It’s what she would have wanted: Good Mourning documents the Queen’s passing

Capturing an event that hadn’t happened in Great Britain for over 70 years, Australian photographer Nick Bannehr found himself drawn to London’s royal hotspots to experience, acknowledge and document one of the most unique events in recent British history: the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. “I’d been in London for less than a month when news broke about the Queen’s family rushing to her side,” Nick tells us, feeling the tension in the streets, “and I felt I needed to witness the historic moment at Buckingham Palace.” Waiting there till nightfall until the news broke, he recalls: “I was intrigued by the mourners, and the moments that seemed to embody what I saw to be as representing British culture,” – a culture he was observing from a somewhat removed perspective.

“My mentor said to me once that those are the times when you can make the best pictures,” Nick explains, “when you can actually feel the energy or emotion in the air,” resulting in images that emit an undeniable charge. “I expected to find raw grief and sadness, but what I encountered was something different – a strange, performative atmosphere, people fulfilling an obligation,” he adds, “everything felt rehearsed, like people were playing their roles rather than feeling the weight of the moment.” Over the official 12-day period of national mourning, Nick continued to record the public’s reaction, outcry and (often atypical) remembrance whilst the Queen lay in state. Now, two years on, Nick has invited us to revisit the furore in a memorialisation of its own. 

Limited to only 12 copies, one for each day of mourning, it seems, Good Mourning is a hand-crafted photo book chronicling Nick’s work, created alongside London-based bookbinder, Piotr Jarosz, emblazoned with a .925 Sterling Silver £5 coin. Playing with themes of custom, ritual, grief and immortalisation – alongside the contemporary absurdity of such traditions – Nick’s eye is reflective and non-judgemental, both cinematically and candidly capturing frank portraits and scenes from Westminster and Buckingham Palace’s congregations.

Unlike many of Nick’s other projects, Good Mourning was documented entirely on a 35mm rangefinder camera, as opposed to his typical large format approach, offering something a little more discrete amongst the crowds. “I hoped that life on the streets of London would unravel as per usual in front of the camera,” Nick details, “shooting from the hip, moving through the city as one of the crowd rather than stopping people.” That said, with Nick opting for a 28mm wide angle lens, Good Mourning is far from cold and distant, enabling him to get fairly up close and personal to the subject matter at hand. “This creates a sense of intimacy while preserving context,” he suggests, “it allowed me to get close enough to subjects to hero them in the frame whilst also placing them in context with the surrounding London cityscape.”

Beyond the more technical aspects, what makes Good Mourning so engrossing is the undeniable flow of the collection, with Nick acting as the flaneur during such a distinctly unconventional time on London’s streets. “The act of walking through the city of London became a crucial part of the creative process,” he explains, focusing on simply bearing witness to his surroundings rather than intervening – akin to a nature documentary filmmaker. “It’s about being present, receptive to what the world offers,” Nick concludes, “and allowing the camera to capture something that might otherwise go unnoticed.”

Good Mourning is a limited edition photobook currently available through Nick’s website.