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.