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I shot an organ

Rachel Foster

New member
A local church hosted a "show" of my photos recently. Photos were available for people to take home, and in return they made donations to my scholarship fund.

In appreciation, I shot their organ. My "arc of intent" was to show it differently than the common approach and attempted to highlight forgotten elements. Exif available, but I really want to know "gut level" reactions. Interesting or pedestrian? How to improve?


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IMG_3113.jpg


IMG_3123.jpg


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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
In appreciation, I shot their organ. My "arc of intent" was to show it differently than the common approach and attempted to highlight forgotten elements.

I think you mean "Your intent was to show it differently"! The Arc occurs when you externalize that intent to the material of your picture. It's you first who has to judge it, not anyone else!

Also we remember art is primarily a form of self-expression and then, perhaps communication. You need to have confidence o=in your own reading of your feelings. If you get the thrill you seek and the feeling you expected evoked by your work, the "Arc of your Intent" has been completed. Until then it is, like millions of other brilliant ideas, only something tentative. Once you like it then we can really begin.

So obviously you have reservations. Let me pass over the first and last images since they do not demand anything of me.

The two middle unnamed pictures have more interest. The first one of these has what I might fancifully call a copper shepherd's staff shape reflected in a larger steel tube on the right. (O.K. It's a simple L shape. I was just looking at pictures of Constantine's early church images! LOL).

IMG_3113.jpg

© Rachel Foster


Then, in the b.g., brighter reflective structures appear with little discernible form, again reflective tubing with bright highlights. My first impression was that this picture could hold my interest. Well there's some interesting things going on. However I'm perplexed by the practical or esthetic choice of throwing the b.g. out of focus. Taking small portion of something large "should" from just my point of view, unless you have some other higher artistic purpose, deliver something whole, not necessarily an entire unit of the thing but the shape, texture, shadowing, presence and milieu which all together seems "one unity" a unit so to speak that some how satisfies.

Well, I feel that this has not been achieved here. The topic is good. The part of the organ might have promise, but you might need to watch it more. Hunters do not generally just go and take their prey. The stalk and study all the targets they might choose and consider then how the approach might be.

I'd visit the church to get to know that organ. You might watch the light in the early morning send forerunners with shadows of some window frame and bright colors of a stained glass. Let the thing play before you. You do not necessarily need you camera with you. Just frame with your fingers and let it play out.

Of course you can document every little tube and brass gasket of 2400 pipes but what then would it represent? Your intent might be "to do something different". When you get close mentally to the organ the organ will demand of you what your must photograph. That's an intent to work on.

Anyone can be different!


You yes I do like to study this picture, but to me it's just a first glimpse of what you might find you must do.


This next picture is interesting too, however, after others comment I'll come back to that. I need some shut-eye! For now, please accept the word "Impressive".

IMG_3123.jpg

© Rachel Foster

Keep up the effort!

Asher

BTW, I do respect the fact that unless you are an organ lover, these giant instruments can be hard to achieve one's own sense of satisfaction to produce something outstanding. You'll lick it, but likely it's not just a snap shot! It all depends on the muses, the light and your own focus.
 

Jörgen Nyberg

New member
Nr 2 and 4 caught my eye, but with some reservations.

In nr 2, I would have prefered a littlee more depth, so that the reflection in the bg wasn't quite so much out off focus, but still not sharp.

In nr 4, I would have liked to have the pipes more in focus, but otherwise I love that picture, especially how the wood fades to black, at an angle :)
 

Mike Shimwell

New member
Just another thought

Asher said, 'Taking small portion of something large "should" from just my point of view, unless you have some other higher artistic purpose, deliver something whole, not necessarily an entire unit of the thing but the shape, texture, shadowing, presence and milieu which all together seems "one unity" a unit so to speak that some how satisfies.'


Hi Rachel,

I was just thinking on what Asher said above, I wonder if there is something additional in that as well as delivering something complete in itself when working with details perhaps there is also a need to encapsulate the larger whole. So as well as a complete and satisfying image you are also trying to capture 'essence of organ' - perhaps a bit fanciful, though I'll let you be the judge of that.

Anyway, I do like the 3rd image in particular. It has a lovely tonality and also seems to have real mystery.

Mike
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Hello Rachel,
It sounds like you worked yourself into an interesting mutual hand-wash project!

Rather than assess the micro components of your project --the individual photographs-- it's far more important for you to evaluate the body of work as a whole. Do you feel that you've achieved your goal of creating a visually and emotionally distinct depiction of the organ? Do you think that the "client" wanted such a depiction or, instead, wanted a more traditional portrayal? Those are the most significant top-level evaluations you must make of your work on a ongoing basis. Yes, you will eventually have to work through shot selection and editing decisions. But that's the tail of the comet.
 
Right! Ken is saying "first you must have a vision, then you can have the images." It doesn't work the other way around.

That's why I could never bring the mandolin pictures into a coherent series, because there was no guiding vision, just pictures trying to find a unifying theme after the fact. In the case of the mandolin, it's understandable, because it was a learning experience, and as such I could not foresee the direction.

<Chas>
 

Rachel Foster

New member
Thanks, all. I'm not sure what I've "accomplished" or have yet to accomplish at this point. I need to let it sit for a bit and come back to it.

I was very flattered, though, that the organ builder asked for copies of 2 and 4.

Still, I'm not truly happy with the results.
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Still, I'm not truly happy with the results.

If you ever find yourself completely satisfied with a project you may as well sell your camera equipment and enroll in a diesel mechanics' school.

But simply being self-critical is pointless and useless. You must learn to keenly identify what unsettles you and feed that discovery back into your creative process. Failing to do so also qualifies you for a spot at the aforementioned school.
 

Rachel Foster

New member
Yes, that's it. I can't put my finger on what I don't like. It could be the points made by others in this thread, but I need to step back before I can figure that out.

Often I can't see what is wrong with a shot til I get it right........
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Rachel,

Being unsatisfied, as Ken points out, is a necessity not a shortcoming!

Having some drive within you to make something of what you are seeing into a new thing is just the start. You have an idea. It must be more than that. It must be a universe for you.You must intimately experience what you need to isolate. Then you must nurture, enrich and feed this idea so you have something to fight for. Do you need encouragement? For sure!

The organ as your subject, no less than the people you are so good at relating to and sensing, needs to be watched and interviewed to see them better. You already have the organ builder on your side and encouraging feedback here. So now you must return and get to know the organ better.

I really believe that this is a good subject for you. Besides, unlike the river, you are unlikely to slip and hurt yourself from mud and rocks like the last time! :)

I still enjoy the 2cd and the 3rd picture the most, but I'm not the organ maker, so I see differently. When you return, try to do so without your camera at first, so you can just frame portions but then try something else, edging over to change your position in the church early in the morning, at noon and when the sun sets.

Tell me you are doing this, because this is a great project.

Asher
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Here's a thought that might help to point you toward a new horizon, Rachel.

Many, perhaps most, of the greatest portrait photographers (and painters) spend time to learn more of their subjects' true characteristics. On a personal example, last year I spent over two months observing a large sculpture installation at all times of day and in all weather conditions to get inspiration for a photo book project.

My point: how well do you really know your subject? Your images show details, and pipe organs certainly have many parts. But the essence of a pipe organ's distinction is its audio quality, not its visual parts. How do you capture that distinction with a camera? Well, cameras can't record sound but they can record people producing sound with he organ. They can also record people reacting to the organ's sound. Etc.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Knowing your subject.

Ken,

I took the liberty of skeletonizing your advice, since it's worthy of being used for many subjects.

My point: how well do you really know your subject?

But the essence of a (name your subject)'s distinction is its .......... quality, not its visual parts. How do you capture that distinction with a camera? (Remember that you can approach this another way since Cameras) can also record people reacting to (your subject). Etc.

Rachel, (those who can't stand being lectured at, skip the following)

Since we have talked about your journey in photography for some time, allow me to bring together some essential points that can be used on this project.

This getting to know your subject is often missed by people hoping that now they have the camera weapon and the target to aim at all they need to do is get on with it and bag their catch. It's far more effort than that. Each object has its own space, orientation, importance, relevance, history and influence in the universe, but the latter itself even changes as you observe it.

It's useful to consider all photographic objects as living being beings, since their existence and recognition as we perceive them are just constructs of our own senses. Art is a property of human life wherein we like to make some physical manifestation of our fancies, fears and fantastic creations. The subject in a photograph can be looked at in so many ways, but which way incites your imagination and demands to be imaged by you in one particular way? After you have wrestled with this issue thousands of times, you still will have to face it the next time you position the camera. By then, however, it will be much easier.

  • Know you will fail and that will keep happening but you will press on.

  • Enjoy progress.

  • Don't let praise misdirect you and so assume other people's measures of value as your own.

  • Allow the Subject and developing art to speak to you at all times and listen.

  • Your original intent will be informed by the very process and product of your work. That is not extra, rather it's often essential to making art. The making of art is often best seen as an iterative process.

  • Test criticism against your own values and discard what is not true to your own vision.

  • Don't accept a whisper from yourself of "Good enough", because "Good Enough.", isn't!

  • Every hunter studies it's prey. That way the kill ratio is in the hunter's favor.

Asher
 

Rachel Foster

New member
Ah, astute advice from Ken and Asher.

In fact, perhaps one of the 3 best portraits I have ever done is of the organist. Alas, I don't currently have her permission to post it (haven't asked as yet). But when I saw it, the photo brought tears to my eyes.
 

Rachel Foster

New member
If I get her permission, I will post the organist's photo. It blew me away, so to speak, because I felt the intensity, the connection, she had with the organ when I saw the photo. She was playing Bach at the time.


Oddly, I showed the print to the folks in the hair salon where I get my hair done. Their response was, "Oh, I don't like that. She's old." She is perhaps 60s or 70s. Where I saw "divinity," they saw age.

That bothers me a great deal. I might add that when I showed the organist the print, she got misty. When others (the priest, etc.) saw it, there was invariably an intake of breath (approvingly so). But others? They saw age.
 

Ray West

New member
Hi Rachel,

So, you show a photo to folk concerned about appearance - like they are in a hair salon - so they are likely to be thinking of looking better than they are.....

And what the ffff is wrong with 'looking old'.

Best wishes,

Ray
 

Mike Shimwell

New member
If I get her permission, I will post the organist's photo. It blew me away, so to speak, because I felt the intensity, the connection, she had with the organ when I saw the photo. She was playing Bach at the time.


Oddly, I showed the print to the folks in the hair salon where I get my hair done. Their response was, "Oh, I don't like that. She's old." She is perhaps 60s or 70s. Where I saw "divinity," they saw age.

That bothers me a great deal. I might add that when I showed the organist the print, she got misty. When others (the priest, etc.) saw it, there was invariably an intake of breath (approvingly so). But others? They saw age.


It sounds as though the judgements being made of your picture say more about those viewing than that being viewed. I think that's very powerful.

Mike
 
Photography could indeed show us some different worlds...some worlds that we just taken for granted...and through photography...are now presented in new lights.

Your pictures captured some of those insights...though of course there will always be room for improvement...but already a good beginning.
 

Dave McAllister

New member
I really like the third and fourth images. The third makes me wonder what the story is, how did the chip get there? In the fourth I like the composition, the color, and the angle. I think my favorite thing about the series is that if you didn't tell me it was an organ, I would have no idea and so I would see shapes and pieces of something I couldn't identify, which would add to the mystery for me and keep me intrigued.
 
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