Doug’s Top 10 Songs About Photography

Is there really such a thing as an original idea?  Plug that question into Google and it seems that most would say no.  The idea to write this post just popped into my head – to write list of top 10 songs about photography.  So I jotted down a couple off the top of my head and then went through my iTunes to come up with my list.  Then I did a little research and it turns out there have been plenty of articles written on this topic.  Heck there’s even a Wikipedia entry on songs about photography!  That’s okay, I can still put my own spin on it, and Wikipedia actually missed two of my picks – one of which is a glaring omission to me and another much more obscure…

Music Fanaticism

Yes I’m a music fanatic and you might even say a music snob…  I started collecting records when I was 5, memorizing all the lyrics I could and having KISS concerts in my basement with my friend Chris.  I played the cello in my high school orchestra, was the guy who made all the mix tapes for all my friends in high school, and now I sing in a rock band.  I used to read through the All Music Guide books all the time and now I just hang out on their website.  Music and photography have a lot in common since they both can elicit very personal and emotional responses and connect us to our past in extremely powerful ways.  With this being the case it’s a wonder that there aren’t more songs about pictures and photography in general, but there are several great ones and here are 10 of my favorites:

The Top 10 Songs About Photography

Pyromania coverPhotograph – Def Leppard – 1983

Those opening three chords are unmistakable – just enough time to crank the volume up for the drums right?  He wants the girl (Marilyn Monroe?) but all he’s got is a photograph…

 

 

Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With JimPhotographs & Memories – Jim Croce – 1972

Such a poignant song that Jim Croce wrote not long before his untimely death where he sings about how he cannot believe a loved one is lost as he looks through photographs and thinks about the times they spent together.

 

 

R.E.M. - ReckoningCamera – R.E.M. – 1984

A beautiful song which is said to be about the band’s friend Carol Levy who died in a car accident.  From piecing it together it seems Michael Stipe has made reference to this (?) as the point where he got clean from drug addiction.  “If I’m to be your camera then who will be your face?”

 

The Cure - Pictures Of YouPictures Of You – The Cure – 1990

Robert Smith’s song about finding his wallet in the remains of a fire at his home with pictures of his wife Mary in it.  He even used one of the photos as the cover of the single.  A beautiful dreamy Cure song from an otherwise dreary, murky and fantastic Cure album.

 

Deep Purple - Machine HeadPictures Of Home – Deep Purple – 1972

Okay not about photography per se, but a classic with the word “pictures” in the title…  A song about being in a strange cold place and yearning for home – images and “pictures” in our mind can comfort us from time to time to be sure.

 

 

Echo And The Bunnymen - CrocodilesPictures On My Wall – Echo & The Bunnymen – 1979

This song has the distinction of being the very first Echo & The Bunnymen single and I love it.  An eerie sounding and foreboding tale but we’re not quite sure why…  “The pictures on my wall are about to swing and fall”.

 

 

A Flock Of SeagullsWishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) – A Flock Of Seagulls – 1982

Unlike Joe Elliot of Def Leppard the lead Seagull sounds like he’d be okay with just a photograph – he wouldn’t spend his life just wishing if he had a photograph to remind him.  More or less a three-hit-wonder (I apologize to any diehards because I’m the first to admit I hate when one of my favorites are slapped with a tag like that), you have to love these guys as a classic slice of MTV 80’s nostalgia.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel FoxtrotKamera – Wilco – 2001 (released 2002)

This sounds like a confessional from Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy who seems to not be feeling too good about himself.  It seems like he needs a camera as opposed to a mirror to look at himself and remind him of the lies he’s been hiding and the echoes in his heart.  It’s a great song that the band recorded and released two different unique studio versions of and both are worth checking out.

Filter - Title Of RecordTake A Picture – Filter – 1999

Sometimes you just need to take a photo otherwise no one will believe or remember what happened later right?  This song is one of those lush anthemic sounding songs that swirls and lifts you up even if you’re not sure why…  and why shouldn’t a song about a guy getting naked and causing a scene on an airplane lift you up…..right?

 

Rush - Moving PicturesThe Camera Eye – Rush – 1981

The last song Rush recorded over 10 minutes long, it’s a two part song that attempts to contrast and highlight New York City and London respectively.  The title apparently refers to sections in the U.S.A. Trilogy written by John Dos Passos.  “The Camera Eye” sections are written in an autobiographical stream of consciousness style.  I suppose taking pictures can be just that – your stream of consciousness as you interpret the world through your lens.

Here are the links to the songs / albums in order on Amazon – where digital downloads were available I provided that option otherwise the CD is linked.  I can vouch for each entire album being amazing by the way (with the exception of Flock of Seaguls – I never owned an entire Flock of Seaguls album).


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Frameable Faces Photography
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Frameable Faces Photography is a small biz retail mom & pop shop of Doug&Ally Cohen located in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, Michigan, United States Of America!
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Ally & Doug can be reached at the studio at tel:248-790-7317 or emailed at mailto:info@frameablefaces.com
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Kyla Gets Her Day!

This is actually “part 1” of a two-part post since Kyla is a twin and her twin brother Noah will be coming soon as “part 2”.  We split up the sessions due to scheduling but Kyla will make an appearance in Noah’s session when we take a few photos of the two of them together.  We’re looking forward to that!

High School Senior Portrait

Meanwhile this day was all about Kyla and we were more than happy to focus on her for a few hours – what a sweetheart and totally adorable!  Kyla and Noah have another pair of twin brothers, so with Kyla being one girl to three boys it was fitting that she get her own day right?

We started in the studio with the black backdrop – no props save for just a black stool – simple and dramatic…

High School Senior Picture

Then we went outside on location and the conditions were perfect!  It’s been an unseasonably warm October which has been really nice for our seniors.

The backlight on Kyla’s hair was perfect and helped to make for some spectacular images!  We had a blast with Kyla and her mom – another great day with another great senior!  Take a look at a couple of these great shots in a meadow!  Enjoy!

High School Senior PictureHigh School Senior Portrait

Now Appearing…..Erin!

Erin is another one of our class of 2014 spokesmodels and boy is she a drama queen – as in a fantastically talented stage actor!!!  Anyone who saw her in the stage adaptation of Ragtime last year as Evelyn Nesbit at West Bloomfield High School saw that she nearly stole the show, and this year she will be taking on the role of Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird.  We are so excited for her and cannot wait to see her performance!

High School Senior Portraits

Erin’s spokesmodel session back in March took place exclusively in the studio so we spent the whole evening for her senior session on location starting at the Franklin Cider Mill.  Such a classic locale!

High School Senior Portrait

Next we set out to capture some cityscapes…

Erin’s session proved to include an exquisite flair for the dramatic which you will see in these images as she stepped out into the night.  We used our new Westcott Ice Light for some dramatic lighting after the sun went down (we like to call this powerful little piece of equipment the “light saber”) and as a side note for you photographers Ally will be featured as a guest blogger on MCP Actions with a 2 part tutorial on tips for using the Ice Light soon!  So, as we set out with our “light saber” and while the International Space Station floated across the night sky above us there was some serious beauty going on down here on Earth!

High School Senior PortraitHigh School Senior Portraits

The sky, the moon, the sun and the stars are the limit for this girl – we think she’s destined to be a star herself!  We’ll just be happy to say “we knew her when…”  🙂

Flash of Studio Light, Ray of Sunlight, Glow of Twilight, and Prettiness of Jamie!

This session had a little of everything – as the sun starts to set earlier later in the year we start getting afternoon sessions that give us beautiful lighting as the sun gets low in the sky and then some dusk, twilight, and evening photos where we can get creative with multiple tools and lighting techniques like off camera flash for example.

High School Senior Picture

As for our senior this time out….  Jamie looked radiant in all the settings and we especially like the photo above with the sun rays cascading over her.  Just gorgeous!

We began the session in the studio for some photos against the black backdrop – we love these!

High School Senior PictureHigh School Senior Portrait

Then we headed out on location – here’s a little behind the scenes vine of the action…  🙂

As the title of this post implies you could say that light turned out to be sort of a theme with Jamie’s session.  The twilight photos are quite spectacular – the sky was clear and we were able to get a shot with Jamie and a sliver of the moon which takes a little bit of advanced lighting technique.  We love the way this turned out!

High School Senior Picture

Overall we had a lot of fun with Jamie and her mom and Jamie did a fantastic job!  We hope you enjoy these!

The Magnificence of Maggie!

We are really pleased with the way this session turned out!  We continue to be impressed with the seniors of the class of 2014 and Maggie was no exception.  Just a really sweet girl and so so pretty!  A delightful day with Maggie and her mom yielded some fantastic senior photos!

High School Senior Portrait

Maggie’s preference was to focus on the outdoors and Mother Nature was more than accommodating on this day.  We were able to take our time with a bunch of different settings – trails, bridges, trees, meadows – lots of variety and lots of exploring!

High School Senior Picture

Maggie is really comfortable in front of the camera and the results show just that!  We really feel these show off the “magnificence of Maggie”!  🙂  We hope you enjoy these!

High School Senior PhotoHigh School Senior Portrait

A Wonderful Family Of Four…..For Now

As you can see this crew of 4 will not be 4 for long….  child #3 is on the way!

Family Photo

Meanwhile we love a challenge.  Especially the type of challenge like “I just hope you can get one good shot – we’re not sure if our kids will sit for very long”.  As parents we’ve always said that while we prefer our kids to be well behaved at home as well as out, that it’s always more important that they be polite, nice and well behaved for other adults.  Some kids when they are little go through phases where they listen better and then maybe sometimes not so much.  Well these two little ones were perfect for this session!  They did a great job!!!

Picture of Cute Siblings

We were able to get a ton of great shots!  We used a couple different set ups as well – not all of which you’ll see here but they had a good time with all of it.  They were very cute on one of our little benches too as this fun vine shows…

All in all it was a very successful day!  Here are a couple more highlights from the session – enjoy!

Handsome Young Man!Child Portrait

Bees, Bridges, Bogs and a Beautiful Girl!

Emily is one of our class of 2014 spokesmodels so if you follow this blog or our studio on other sites you’ve probably seen her before.  Her spokesmodel session was photographed completely in the studio so for her senior session we spent the whole time outdoors.  We had a perfect day and this special senior deserved nothing less!

High School Senior Picture

Yes this session had everything including a little entertainment at my expense when I ran straight into a sign that was a few feet behind me as I avoided a bee.  Okay I’m a little bit of a wimp when it comes to bees… and ironically it turns out Emily and her mom are used to bees since they actually keep bees and they brought us some honey a few days after the session!  In keeping with the “B” theme we also photographed Emily in front of a “bog”…

High School Senior Portrait

…and on a bridge.  This was a new bridge that we weren’t aware of and we stumbled upon it on a trail during the session so for us it will now be forever referred to as Emily’s bridge (because that’s how we roll).

High School Senior Portrait

We had a great time and it’s been a true honor to have Emily represent us this year!

High School Senior Portrait

Life Is Yummy When You’re One And Surrounded By Family

What we have here is one beautiful family!  The baby was about to turn one which is always a great milestone for pictures…..and a cake smash of course!  More on that later…

Family Picture at Frameable Faces Photography

Aren’t they a great looking crew?  The brothers are really nice young men as well!

Photo of Brothers

Now for the baby!  How cute is she???

One Year Photo

And now ladies and gentlemen…..  the cake smash.  🙂

One Year Portrait

Bridget’s Gold Medal Session!

We are excited to present a few pictures from Bridget’s session which was completely unique!  Let’s just get this out of the way first…. we love this girl!  Pretty and sweet – we really enjoyed our time with her and her mom Julie.  But what also helped to make this session special was several things…  For starters we went to a new location that we haven’t photographed before and that is always exciting for us.  The conditions outside were perfect and the backlight on Bridget’s beautiful curly hair was, well, take a look!

High School Senior PortraitHigh School Senior Picture

Then we came back to the studio, but not before Bridget made a quick stop down the hall at the Beauty Lounge to have her hair blown out straight, and this girl pulls off both looks (curly and straight) really well!  We finished off with some studio work and Bridget broke out her skating medals…which was appropriate since this truly was a gold medal session!!!

High School Senior PortraitHigh School Senior Portrait

A Fun Jaunt With Jordyn!

Wow!  Jordyn’s session was a special one – she looked gorgeous, the weather was perfect and the results…. well they speak for themselves!

High School Senior Picture

We started out with some studio work in front of the black backdrop and if you follow our blog you are probably familiar with the “black and blowy” look which we love – very dramatic…

High School Senior Picture

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes vine of this set up with Jordyn!

There were a lot of laughs on this shoot – there was a donut run in the middle (or was that not you? – sorry – inside joke from the session…) and Reflecto was in rare form and even cooperated with Aaron the intern.  Finally we arrived on location where the lighting, the scenery, and the senior were all perfect!  Enjoy!

High School Senior PictureHigh School Senior Portrait