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 When
Paul Morris and his assistant, William Davis The Third
(Billy to his friends), arrived to photograph their subject,
it seemed like they were expected. A car had been moved onto
the grass to make space in the driveway for their station
wagon. And, a young woman came out to greet them. But, there
was a misunderstanding. The vehicle that was expected was
the Coroner's Wagon, not Paul's.
Total
shock would best describe Paul and Billy's reaction when,
after identifying themselves as the photographers, the young
woman mournfully explained that her father - the subject to
be photographed - had died the night before. For a brief
moment, they thought she might be joking. But her tearful
sorrow underscored the reality.
The
Photographer's Instruction Manual didn't have a chapter on
what to do if your subject dies. So, Paul and Billy relied
on the age-old formula of sympathetically conveying their
support ... and heading for the nearest exit.
When
the shock wore off, Paul began to wonder about the financial
obligations of his client. It was, after all, a medical
company which had assigned him to photograph a patient who
had miraculously survived with the help of their product. It
was to be a testimonial picture for the cover of their
annual report.
Paul
raced to check his standard ASMP paperwork. No, there was no
"Termination" clause. The ASMP had not anticipated this one.
As he considered his options, Paul became gravely concerned.
The
client wanted a picture "full of life", and had given Paul a
deadline to finish off the shoot. Risk acceptance was
implied. The body of evidence was clearly in his favor.
Never-the-less,
Paul felt boxed in. He didn't want to ruin the esprit de
corp he has with his client. He was mortified at the thought
of loosing his good paying customer and maybe finding
himself doing lifeless jobs for deadbeats. Billy too had
realized this job would have been better served if given to
an intern.
But
in the end, Paul decided the best approach was simply to
bury the subject and try to find another live one to pay the
bills.
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broadway suite 1006