Song Titles Brainstorming
rutt
Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
It seems there is a need to discuss photos that are looking for a title and titles looking for a photo. Here is a thread that has a little wider mission profile than the current C&C procedure. It's just for fun and no reason to read it if you just want to critique or be critiqued. It's an unofficial place to discuss the our experiences in shooting for this challenge and fish for ideas.
So play here only if you like. We'll see how many are interested in it.
I'll kick things off.
I've been listening to the "Duke Ellington Songbook" by Ella Fitzgerald. What a record this is! First of all, I've known these Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn since I was about 12 and that means about 40 years. And unlike the work of other songwriters, I've never gotten bored with them. I love the music of Lenin/McCartney, but I have to rest it now and then. I used to like Cole Porter, but I think it sounds shallow now. I could list out other work; much is great. But for me there is just no comparison in terms of depth, beauty, musicality, &etc to these songs.
The Ella Fitzgerald performances are among her best and she was working with great musicians. Many of the songs are recorded with small groups of stars from Duke's band (Ben Webster, Stuff Smith, Barney Kessell, Duke himself) and other jazz greats (Oscar Peterson.) So I have to say that if you don't own this and love jazz, you should consider it.
But what does this have to do with Challenge 20? Everything:
So play here only if you like. We'll see how many are interested in it.
I'll kick things off.
I've been listening to the "Duke Ellington Songbook" by Ella Fitzgerald. What a record this is! First of all, I've known these Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn since I was about 12 and that means about 40 years. And unlike the work of other songwriters, I've never gotten bored with them. I love the music of Lenin/McCartney, but I have to rest it now and then. I used to like Cole Porter, but I think it sounds shallow now. I could list out other work; much is great. But for me there is just no comparison in terms of depth, beauty, musicality, &etc to these songs.
The Ella Fitzgerald performances are among her best and she was working with great musicians. Many of the songs are recorded with small groups of stars from Duke's band (Ben Webster, Stuff Smith, Barney Kessell, Duke himself) and other jazz greats (Oscar Peterson.) So I have to say that if you don't own this and love jazz, you should consider it.
But what does this have to do with Challenge 20? Everything:
- Sophisticated Lady
- Satin Doll
- Come Sunday
- It Don't Mean a Thing
- I Ain't Got Nothing but the Blues
- Prelude to a Kiss
- I Got It Bad (and that Aint' Good)
- The Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks
- Just Squeeze Me
- In a Sentimental Mood
- In My Solitude
- Mood Indigo
If not now, when?
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So, I am afraid to go hunting anymore.
Then I was going to change the photo to one that would fit What A Wonderful World, great song, but my computer crashed, while I was trying to do that. My husband came down to go to work and told me that it was almost 4 AM. I just woke up, the dogs wanted me to, and I came here to do something about my untitled song on the Challenge.
I am hard of hearing, don't know words, except what I have printed out, I am sure that 1) I will enjoy that CD, do hope it is available as a CD, 2) I will never understand the words without a copy in front of me, and 3) I have no idea which of my shots to put up there anyway.
I think one of my bar girl shots might fit one of those songs, also the one that is up there, my personal favorite for a large print, but not necessarily a good entry to the Challenge. I think I have the nerve this AM to look for the words to those songs, it gives me a focus, and I would not be as apt to click on the wrong thing.
So, Rutt, I will play whatever you want, and however, anything would help.
I think you and someone have mentioned the difference between what makes a good entry and what makes a good "shot". Personally, like the last Challenge, so many of mine seem to be above my usual work, I think they are all good, just different from each other. I felt that way about the entries in the last Challenge from all of us.
I liked my girls in the bar, the one titled Honky Tonk Angels, as suggested by Lynne, the best, as I have never done anything like that before as a photographer. So it was a real stretch for me in the taking of the shot, and I loved it, mostly for that reason. Just tickled that I could "get" a night shot like that. I knew the exposures, the why I did what I did, etc. I was just thrilled, but it does not seem to be a good entry. It was an easy photoshop, just a hard one to photograph, for me.
My personal favorite to hang on my wall is on there now, but I am taking it off, as I do not think it is a WOW shot. The WOW shot appears to be this one, but I don't like it. It was an "easy" shot to get, is an obvious "WOW", but all I had to do was show up, and it is grainy besides. It is this one.
Shrimp boats is A Comin', a song found in my search, and suggested as a friend does not really suit the mood, IMO. And I can't decide what to do anyway, as all know I like this one.
or this one:
I was going to put one on from earlier in the day, I think it is quite good in its depiction of modern life, it is uplifting and would suit the song "What A Wonderful World", that is when my computer crashed. I took over 200 photos of this modern type street scene, to get this one picture, but it was not intentional, it was a lucky accident, I was focused on the group of girls, when it is the man with the baby who makes the shot, it was basically an easy shot for me, typical of my whole photograpy life, though I took many to get one, it took no thinking. But it really has merits IMO, but as you said, I don't think it is a WOW, though it has gotten a couple of comments over on the C&C, and a couple is a lot for me........I have not gotten comments, not many.
To own, I would like this one, untitled:
I might lighten the foreground a bit, I can't tell really with my monitor, but it looks to me like a really nice type painting that my grandmother would have owned, and I like it, but no WOW there, that is probably why I like it. Not a lot of thought in it either, I like it, I am tickled by the bar girls, a difference there. This is another one I would like to own that might fit one of your titles, it was raining so hard I didn't "see" the shot until I got home and put it on the computer, I shot blindly where I thought a good shot might be, with a slight reflection off of a "board" walk. I like its softness, not a WOW, just soft, from a heavy downpour.
So, I would like some "chatter", would love to "play". I hope I have not taken up too much space here, I have more shots that I think have some merit, but these are typical, and are a part of my dilemma (sp) now. And some are not yet titled, or the titles are not optimal. I think the mall "street" shot is good with "What A Wonderful World", I just am not sure that it is a good entry. And "Honky Tonk Angels", that seemed like a good title at the time, but neither photos are generating the interest that I have in them.
So, this my contribution now, 4 hrs sleep last night, a trojan horse, a computer crash later, and that is after.........
Well, here I am, bearing gifts,
ginger
I have another song in mind. It's a very old Joni Mitchell song, so old that the original album it was on is no longer available (I think). It's called "Urge for Going". I think Tom Rush made it a hit (of the folk song sort) and that he was her boyfriend at the time. It has really beautiful lyrics:
Urge for Going / Joni Mitchell
[font=verdana, times new roman]I woke up today and found snow perched on the ground
It hovered in a frozen sky and gobbled summer down
So when the leaves were trembling
Frozen trees were standing in a lonely row
I get the urge for going but I never seem to go
And I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down and winter's moving in
I had a love in summertime with summer-colored skin
And not another one in town my darling's heart could win
But when the sky turned traitor cold
And bully winds did rub their noses in the snow
She got the urge for going and I had to let her go
And she got the urge for going when the meadow grass was turning brown
Summertime was falling down and winter's moving in
The warriors of winter gave a cold triumphant shout
Now all that dies is staying and all that lives is getting out
See the geese in chevron flight
Flurrying and flapping through the naked sky
They got the urge for going
They've got the wings to fly
They get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down and winter's moving in
I'll ply the fire with kindling and pull the blankets to my chin
I'll lock the vagrant winter out and bolt my wandering in
I'd like to call back summertime
And ask her just to stay another month or so
But she got the urge for going
I guess she'll have to go
And she got the urge for going when the meadow grass was turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter's moving in
And she got the urge for going when the meadow grass was turning brown
All my empires are fallen down and winter's moving in[/font]
As the time to leave Nantucket for the mainland approaches, this song is especially poignant for me. I have a shot in mind, with the geese and a person looking at them flying away. The geese are here...
But I have shot what was there, I always do that. I never got a good one for those songs, particularly not the John Denver song, or any of his, but did get good ones for songs I did not know. I think I was stuck on John Denver as I have a DVD with captions, so I am acquainted with some of the words. First time I ever knew the words to Leaving On A Jet Plane.
Also, his story is poignant and the DVD feeds into that.
But my "life's story", it was told in pictures that did not fit those songs. Life's story might be a line from his song.
I would find it difficult to do that song you like. And I want to read what you said about leaving the island, I thought that might be what you were doing, as I had not noticed any posting. You are still there?
ginger
I have been shooting, painting and going to school, just about most of my life.
Since shooting seriously while going to school and painting, too, I have had my image. No song, just "my" image. The assignment always was to portray "yourself", and my image was a lonely road, me (or a stand in) walking down the road, looking back, at the children I was leaving.
You know I did that, in reality, later on, for a few crazy years, but I have never gotten the shot, or painted the image. Never have forgotten it, very much a story of the pulls of my life, and I wanted to capture it. Didn't.
Good luck, sounds nice. I wonder if there is a way to just get the "lonely" feel of a flock of geese leaving, or is that not enough, or too difficult.
I never got even close to my image.
Rutt, et al, I am through shooting for this challenge. I have 12 folders, most of my waking hours, invested in what I have now. At the least I have 1200 images, probably at least 1800. I do not want more choices, I am going nuts with the ones I have.
I have ordered a tripod to be ready for night shooting, assuming that is the next assignment. I am going to be ready for that, and chomping at the bit, but I am through shooting for this one.
Would like to read a book, maybe go to the tennis luncheon, weather another storm, and if I were here, yes, I would shoot it. But other than that, I am through shooting. And the storm that is now headed for our coast, I could not stay for.
ginger
Would you like to see the beach scenes from last Saturday night? It was rough out there, driving rain, too. I have not included them in this thread, but they are around somewhere. The "bar" girls were just inside, while the storm was outside. I started shooting the scene, well lit, from outside.
You too Rutt - opinions if you please, negative especially because I kind of like the image somewhat.
Ginger I like your Honky Tonk Girls
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Doug
So don't let it bother you. It isn't important. I just wanted to say how great I thought the Duke Ellington Billy Strayhorn songs were.
I think it is probably easier to go out and just shoot as best I can and then try to figure out what the song titles should be. But I'm taking this a personal challenge. I want the song in my head when I shoot.
It's sort of a step in the direction of professionalism, in the sense of shooting what you are being paid to shoot not just what you happen to shoot or want to shoot.
I really like what you have done with the moon, now the problem is the bottom of the shot, and maybe even the sky a bit, can you lighten it, I can't see the bottom very well, and they are going to comment re some detail, maybe.
Anyway, I like the moon, but would like to see the bottom and maybe the sky a bit lighter, the bottom more "there".
Lots of night shots are not taken at full darkness, but this approaches it, can you back off a bit on the dark?
So, you like my little harlots, as I have been facetiously calling them. I do too. I love them. But no one else seems to.
Anyone? The Honky Tonk Angels???????
vs What A Wonderful World?????? that is the suburban shot of the outdoor mall. I put it on the Challenge thing a while ago.
See, Rutt, you all can have and like your setup over at C & C, but I need feedback, and I am frustrated at trying to get it. We all may have different opinions and can vote accordingly when the issue comes up again, after, or at the end of, this Challenge.
No problem with your thread, Rutt.
If I can just get the feedback I need. I guess it is down to the nice girls in the pre storm bar scene, nice place, it is between that and the outdoor mall shot.
I hate to get a puritan backlash on my girls, or morality one, or whatever, yet I hate to be totally left out with a busy mall shot.
I tried to correct for keystoning and lighten the guys face a bit, have not put that version on smugmug, but will, then I could bring it over here, is basically still the same.
ginger
What say anyone out there????
The only professional type thing I do is the free baptisms for the church. Actually, I kind of have a commission I haven't gotten around to. Got it by just shooting and handing out my card. I am so unprofessional. I would like to be on a newspaper payroll, actually, a small amt of money.
Now on this pro shooting thing and me. At a baptism, I get the shot, or try, take a bunch, as there are blinkers in this world, so I take about 10 shots of what I know they want. OK.
In addition, I feel free to grab a shot if I want. If the Priest is anywhere near, I think he is a great addition, and I take the shot. If I really like it, I usually darken him, so he is not central to the photo and send it to them anyway. They don't use it, probably as they don't want it to appear to be showing favoritism. But I shoot for myself, and I get the job done. So far.
Working on the last two challenges, I have been a bit distracted and had to shoot 4 baptisms at once, after not shooting any for awhile. That was on the wide Challenge. I always use the kit lens for the baptisms, and I forgot that I could come in tighter with the lens, my shots of all four baptisms were not that hot at 18 mm, but they were acceptable. (I am doing this for free, and it was a learning experience, I just kind of pulled it out. I forgot to take single pictures of the baby, but that is not wanted by the church, so if I was going to sell a photo of the baby, I lost that, but no big deal)
The thing is you can Challenge yourself. Actually, my mall man fits what the song I had in mind for a song, What A Wonderful World, but I would take other things, too. And when I realized the sunset, I wasn't going to let that go, I shot it for myself, geez with 1800 shots and one entry, a lot are just for me, but getting a good one, I am more flexible than the church is. If I were the church I would use the ones with the Priest in them, but if they don't want to, that is not my problem, I had the satisfaction of taking them.
As far as getting these dream shots, the ones we carry in our minds, I suppose it is a bit like the teenager, whoever, who dreams of the 10, in a scale of 1 to 10, lover. Someone is going to get it/her/him. But it ain't easy. You are always hoping, or some are always hoping.
Smile, ginger
I am probably as clear as mud.
Shoot for the song and shoot for the shot, I enjoy that. That is just me. And I know that some places would not want me taking a shot for myself, depends on who is paying me, how much, and what I think the rules are.