Ability to communicate clearly, and with an awareness and sensitivity of situations and circumstances is a key ability of any good project manager. Getting it wrong is probably not really going to help matters, as this example shows:

Funeral Photographers

In a move which some have branded 'distasteful', an agency of wedding photographers has launched a new service to record funerals for posterity. Events at a funeral can now be captured with the highest quality photographic techniques and framed prints made available in 7x5 or 10x8, on matt or gloss finish.

Tommy 'Snapper' Atherstone, of the photo agency 'Match and Despatch', said, 'I suppose it's the last taboo in photography that we're trying to break here; we really do think it's time that such an important event in the family calendar gets the proper coverage. How often does a family come together? Weddings, Christmas maybe, but that's it. Funerals are the only other time you've got them all there, all feeling the same way. Real family stuff. It's lovely. Of course, if you're on a budget, we could just take one of your old wedding group photos, change all the clothes to black and airbrush out the deceased, but you can't beat the real thing, can you?'

But Harry Stanhope, who recently attended the funeral of his brother which was photographed by Match and Despatch wasn't quite so sure at first. 'We were all very sad of course,' he said, 'and to be honest it all felt a bit intrusive to start off with, but looking back on it now it was a lovely day and all the family was there. Here's a lovely one of us all posing by the coffin. And here's us standing round the grave. And weren't the flowers lovely...'

Business has been brisk according to Mr. Atherstone, although he admits he still finds it difficult leaving his wedding techniques behind; 'It's a whole different ball game,' he said. 'I've caught myself shouting out "Come on, big smile, it might never 'appen" a couple of times, so I've got to watch myself. And then getting them all to wave bye-bye for the camera as the curtains closed at a cremation probably wasn't the best thing I've ever done either, but I'm learning.'

Mr. Atherstone believes that there is a huge market to tap and that, as he better understands the techniques needed for tackling the sensitive nature of the proceedings, his business will go from strength to strength. 'We won't be making the next-of-kin throw the wreath into the crowd again, that's for sure,' he said.

© Rob Dee 2008