don't miss it.

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