Music and Photography?

[ronaldjanson]

Great , Now put in thoughts that watering any rose plant selection is a should. It is one thing that it's best to do steadily as a result of water is required by roses indoors, in order different crops. So while you're watering them, what it's best to take into consideration usually is the roots. The foundation is that half that connects and penetrates to the soil. On this regard, the plant ought to be watered with about an inch of water each week. With the inherent deep root system in roses meant for indoors, the plant is ready to extract the water that's absorbed by the soul Grow Indoor Plants Blog.

[The Shadow]

Whether music or photography is more difficult doesn't much matter to me in the scheme of things either. What does matter is that they share certain qualities that go beyond individual genre or medium, qualities that help create expression and meaning. It also matters that they can inspire each other and play off each other.

 

Whatever the connections between music and photography, I think imagination is involved in feeling them and required to harness them.

IMHO, more specific examples can help our understanding too.

Beethoven's music has often been described as architectural not just because it builds but because so often structure and its development drives his compositions. His music is full of big ideas, enveloping, foundational, and his more heroic themes seem to echo almost as if to create their own metaphoric concert hall passage by passage. It's not a photo reference but I always liked the specificity of the comparison and how apt it seemed.

[mikemorrell]

@The Shadow - good questions!

 

Q1,: No I haven't tried, at least not consciously. I should try it. I suspect that my choice of which photos to take or which music to listen to at any given time are both influenced by what kind of mood I'm in and what appeals to me. And this is of course is influenced by what's happening around me, who I'm with, etc.

 

Q2: I don't know much about Freddie Mercury but yes, he seems to have developed a 'rock star persona' that seemed very authentic. From what I've read, he managed to combine that with - at times - still being a very private person too.

 

Q3: Great question to which I have no quick easy answer. I think people "develop" in their chosen roles. How far, how fast, in which directions and in which 'public persona's is I think largely determined by inspiration, talent, motivation, opportunities and personal choices. I agree that "being authentic" in whatever one does is a key factor in achieving anything worthwhile (both for yourself and others). I recently read Tom Ang's book The Complete Photographer (2010). One of the interesting things in the book were interviews with a successful professional photographer in each genre, based on the same set questions. For example: what made you choose this genre? What still gives it meaning (and keeps it interesting) for you? How have you developed since you began? What would you like to be remembered for as a photographer? etc.). Unsurprisingly, it was clear that each photographer had made an authentic personal choices to specialize in his/her genre. I came across a couple of interesting videos on this topic yesterday that I'll post separately.

 

Did you ever try to make a photo that either tried to reproduce or echo what you heard in the Jarrett or that was inspired by it?

 

Speaking of Freddie Mercury, I read someone recently who said, "He was a rock star playing a rock star." That ability not just to create a persona for himself but to create such a self-reflecting persona is so much a part of his music.

 

Can the kind of character(s)/persona(s) a lot of rock stars create (Jagger, Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison, Bowie, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Liberace) apply to a photographer? Can we make ourselves into something through photography? I'd take the position that the characters or personas created and adopted by many music stars have an authenticity that comes from within and reflects something quite real about themselves. What does our photography reflect about us? How are we shaped and how do we shape ourselves as photographers?

[Vincent Peri]

I've been in photography since 1973, and not once in all that time did I ever think of photography while listening to music, nor did I think of music while out photographing. For me, there isn't any connection. Doubt if there ever will be.

 

I'm sorry, I was wrong about that. There was ONE time when I tried to match my photos to Cat Stevens' version of "Morning Has Broken," some time in the mid- to late seventies. At least I remembered in time to set the record straight.

 

My minor project wasn't all that successful, so I quit it after a week or so. Never to try again LOL.

Edited December 4, 2018 by Vincent Peri

[Supriyo]

I was browsing Georgia O’Keeffe’s works, and came across the painting titled “Blue and Green Music”. I was wondering whether Alfred Stieglitz has any photographic work that portrays music like O’Keefe’s painting. I don’t recall seeing.

 

Blue and Green Music - Wikipedia

[The Shadow]

I was wondering whether Alfred Stieglitz has any photographic work that portrays music like O’Keefe’s painting.

I don't know of any that are titled musically, but his Equivalents series seems musical to me.

 

EQUIVALENT

 

So does this one ...

 

NIGHT REFLECTIONS

 

This is more literal, of course, but not completely. Note the staccato hats.

 

FRED ASTAIRE

 

This is one of my favorite music-oriented photos. Though it's more literal than what we've been talking about, I think this one not only portrays a musician, but is very musical in abstract ways as well ... particularly because of the shape on the right side and the sense of space that the music would seem to fill.

 

PABLO CASALS BY KARSH

 

And, of course, Serrano's most famous photo feels to me operatic.

 

PISS CHRIST

[Supriyo]

Thank you for the examples. The equivalent series feels musical to me too, with all the wide brush stroke like clouds in it. The night reflections feel like piano to me. The Pablo Casals photo has music emanating from above and the walls. The cinematic effect helps in there. I also think, Stieglitz’s hands series have a lot of musical aspect.

 

I want to humbly present one of my own works, which appears to me to have some musical character in it. It’s the closeup of a door at the Santa Barbara mission.

 

[Wouter Willemse]

For me if there is an analogy between music and photography, it is about composition. In a more literal sense: Shapes can resemble melodies, repetition creates rhythms. Less literal: music just as photos can be dense or very lean, and the effect in what that communicates is quite similar in my mind; colour also jumps to mind as a sense of musical timbres of different instruments. Composition also in the sense that both need a sense of scale, order/chaos to shape the message. The Beethoven example mentioned above is really a strong one: lately spent a lot of listening to the last string quartets, and they make fine examples. While obviously the way it is created, and the way we perceive it is quite different, I think there are some underlying instinct reactions to images and sound that are very similar.

None of this would be exclusive to photography - it would apply in my view to all visual arts.

 

My attempts to play an instrument are even worse than my attempts to operate a camera, but music has always been part of my life. So somehow there is always some music on my mind, and very frequently music comes to my mind when seeing an image, or observing some scene. The connections can be a matter of mood, or lyrics, or shapes (like the photo above) evoking specific references.

While I never really attempted to make images based on a musical inspiration, I've done the reverse with a series of photos (not intentionally made as a series either) where each one made me think of songs, and grouped those, titled after the song and adding a fragment of the lyrics I found most applicable. It was just for personal gratification, but it worked for me, as the combination of hearing the song in my head made the image stronger, and the image made me hear the song. But there is a strong personal component in that, so whether that would also worked as something to 'share', not too sure.

 

Another example that just sprung to my mind - a song that to me does nothing but create images, is Radiohead's "Exit Music (for a film)". It's maybe more cinematic than a still image, but somehow it condenses just fine into a still image as well.

Edited December 5, 2018 by Wouter Willemse

[Moving On]

The Connection....

 

[sjmurray]

A little late in the conversation, but I have been taking photos for about 50 years and started playing music in grade school. My "connection" is somewhat different however. In music I have always been drawn towards jazz and improvisation. My first albums as a kid in the early 60's were Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis. Interestingly, when I picked up a camera, I quickly gravitated towards the documentary approach, perhaps stimulated by the photos in Life and Look magazines. I adopted the same approach as jazz, in a sense, not planning any shot, but waiting for a moment to appear and to capture it. There's a similar "feel" I think, being spontaneous and flowing with whatever is going on. That's just my two cents.

[The Shadow]

Interestingly, when I picked up a camera, I quickly gravitated towards the documentary approach, perhaps stimulated by the photos in Life and Look magazines. I adopted the same approach as jazz, in a sense, not planning any shot, but waiting for a moment to appear and to capture it. There's a similar "feel" I think, being spontaneous and flowing with whatever is going on.

Thanks for this great description. Makes a lot of sense.

 

I wonder about the other side of it, from the point of view not of the maker of the music and the photos but from the point of view of listening to the music and looking at the photos themselves. Can you see in the photos a visible connection to what you hear in jazz, as a viewer of your photos, standing back from having made them yourself? In other words, can you see jazz in some of your photos?

[sjmurray]

The Shadow said:

Can you see in the photos a visible connection to what you hear in jazz, as a viewer of your photos, standing back from having made them yourself? In other words, can you see jazz in some of your photos?

Good question. I think I can see and feel the energy of a spontaneous "connection" that for me seems to come from those opportune moments where my subject and me are sharing that moment in time. I have said: "I want intimacy for 1/30 of a second." I think others can see this too, judging from the comments I have received.

[ruslan]

The Shadow said:

Can you see in the photos a visible connection to what you hear in jazz, as a viewer of your photos, standing back from having made them yourself? In other words, can you see jazz in some of your photos?

Good question. I think I can see and feel the energy of a spontaneous "connection" that for me seems to come from those opportune moments where my subject and me are sharing that moment in time. I have said: "I want intimacy for 1/30 of a second." I think others can see this too, judging from the comments I have received.

You produced some very good portraits. They are speaking portraits, story-telling and of high quality. My favourite ones are as follows: Markedia, Lili, Neighbour and Dean. But I would not connect them to jazz. That's all about associations. Some people prefer one genre of music, the others prefer different kind.

Now I became hooked on French music, chanson of 1960s-1980s (from Maria Laforet and Francoise Hardy to Dalida and Jane Birkin and Vananessa Paradis). French chanson is very popular in our culture. I also like Leonard Cohen, Tori Amos and Suzanne Vega who belongs to English-sspeaking culture.

I have always avoided depressive or gloomy music.

But many here adore

(click it to get to know) - so do I. The video represents actress Renata Litvinova.

[ruslan]

I was also inspired by

. Cinematic and photographic also. I learnt how to compose a frame from it.

Those 2 geniuses created something out of this world. :rolleyes:

[mikemorrell]

Just one example from me. I played (mediocre) guitar for many years before switching to (mediocre) tenor sax). One of the guitar pieces I always loved playing was an arrangement Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 Prelude in G Major BWV 1007. Whenever I played it (or listen to it now), my 'visual image' is one of a 'babbling brook', tumbling water full of little cascades and calmer stretches with a bigger cascade at the end. I didn't take the photo with the music in mind but - for me - they seem to fit well together. BTW Ana Vidovic plays this at a level that I never got anywhere close to!

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by mikemorrell

[AlanKlein]

I'm always impressed how much music makes a Hollywood movie. Producers spend millions to get it right as it can make or break the film. Music sets a feeling, actually guides the audience's emotions as the scenes unfold. Like Pavlov's dog reacting to the bell. Who can forget the terror in your heart, the anticipation of terror, when the thump...thump...thump starts in Jaws?

[ruslan]

how much music makes a Hollywood movie.

A very good example.

But not only in Hollywood.

Italians (

) did it even better.

This is how

Holmes really sounds.

 

I think for most of you this is absolute revelation.

[The Shadow]

I think for most of you this is absolute revelation.

Seriously!? What makes you think that?

 

A n y w a y ... music and films seems quite different to me from music and still photography. Obviously, some overlap. But the time element present in both films (or slideshows) and music makes it a different sort of relationship with different things at play from the relationship of still photos and music.

[ruslan]

One of the greatest

in movies of all times.

 

Seriously!? What makes you think that?

I want to be polite, have you seen italian La Piovra and above mentioned Sherlock version? If you have seen both, it will be a revelation to me.

And I said "for most of you" and I meant particular Sherlock version.

Another my point was than not only Hollywood could create good music for movies.

Edited December 7, 2018 by ruslan

[ruslan]

Seriously!?

Mister Shadow, so when and where did you see La Piovra with Michele Placido and Sherlock Holmes (the version with Livanov)?

 

Will I finally recieve your response?

[Wouter Willemse]

Well, Ruslan, don't you think it's a bit assuming that none of us know Ennio Morricone's work is an "absolute relevation"? He's hardly a little known figure, both in Europe or the US. So perhaps it's not so much of a revelation at all.

[stevefolks]

Just one example from me. I played (mediocre) guitar for many years before switching to (mediocre) tenor sax). One of the guitar pieces I always loved playing was an arrangement Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 Prelude in G Major BWV 1007. Whenever I played it (or listen to it now), my 'visual image' is one of a 'babbling brook', tumbling water full of little cascades and calmer stretches with a bigger cascade at the end. I didn't take the photo with the music in mind but - for me - they seem to fit well together. BTW Ana Vidovic plays this at a level that I never got anywhere close to!

[ATTACH=full]1274136[/ATTACH]

 

Very cool!

[ruslan]

Well, Ruslan, don't you think it's a bit assuming that none of us know Ennio Morricone's work is an "absolute relevation"? He's hardly a little known figure, both in Europe or the US. So perhaps it's not so much of a revelation at all.

Wouter, no offense, I do know that Morricone is known in the USA as worldwide. Firstly, I meant music out of Sherlock (I consider it the best music theme of all Sherloks ever, but it is my opinion). As my another thought, I am not really sure that many of you have seen La Piovra series. That's it.

[The Shadow]

Mr. Robot is a series worth checking out, for a lot of reasons, one of which is the use of music. Often very unexpected and often used more ironically than leadingly. The music often offers more questions and possibilities than it does answers. And Rami Malek, who is great as Freddy Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, is great in the role in this series. Very well filmed as well.

[The Shadow]

For me, so different from Sopranos and Breaking Bad that it's hard to compare. Mr. Robot is edgier than either with a much more contemporary and techno feel to it. Of the three, it's the most interesting visually and musically, IMO. Sopranos and Breaking Bad are probably more classically good and definitely more mainstream. Mr. Robot is more eccentric and quirky. Interestingly, I had started it a couple of years ago and knew there was something there for me, but also tuned out after 3 or 4 episodes. After seeing Bohemian Rhapsody and thinking Malek did such a great job, I went back to Robot and binged on the series and loved it. Malek is an atypical actor and I could really relate to his persona in Robot. It is a really great match of actor and role. In Robot, it's also not just the music that adds such depth. It's the use of sound, sound effects, and often great use of surround sound as well. One thing I noticed and loved was that the music changes and is often incredibly effective when the title of the show comes on, which is always at a well-chosen moment. Some great ideas, often coming at a crescendo in the action.