Still thinking about YouTube, Bandcamp and artistic life aims in general, and how to progress, …..again!
Still photography considerations:
A fair few months back, thinking began concerning how to produce imagery for a CD cover. One that had an original and appropriately connecting image to each of my separate songs. Reality dictated that I would have to take new photographs as my old images captured nothing relatable to any song/lyric subject matter. Initially I put out a blog regarding using some black and white film imagery I’d produced in the past and maybe a link existed to new song titles or stories. And it was obvious that it didn’t.
From a generation that loved the aesthetic and tactile values of vinyl albums, tape cassettes and CDs, there has always been that wonderful vibe of physically ‘sense’ owning your purchased music. The touch, smell, sound and sight of hard copy ownership. Taste? Tasteful artistically certainly. So albums, especially vinyl albums, were pored over and the album cover art, individual iconic imagery and lyric inclusions were so important. Album covers have given us all some wonderful imagery that has been part of our lives. The Beatles half shadow faces on With the Beatles, T.Rex having Marc Bolan with amplifier and guitar on Electric Warrior, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust backstreet vibe, again holding a guitar, are all timeless images. So many more too. So a central Frail Autumn still photo capture became important in my mind. The avatar of myself with the half shadowed face, that a ‘booked by the band’ photographer took of me at a gig, was my ideal for back when. Now. An older version of Summers’ face? Nah! Something weird and other type wonderful is more appropriate than a current Summers’ visage. Frail Autumn, in the name itself, has many possibilities.
Why all these ongoing thoughts again? The last few music/song audio uploads have sound playback in high quality file mode. This was/is possible due to our household getting a faster fibre broadband speed. What once took an absolute age, poor base level compressed quality files and sometimes with little erratic blip sounds in the audio, has now been changed dramatically. Bandcamp, the musicians upload platform, is now a realistic possibility. Hence thinking of the still photograph/art visual package alongside the music too.
I chose this instrumental for the blog here……because it kind of fits the blog mood.
Still photography to Video photography considerations:
My only knowledge of camera film colour ambience was related to cinema and the Masterpieces that were the present from iconic directors, producers, cinematographers, production designers, etc. Often collaborative team efforts from many involved to decide on specific colour aesthetics for many films. Sin City, all things Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, Guillermo del Torro, to name a few. The Bladerunner film was so amazing visually and has been my oft go to return and watch agains. The new Bladerunner film is also visually stunning.
Capturing typed out lyrics on the iPad edit options? I can project them onto my own face/body whilst singing the song that they belong to.
I cannot hope to achieve such levels of beauty such as those iconic movies. But a nicely captured library catalogue of a Summers ‘go to movie capture collective’ can be juggled about into the video storyboards. I use juggle because I was recently thinking of a guy who juggled. A profoundly Deaf gentleman who I interpreted for when he went for an interview for a place in a Circuit of Performing Arts course. It actually was a circus tent he was interviewed in. He had to walk on a tightrope a few feet above the ground in case his deafness proved that he could not maintain balance. He did extremely well traversing the rope. They asked me to have a go. Nope! He visited us here in Wales a fair few times. Taught me how to juggle to a decent standard too. I tried juggling again the other day after a blog friend brought up boomerang throwing in his latest blog. Yes, my juggling friend was also into boomerang throwing. Oh! And beautiful origami productions. His letters to me were folded in wonderful abstract ways. Sorry….I digress. Back to to juggling. Or in this case? Not back to juggling. I was completely useless! I kept dropping the balls after about three short circuits, so feel a lot of practice need coming on again.
Video imagery considerations:
After this initial foray into art in cinematic film possibilities, it was then that video capture was to be considered for songs. Especially for YouTube uploads. So far, this has been a pie in the sky dream. Initially seeing no inspiration of where to go and having no skills in this arena whatsoever, a penny dropped. A Projector. My black and white film images, a few decades ago, were used to project, as a back drop, onto the Art’s Centre stage background when a dance group were performing on stage. My little 35mm film negatives captures, blown up to cinematic size levels, was awesome. I was flabbergasted at the results. From a little tiny acorn a veritable tree was realised.
The Dance Group. This particular photograph was for the groups’ advertising poster. During the actual dance on stage, images were projected, at given times, onto and behind the dancers.
It would be nice to simply build up a catalogue of stills to quickly follow each other to result in a video collective. A background of textures each following the other.
These black and white images above are ideal for typing lyrics over too. I have done this idea already on a couple of uploaded YouTube videos.
Ongoing, a fast learning curve is required. Choice, learning and plans? Certainly not AI. It has fast become a bee in my bonnet in that I am totally refusing it as a choice. Ever. So alternatives are always at the tentative fingertips of consideration. So far? Considering projecting my produced still photographic or typed out lyrics/poetry/prose imagery and recorded video onto myself as a simple storyboard of appropriate inclusions. A typewriter font of my lyrical thoughts, borne from tip tapping/click clacking the old vintage keys. The resulting typewriter sound recorded and captured for inclusions to video ambience. Recorded and projected onto a screen, in which I am sitting in front of, playing acoustic guitar and singing the song. That would be nice visuals. The whole imagery of this captured on a camera using video format should be as useful as projecting still photographs. The iPad with the Shure MV88 microphone capturing it all. And iMovie being the video’s audio/visual editing tool.
Also. The gentleman in our village, Richard, has agreed to help me out regarding drone flight captures. Flying over the locality of where I am filming a video storyboard for YouTube. A drone capturing the beauty of outdoors and then zooming in to the VeeDub Bus sitting on a beach, next to a riverside or lake, or amongst trees. Once it settles, I will then proceed the video content and capture. An intro and then an outro drone flight would be ideal consistent bookends. I can use the same drone captures over and over if I visit the same spots regularly. And with weather changes like snow? Then maybe we can take advantage and go out and film drone flight in that way. These flights will have overlaid quirky to softer music/Muzak instrumental vibes over them. I enjoy writing these type of instrumental songs. Also, the repetitive lyrical ones too.
Let’s see where this lot of ideas goes!
Gray Summers 
I think that pondering process never stops. My instinct is that the more creative we are, the more we we need creative outlets. The thinking is part of the process. I do hope that your thinking is productive and you enjoy your photography
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Thank you Brenda. Keen insight here. I think also that having tried out ideas before and enjoyed them, you revisit with new keenness. When you can marry a bunch of arty ideas together it is quite satisfying. When I had the odd pottery exhibitions way back in the 1980s, and because I wrote stories and poems around the mystical and mythical pottery characters I produced, it was a given to include my music too (in some form) as a background sound in the exhibition room. I considered narration too. It just makes a quiet, ‘I could hear a pin drop in the room’ experience a little less intimidating and a bit more interesting. Addressing and including a few more of the 5 senses I suppose.
Cheers Brenda.
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Music certainly adds a lot to the background – or at least have an impact. We were at the Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition on Saturday and while it was really interesting and very well put together, the musical choices were a bit odd at times
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Over the years it has been really nice to visit the Aberystwyth Arts Centre and see exhibitions. Ones that are simply ‘arrive and look without music’, have been successful on the strength of the artists’ work. Photographers such as David Bailey, Sebastio Salgado, Bill Brandt, etc. have been visual treats. Same with various sculptors and artists. Immersive art, such as music, video and light show additions are varied due to the size of the rooms witnessed in.
But all in all, it’s when you are in the personal moment and there is reliability on quiet and soaking up the atmosphere. If you have onlooking others that enter the space you are comfortably enjoying, and they disrupt through offering their narratives, softly or loudly, then the moment can be simply gone. But that is reality and there can be no library scenario when people get excited about what they are witnessing. So share their thoughts and views. The smaller instalment rooms are often the most successful. A hushed reverence seems to exist then. They become very intimate times between you and the artwork. Hence, I like to create a full screen YouTube vibe on the iPad with headphones on. Or similarly, a film on Netflix, Prime, Disney, etc.. And the imagery is crisper and clearer than the 15 year old TV we own. The recent Frankenstein film was an absolute Masterpiece. And, strangely, the full blown experience of going with popcorn to enjoy the cinema experience can sometimes be less enjoyable than watching at home in the iPad or Laptop way. Maybe my new projector, showing a classic/iconic film on a small pull up screen within the VeeDub, may be even better! I do have one of those small old fashioned portable metal tube and fold out stand screens for using in lessons or presentations.
I believe Van Gogh would be an awesome experience whatever though. A Deaf student I worked alongside, in an art course, chose a Van Gogh presentation once. I really enjoyed working and assisting him on his video camera filming. I ended up recording and post shoot overlaying a video voice translation on to the student’s video signed presentation. That’s when I truly understood Van Gogh’s life. Fascinating.
Cheers Brenda.
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Its all really fascinating.
I hope you’re surviving the storm Gray.
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Since stopping working within social services, the regular visiting of art or museum presentation experiences haven’t been part of life anymore. The busy job scenario of training down in South Wales and then eventually working as a nurse up North of Aberystwyth changed everything. I need to follow your example and get back to seeing these type of interesting scenarios.
The weather is atrocious isn’t it. Holed up at home. Whilst typing this the blustery wind is very much present. No rain though yet. Fed up with rain and wind for weeks on end again. Overcast skies are very depressing. And Angie driving everyday to work through watery flood build ups and darkness both to and from driving to work is worrying. The weather must be the same up North with you too. Maybe worse.
I drove down to see my Dad on Sunday to Monday…and what a journey! Again darkness driving there and back. So many cars on the road too and lights that are far too bright when coming at you on the country roads. Luckily no massive amount of rain though. My Dad was 90 years old on Monday. So we took him out for a meal. Very different expectations nowadays with his profound Alzheimer’s and instability when walking. But he really enjoyed it.
Cheers Brenda. Thank you for the concerns. Hope you are safe weather wise too.
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Im glad your dad enjoyed his birthday. It would have been good to spend time with him. I understand what you mean, travelling to and from work in the dark is so depressing. At least im on public transport, so letting someone else take the strain. I can sit back and enjoy I y my coffee – or in reality, catch up on some work. I can’t believe I break up for Christmas next Friday. It’s come so quickly.
We’ve survived the storm. Our warning is still in effect til 9pm tonight so decided last night to take today’s class online, so I dont have to go out today … the long lie was appreciated too.
Re the museums/exhibitions etc, that’s the advantage of living in the city. Glasgow has been celebrating its 850th anniversary as a Burgh this year. Not actually done anything yet, but the some of the city Christmas lights are displaying artwork celebrating 850 years, so planning a wander to check them out … and hopefully share
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It’s good you catch the bus. Safer with traffic going into crazy numbers. Here they run every hour, from 07.00, but stop around 21.00 hours. But a free bus pass has been reality since turning 60. Nearly ten years of having my free transport and used it about 6 times. Shameful really. It can take you to further flung places here in Wales too. Scotland may be the same ideal. As you say, a nice (and warm) place to sit and work too. Especially with the USB hook up for laptops, etc. I loved my long two and a half hour bus rides to University when nurse training. Lots read in preparation for the day’s lecture or presentations.
Dad has been forgetting all things short term memory wise for a few years now and frailty in his looks is really noticeable nowadays. Repetition concerning long term memory is pretty evident too.
It will be good to read your future posts regards your travels. You’ve created a fantastic new format. I do find you have an amazing way of explaining the difficult themes in to clear and understandable ones. And bring great word imagery to your travel experiences. My dive into ‘reader’ uploads and catching others’ blogs has been very poor lately. I think the brain is too tired to take information in presently. I do not like wishing the days away. But Roll on the Christmas break and a better year in 2026. Going away for Christmas to a 16th Century cottage in Herefordshire. Should be nice. First time of doing this for the Christmas period. We decided our Christmas dinner will be on Christmas Eve. And a rest is on the cards. Especially for Angie. Busy-busy is her double barrelled middle name nowadays.
All the best Brenda. 🙏🏽
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I agree, public transport has its uses and yes, we have our ‘entitlement card’ for public transport in Scotland too once you turn 60. I felt guilty using it at first as im still working, but im entitled to it and to use it. I think its a great way to encourage the more elderly out of their homes and to get out and about. We have free bus travel throughout the whole of Scotland and discounts on trains and the Glasgow underground. Im sure ferries will be discounted too.
I hope you have a great Christmas and enjoy the break. We’ll just have our quiet time at home. My plans are spring cleaning/organising and writing
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Angie spent a few years catching the bus when she was getting her epilepsy under tablet control. This was a few decades ago. And, yes, she spoke to a fair number of older people who took long distance runs to certain destinations for days out. 60 years old qualifies us for free bus passes too here in Wales.
Wishing you an amazing Christmas too Brenda. Hope you get time to chill amongst the activity of doing the cleaning chores. All the best.
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