Someone's Final Photograph

What's the difference between the last photograph of someone alive and any other photo of them?

Hell if I know. My initial reaction is a confused one; there has to be something special about that final recorded moment, right? Look at The Falling Man. 

This photograph is conventionally powerful, right? Holy fuck, just look at it. I was asked a few weeks ago if I would have taken this picture. I said I would need to if I wanted to call myself a photographer. I mean, you have to. I'll use Shelby Hastings' words when describing his thought process on taking a picture of the sky, "It's just one of those pictures you have to take." Regardless of what you were feeling at that moment, regardless of where you lived, what language you spoke, you see this and know it needs to be translated into a photograph, right? What about the last photos of Hannah Graham? The images were captured by a machine, but do they hold some significance? Or no? If so, to whom (other than investigators)?

My grandmother died this morning. It was not a surprise, and it's fine and everyone in my family saw it coming like a freight train, it was cool to just be with her in her last few days alive. But something I kind of struggled with the was the decision of whether or not I should make the last photographs of her alive. I initially felt like I had to, after all I'm a fucking photo student! How the fuck else do I digest something like watching someone die in front of me? I remember flying to visit my girlfriend, and in case you didn't know, I have a severe, crippling fear of flying. Photographing the inside of the plane helped me cope because suddenly I wasn't there, I was behind the camera. The plane was elsewhere. I had control. I initially felt the same way about this weekend.

But I didn't at the same time. I didn't want to photograph her. Why would I? Why would I photograph someone because they are dying? What's the difference between the last photograph of someone alive and any other photo of them? Should I have taken the picture? She was in a hospital bed in her living room with nice, soft orange lighting and she was surrounded by a high wall covered in tons of paintings she made throughout her life. But I refused, because there wasn't a single thing I didn't understand about that situation. This person will die tonight, and that's that. No photograph needed.

So now I don't think I would have photographed that man jumping from one of The Towers. Why would I? Because it revealed to us something? Did it? Anything we didn't already know? I photograph things because I don't understand them and I need to express control or interesting in them. When it comes to the climactic (or anti-climactic) culmination of one's life, what is there to photograph or not understand?

What do you think?