This week’s top photo comes from Assistant Photo Editor Pat Nabong. Follow her on Instagram.
What makes this photo important?
South Chicago Chapel made headlines when 56 decomposing bodies were discovered in the funeral home in August. Since then, families have come forward with rage and doubts over how their loved ones’ remains were handled. On Sunday, some families whose loved ones were cremated by South Chicago Chapel held a vigil outside the boarded-up establishment to demand answers about the contents of the urns that were given to them. At least two families say they believe that the urns they received may contain rocks, not their relatives’ remains.
How did you get this photo?
Shawnese Shannon’s family is among them. Her family, including her daughters Franquella and Marshawna Campbell, attended the vigil. Reporter Cindy Hernandez and I previously connected with the Campbells for a story that was published in the Sun-Times.
During the vigil, the Campbell sisters set up an altar for Shannon in front of the boarded-up entrance of South Chicago Chapel. Some of Shannon’s grandkids were lingering around the altar, and when I saw one of them crouch down, I framed the photo to highlight the looming exterior of the funeral home.
Technical details:
- Equipment: Sony A7III with a 24-70 f/2.8 lens
- Focal length: f/2.8
- Aperture: 25mm
- Exposure: 1/200
- ISO: 6400
Plus, 11 more great photos from Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ photojournalists:
Monica Speight, 63, from New Jersey, smiles on “Tan Suit Day” at the John Lewis Plaza on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Woodlawn on Aug. 28. To her, a tan suit means “Individual choices, like don’t be scared to step out the box,” she said. “I worked in finance for years and it it’s traditional black, blue, brown suits. So for someone to wear tan, it’s like I’m gonna do my own thing like the Obamas did.”
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times