Photographing the Grief of the Amish

The horror of the Oct. 2 schoolhouse shooting that left five Amish girls dead and five more critically wounded brought into vivid conflict the journalistic value of bringing the news to readers and the human value of wanting privacy in grief.

Add to this Amish feelings about being photographed, and the event presented a situation of great sensitivity to Post editors and the photographers -- Michael Williamson, Linda Davidson and Katherine Frey -- on the scene in Bart Township, Pa.

Several readers were offended by the photos, especially one at a cemetery. Mary Ann Kirkpatrick of Alexandria wrote: "The Amish community . . . has suffered an unspeakable loss. While the photos in the paper . . . are tasteful and have not sensationalized the story, they are in violation of the religious beliefs of the Amish people. They consider images of themselves to be 'graven images.' . . . At this highly distressing time for the community, I would have expected a paper of the caliber of The Post to honor those beliefs and not cause more duress."

A gallery of photos, not all by Post photographers, can be viewed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/photo .

The Post's photos mostly were taken from public spaces -- roads and sidewalks -- and many were taken through telephoto lenses from as far as 100 yards "with respect and dignity," said Joe Elbert, assistant managing editor for photography.

Williamson said that local residents, being protective of the Amish, gave visiting photographers rules on photographing them: Don't just walk up and start snapping, keep your distance, and try not to be seen to avoid giving offense. Photographers also were told to take pictures of Amish people from the back or the side, Williamson said.

Frey asked for permission when photographing Amish people up close and got "varying degrees" of cooperation. One man interpreted the rule against photographs as "not worshipping a graven image," so that if the photograph wasn't going to be worshipped, it was fine to take it.

In fact, it is common for photographers to ask permission in sensitive circumstances. Frey did so before she took an eloquent photo of Janice Ballenger, a Lancaster County deputy coroner, as she sat on the altar, head in her hands, at a Methodist church. Distressed by the crime scene photos, Ballenger was seeking counsel at the church. Ballenger, who is not Amish, assented.

"Katherine was so nice and stayed to talk with me and even called me this week to see how I was doing. She'll never know how much I appreciated it," Ballenger said.

The relationship between photography and the Amish is more complex than it seems, according to David Weaver-Zercher, an expert on the Amish who is also an associate professor of American religious history at nearby Messiah College.

"I'm sure they were bothered by the intense news scrutiny," he said. Although the Amish near Lancaster, Pa., are "quite accustomed to being photographed" by tourists, different Amish people have different levels of resistance. But "they do not take pictures of one another because images represent pride. The Amish don't pose for photographers.

"Many Amish people are uncomfortable even being asked to take their photograph -- not wanting to grant permission but also not wanting to be too assertive in expressing their displeasure. Some actually prefer that they not be asked, so that it doesn't put them in a difficult situation. Many Amish think it leaves their conscience unsullied by not being asked."

The photograph that brought the most complaints was taken from a helicopter and showed mourners walking to a gravesite with a small casket. It bothered Weaver-Zercher. "My sense is that the Amish mourners would have been aware of the helicopter nearby. To me, and certainly to the Amish, a burial demands a greater degree of sensitivity. Although a helicopter was perhaps not as intrusive as having photographers on site, I suspect it was intrusive and troublesome to the mourners. Ultimately, I wish the picture had not been taken, let alone run in The Post."

Davidson took that picture from a small helicopter that twice circled the cemetery from about a half-mile to a mile away at about 1,000 to 1,500 feet, said Steve Bussmann of Vienna, the pilot. Bussmann said he did not fly directly over the cemetery and did not hover. "We were trying to be as sensitive as we could possibly be, operating as far away as we possibly could for as short a time as possible (about eight minutes) and not disturbing people on the ground."

Davidson said, "Personally, it bothered me to take photos of the Amish, and it has stuck with me all week. But as unpleasant as it is to be on either end of the camera, this was a story of historical magnitude that does warrant coverage, tasteful and sensitive coverage and photo documentation. Aside from the horror of it all, the world has learned so much from the Amish this past week, about faith, humility and immediate forgiveness, all done by example."

Originally, the graveside photo was to be at the bottom of the front page. Executive Editor Len Downie moved it to the top. "The picture captured the very powerful nature of the tragedy. The Post frequently runs close-up pictures of people with emotion etched on their face. This photo didn't show a single face."

I had glimpsed the photo on a monitor in the newsroom; it stopped me in my tracks and made me choke up. It was worth publishing, despite the intrusion, because the photo itself was a lamentation and a eulogy to the dignity, stoic faith and acceptance of the Amish.

Deborah Howell can be reached at 202-334-7582 or atombudsman@washpost.com.