The Film

Smile for the Dead is a documentary film about the spirit photography of William H. Mumler. Mumler was taking portraits of people in the mid 1800's that would develop with the ghostly apparitions of loved ones in them. He quickly blew this up into a successful business and despite being brought to court for fraud, no other photographers of the day could figure out how he was making these spectral photographs.

Smile for the Dead not only dives into how he was making these images but also the why. What made these spirit photographs so captivating back then and why do they still hold such interest today? Through interviews with leading photographers who still practice the same style that Mumler did, to authors, historians and also paranormal investigators, Smile for the Dead is an extensive look into the world of Mumler's spirit photography.

Why Now?

There have been some developments into leading theories about just how Mumler created these works with the help of his wife. Truly, it seems as though his wife had a much larger part in these images than previously realized and I think it's important to correct that wrong.

Furthermore, this film deals with the idea of grief through portraiture and as a society that just went through a collective period of grief during the pandemic, I feel as though this film is coming at just the right time.

Who I am

My name is Hamilton Ward and I am the director and cinematographer of Smile for the Dead. I am an experienced photographer and filmmaker whose works have appeared in various film festivals across the country as well as being featured in such magazines such as The Bitter Southerner (https://bittersoutherner.com/video/summer-headstones)

Interviewees
Katrina Weidman

Katrina is a paranormal investigator with years spent unravelling the mysteries of the paranormal world. Her works include Paranormal State, Paranormal Lockdown with my co-host, Nick Groff, where they would spend 72 hours confined to dark, haunted locations, and Portals to Hell with Jack Osbourne. Jack and Katrina teamed up to investigate the world's most sinister haunted locations and you can catch all 3 seasons on Discovery+.

Currently, Katrina is hosting and producing their own investigative series, Travel the Dead, on their Youtube channel. They're working with best friend and fellow investigator, Heather Taddy. TTD is a peek behind the curtain- what it’s like to be an investigator on private cases. You won’t find any outlandish moments here, just real, raw, and gritty investigating.

Throughout the year, Katrina lectures at paranormal conferences and events where they discuss their experiences in the field. She is also the co-founder of Atherton Paranormal, a group aimed at furthering the paranormal field and helping those affected by it.

Outside of their work in the paranormal and television, she is a singer-songwriter and musician. Most recently, she was the lead singer, lyricist, co-writer, and founding member of Away From 30 (2015-2018). Currently, she's in the studio writing and recording songs for a new solo project.

Interviewees
Felicity T. C. Hamer

Felicity approaches the study of visual culture with particular emphasis on questions about the materiality of images, their relationship with dynamics of memory, and the performed emotional engagement and affective dimensions of photography. She is the author of “Helen F. Stuart and Hannah Frances Green: The Original Spirit Photographer.” History of Photography 42, no. 2 (2018): 146-167; Parental Grief and Photographic Remembrance: a historic account of undying love, Emerald Publishing Limited, February 2020; “Developing Memory: Remembrance, Embellishment, Hauntography,” PhD dissertation, Concordia University, (April 2023); “In Loving Memories: Remembrance, Embellishment, and Hauntography.” Membrana – Journal of Photography, Theory and Visual Culture, (forthcoming 2023): Stories.
Interviewees
Mark Osterman

Mark Osterman and France Scully Osterman established Scully & Osterman in 1991.

Through extensive primary research and practical application, the Ostermans have evolved as historians and modern masters of a wide variety of historic (alternative) photography, most notably, the wet-plate collodion process.

The current artistic revival of collodion photography is a direct result of their influence.

They were the leaders in exhibiting and publishing their work as artists in the early 1990s, openly sharing their knowledge through lectures, publications, workshops and tutorials.

Photograph conservators, collectors, museum curators and the most advanced collodion photographers turn to the Ostermans when they have collodion-related questions.