Exercise: Experimenting for 'A Narrative Picture Essay'

Thanks, firstly, to my good friends Alan and Lyndsey for allowing me to publish these photographs of this very precious family event. They had asked me to take a few pictures of what follows and were kind enough to permit me to use some of the resultant images for my OCA studies.

Alan planned and facilitated this event: inviting his father and mother to his home for an innocent family meal - with a delightful surprise...! Alan had arranged for a piper, from his father's old regiment - the Liverpool Scottish - to play, unannounced, for his father and the gathered quests. 

The plans worked out perfectly. Not only was everyone present already on friendly terms, but they were all rooting for everything to be a success. The emotional impact on his father, once he realised what was happening, was huge and wonderful to witness. It was clear he really appreciated the 'gift' his son had prepared for him.

The piper 'warms up'.

Making his ceremonial and very formal entrance in full 'piper mode'.

The emotional reaction of Alan's father to what is unfolding before his eyes, watched and supported by his daughter-in-law and grand daughters.

The piper giving it his all.

A mixture of joy, delight and wonder to this truly unique event.

An expression of happy disbelief.

The ceremonial dish of fine whisky is being presented to the piper in a gesture of ritual thanks.

Delight is shared among the onlookers.

Fraternal memories are now shared.

Father and son share a real moment of love.

The struggle to take it all in is evident here.

Sometimes the emotions being experienced just have to find expression.

Here's a man who is very happy in his skill and his calling.

The ceremonial dish of 'thanks'.

Detail of the pipes.

The 'man of the moment' still trying to take it all in.

This was another 'practice' for the exercise 'A Narrative Essay'. Whilst I knew what the above event was intended to entail, I was 'shooting from the hip' and, as a consequence', a lot of the consideration and inclusion of the elements we have learnt so far in this course will have been set aside. Detailed control and planning of individual images will have been sacrificed to capturing things as they unfolded. But no matter: that's how it is on such a 'shoot'.

I have added captions, as we have been asked to do this in the actual finished piece of work. I transformed the photographs into black and white, as I wanted to concentrate the viewer's eye on story and emotion.

I shall have to think carefully about the specific request in the brief for this exercise, in which we are asked to think in terms of 'layout and juxtaposition'...

Thanks once again to Alan and Lyndsey.

Massive thanks...!

11.7.13

Massive thanks go out to my brilliant colleague Nic Ocean...! He recovered all my OCA photographs which I had 'lost' last week in an early morning blunder. Without Nic's help I would have had a meltdown, smashed the laptop and run away forever and a day. 

Nic - you are genius, pure and simple. Thank you so much!

Rob

Assignment 5: ‘Narrative and Illustration’ - exercise: a narrative picture essay.

I attended a local village fete yesterday to get some initial experience in creating a 'narrative picture essay'. There were some interesting shots to be had but I was only skimming the event at surface level. As a result, the pictures indicate 'being there' but nothing of any depth.

My laptop is having a few 'off' days and is sulkily refusing to say where all my 5000 photographs have gone...! My knowledgable and MacBook-savvy colleague Nic is very kindly guiding me through the process of recovery. In the meantime, the pictures I took at the fete will appear at a later date.

However, I got to thinking that I have, in fact, photographed quite a few of these 'narrative essays' before, but was unaware of the fact. I have completed several school-based projects, focusing on dance, drama, sporting, motor racing and a host of other events. I also collected various photos from the last year and put them together on the school website to show the positive aspects of the school where I work.

Another example is when I recorded the process of making shoes, as practised by my friend Fedele. He and his wife Alessandra are to be the subjects of the end-piece of Assignment 5. 

As soon as my laptop has cheered up, I shall resume posting those pics!

7.7.13
I have gone back to my old and trusty Toshiba laptop, whilst the MacBook is still going through its recovery process. I must admit the process wasn't as slow as I thought it would be...

The road leading to the village, with a Lancaster circling above.

 The fete mainly takes place in a narrow lane that leads up to the village church. The people were greeted with the music of this organ and its grinder.

 This band of really great musician provide a superb array of jazz, swing and big band music. They all have professional backgrounds and the sound they make gives testimony to this.

  

What fete would be complete without its selection of balloons, each of which is just desparate to escape from the grip of any child that owns it...?

This aerobatic flyer scares the hell out of all the spectators! He spins, dives, barrel-rolls and storms barns...

Some people just like to arrive in style and be noticed...!