Music for Photography

[Justin Low]

Hello folks! What music do you listen to when you photograph? Do you believe that your music choice influences your images?

I was just writing a draft entry for my blog about this; I listen to Enigma's new Voyageur album, as well as one of Dave Brubeck's CDs, and I find both quite relaxing. Gives me a pretty nice rhythm to shoot to.

Wow. This is my 100th post on RFF! 🙂

 

[Peter]

I tend not to listen to music when I shoot as I find it distracting when I am on the image hunt. But I do listen to music when I am scanning and editing the negatives. I see you like Enigma, I have their first 3 albums and they are great to relieve the day's pressure. I listen to Mozart's opera too (Marriage of Figaro, Magic Flute, Don Giovanni etc.). Do you like classical?

 

[Pherdinand]

I think I have never listened to music when photographing. It just did not happen. Although I am almost always listening to music - at home and at work.
I have a CD walkman (discman, whatever) but i don't use it very often.

If i would listen to music while shooting🙂, it would probably be tuned to my mood in that moment. So, it could be anything from Carmina Burana through acid jazz to Rammstein or Tiamat, LOL.

 

[Justin Low]

Peter, I'm not a great fan of classical; I do like Holst's 'Planets' symphony, but find it too dramatic and distracting for shooting. I prefer jazz, besides Dave Brubeck, a friend has introduced me to Ann Sally, who is pretty good too.

While I have all 5 Enigma albums, I prefer the most recent two. I'm not so keen on the first.

As an aside, the faux leather case that comes with the Sekonic L308B is a perfect fit for my iPod mini. 🙂

 

[RML]

No music when I'm shooting. Too distracting, plus hearing my environment can give me clues about a photo opp in the making.

Even when at home I hardly listen to music. But when I do it could be almost anything. Recently I got some R&B cd's and Kylie's latest collector cd, plus some classical music and traditional Mongolian music.

 

[Skinny McGee]

Billy Holiday and Django Rheindhart

 

[Peter]

Justin, I agree with you that Holst's Planet is a bit too heavy for my taste. Pherdinand, Carmina Burana is an excellent choice after quarelling with one's girlfriend or spouse! 😛 Any one here goes for 1980s new wave?

 

[vha]

Tends to listen to music a lot, specially when I'm in centro, too much noise, still not used to it.
But music wen i Photograph ?, depends where i am. Some places it´s more than ok to hear what happens, busses here tends to own the street and someone might want your camera 😉

Yesterday i listened to : Abba, 10cc, some bossa nova, Lou Reed, Eric Clapton and just a bit of Quincy Jones, all in a 2 min adjusted playlist on my ipod.
Ordinary its Chet Baker, Django Reinhard or some electronic stuff.
Leftfields album Leftism is still a winner.

vha

 

[dmr]

Hello folks! What music do you listen to when you photograph?

Usually nothing.

Do you believe that your music choice influences your images?

Not really.

If I'm alone on foot, I'll often times have the Walkman, and depending on time, place, and mood, that will usually be on a modern rock station or else NPR.

 

[GeneW]

Billy Holiday and Django Rheindhart

That works for me! I listen to jazz when I'm developing film.

Gene

 

[back alley]

i don't listen when i'm shooting.
i would listen to music when i worked in the darkroom, long time ago.
i usually listen when i'm on the computer though.

and i listen to most types of music usually.

joe

 

[BJ Bignell]

I don't listen to anything - except my surroundings - when I'm photographing; no-one wants to get run over by a bus or hit by a cyclist on the sidewalk! 😉

 

[back alley]

I don't listen to anything - except my surroundings - when I'm photographing; no-one wants to get run over by a bus or hit by a cyclist on the sidewalk! 😉

...or fall off their skateboard...😉

joe

 

[BJ Bignell]

...or fall off their skateboard...😉

Smart ass! Let's see you do it better! 😛

 

[Justin Low]

I've learned that if you keep the earphones in your ears even when no music is playing, most street touts won't approach you, though some tourists do tap you on the shoulder for directions. 🙂

I keep the volume on my ipod low enough so that I can hear most background noises.

 

[BJ Bignell]

I keep the volume on my ipod low enough so that I can hear most background noises.

I suppose if I had an iPod, I'd use it... 🙁 Anyone want to donate one to a good cause? If not, anyone out there have an M3SS to give to a good home? 😀

 

[back alley]

street touts ??

sorry bj, it was too hard to resist.

joe

 

[Terence T]

I'm on the computer quite a bit and lately also using my tabletop studio. I usually listen to some tunes, my favorites are Eva Cassidy and Fleetwood Mac.

 

[stet]

I recently walked away from a very bad habit of accumulating audio gear, particularly headhones. There's a great forum for it called head-fi.org, and they have their own threads about "porn" and GAS (called upgradeitis). they also have a great joke greeting to new members -- "Welcome, and sorry about your wallet! 😉 "

But since my better half planted the photo bug in me, I've weaned myself off there so I can afford all this new gear. And under treaty with my girlfriend, I must sell headphones, cables, amps, etc. of similar value to meet any camera imports to the house.

Anyway, to answer the thread, even though I'm big on headphones, I can't shoot with them on. It's way too distracting, around the house or apartment and especially out in the streets. It's hard to think and impossible to be alert. (although, I like Justin Low's tactic of using low volume)

But in the darkroom in the Arts Center, I'll put on headphones if I'm alone or there with the anti-social types, or if with friends I'll use the crummy boombox/CD player. the iPod playlist these days is punk/hardcore from the late 80s, mid 90s, but on the CD it's been The Hold Steady (bar rock music?) or Dj stuff like RJD2 or Diplo, which I'm at a loss to describe.

 

[cp_ste.croix]

oohhh...The Mars Volta through my Grado headphones sounds sweet! But i don't listen to music and photograph at the same time very often. I find it's a hit and miss thing on how well it works for me...