When Scott Palmer was growing up in Gowrie, Iowa, it wasn’t unusual for him to be picked up by a hearse with a body in it. Death was part of day-to-day life.

“Much like any family-owned business, I think everyone tends to help out when needed,” said Mr. Palmer, who is now 25. “So the funeral home was a little bit like a second home, and I felt comfortable there.”

In his project “Raised by the Dead,” Mr. Palmer (the one family member who declined to join the undertaking business at Palmer & Sons) elevates a subject most of us tend to shun. He recalled the project’s beginning in a photo essay class at the Art Institutes International Minnesota in Minneapolis.

As I was looking for some inspiration on what I should do, I came across Sally Mann’s work “What Remains.” I was drawn to it because of the mystery in the photos and the blunt subject matter. After sitting down and talking with my instructor, he helped me develop the idea of revisiting my past, growing up around the funeral home. While it is a normal topic for me, it is a very foreign and uncomfortable subject matter for most people.

There is a deep and haunting beauty in Mr. Palmer’s work. It has a solemnity that compels us to look, and holds our gaze when we might want to turn away. Through his use of lighting, Mr. Palmer elevates the process of death, creating work that is quiet and formal. “Raised by the Dead” is not intrusive or sensationalistic. It is presented as unemotional fact.

“Almost everyone’s first reaction is shock,” Mr. Palmer said, “but their curiosity comes after.”

Scott Palmer

I first came across his work at the New Orleans photo festival portfolio review. I was overwhelmed by it, yet also almost mesmerized by the strength and sophistication of the photographs. That feeling of both attraction and horror in the face of death is common in our society. We shun it until we are forced by circumstance to confront it. I was struck by the incongruity of such powerful, dark work coming from a young Iowan. It forced me to put aside my own fears.

Mr. Palmer cites Steven Klein, David Krovblit and Peter Langone as his inspirations. Since graduating, he has been working as a commercial photographer, based in Minneapolis.

“Raised by the Dead” has rewarded Mr. Palmer in a very personal way. “This project has given me the chance to have more in-depth conversations with my dad and grandpa about what they do,” he said. “It has definitely brought us closer together. My dad is very proud of his business and what he does, so he enjoys being able to share that with other people.”

Scott Palmer

Stella Kramer is a photo consultant in New York. She has worked at Vanity Fair, Newsweek, Brill’s Content and The Times, among other publications.