Mon, November 22nd, 2004 by Kjetil M. Bergem
This might sound really stupid, and may also be seen as unnecessary here, but I want to post it.
What music do you think is the best to listen to for your visitors while they are looking through your photoblog?
I always listen to music since that is what I study, and then I came to think what music which fits best for photos? Or for a specific type of photos.
I think maybe some old, classic music would be great for nature scenery and maybe some modern rock for "city photos".
Let me know what you think is the best type of music for photoviewing!
Edit: LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT ADDING MUSIC TO A WEBPAGE! THAT IS NOT MY POINT. I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT KIND OF MUSIC WOULD YOU RECOMMEND YOUR VISITORS LISTEN TO, ON THEIR COMPUTER OR WHATEVER. NOT MUSIC ON A WEBPAGE. SEEMS LIKE MANY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD.
Kjetil M. Bergem
Photoflood.net
November 22nd, 2004 at 10:53 am
So strange, I just had the same idea today... I mean I'm thinking about adding some music daily, just to present the mood I tried to capture on the photos - with more accuracy.
November 22nd, 2004 at 11:16 am
I would never want music to come on automatically as they enter the site, because I hate it when it happens to me.
First, music files slow down data I'm usually more interested in; second, if by chance I have my computer speakers on, the unexpected music conflicts with the music I have playing in the room.
I suppose it would be one thing to provide a link to a page version that provides mood music (and lets the visitor know there will be music), but I don't think it would be fair to do that without letting them know first. (Also, if you provided it a click down you'd get a sense of how many people want it with music, and that would help you determine how much effort to put into musical accompaniment.)
November 22nd, 2004 at 11:17 am
Many digital cameras can capture sound as well, why not record the scene where the image is? I can't think of anything more appropriate, even if it's just the sound of the wind for a landscape, or drips and creaks for an old industrial plant.
Personally I hate music on web pages, I'm invariably listening to music anyway, so having more music come on just creates a big mess. Sound fx like I suggest above would be less intrusive and more appropriate imho.
November 22nd, 2004 at 11:48 am
i have to agree, music is annoying on web pages 99.99% of the time. i normally have music going on my computer, and have my own soundtrack for my viewing pleasure.
if you do have music on your site, let your visitors turn it on if they choose. please.
November 22nd, 2004 at 11:51 am
http://www.infrangible.com is one of the few sites that has music, using the quicktime plugin.
November 22nd, 2004 at 11:59 am
i gotta chime in against music, too. i think it's best to allow your visitors to choose their own music. after all, people's musical tastes vary widely and you'll never please everyone. i have to echo the previous comments: music on web pages is annoying. and it slows down the page. and it makes it difficult to surf the web in stealth at work;)
November 22nd, 2004 at 12:12 pm
i've got a secret. if you play stevie wonder's 'talking book' and start viewing fiftymillimeter from the very first post, it synchs up perfectly.
November 22nd, 2004 at 12:41 pm
my honest answer: none. seriously.
If you really really really want to put music on your site, don't let it load automatically.
November 22nd, 2004 at 12:53 pm
I generally hate music on web pages, too. However, the only two times I've ever thought it was cool was on Infrangible, and also on Quarlo when he used to do it every now and then. I've thought about adding music to my site on several occasions, but ultimately decided not to because of the technical headaches involved. It's too bad, though, because music and photos go together like peanut butter and jelly, and there's a lot of picturs that I've taken that I've either actually written music to, or at least have an idea of what the "perfect" soundtrack would be...
November 22nd, 2004 at 1:53 pm
in my opinion, if someone is going to add music just to have music playing (and it might vibe with the photo some, but really just be background), then i don't think it contributes that much...
however, like infrangible's site (which i thought of immediately), if you are bringing a piece of music to the post that is very specific to enhancing the viewer's understanding of what YOU as a communicator or storyteller are trying to portray -- especially if the take enhances context in a surprising or contradictory way -- then it can be a completely interesting and powerful tool.
November 22nd, 2004 at 2:00 pm
I'm not sure that Kjetil was asking about sound files to go with the blog. I think he may have been just asking, rhetorically, what music do we think would be a nice match for our images.
The problem, if you ask me, is that most people spend less than a minute -- probably more like 5-10 seconds -- on a photo blog. Particularly if it is one that one visits regularly. You go to see what's new *today.* You might also have 10 or 20 other photo blogs to visit and only a few minutes to do it. You look, think "nice;" go to the next one, think "nice," maybe leave a comment; go to the next one, etc.
So in that respect, I don't see a looking at a particular photo blog and listening to music as being related activities.
It's sad in a way. I'd love to think that you all pause for five minutes to ponder the wonderous gloriousness of the perfection of each new photo I put on my photo blog, but I know that's not the case. You look. You think "nice" or "whatever" or "sooooo derivative!" (etc.) and then you move on within 10 seconds.
Such is the nature of photography on the web. So much to look at. So little time.
November 22nd, 2004 at 2:37 pm
> ...and then you move on within 10 seconds.
> Such is the nature of photography on the web.
> So much to look at. So little time.
that rings true on one level, but as an aside: in terms of audiences and photoblogs (vs photos in books, or in museums and galleries), i'm not sure that value comes in how long a viewer is looking at a photo post in one sitting, but perhaps more in if the photo's editorial voice is meaningful enough, or if the photography itself was visually impactful enough to connect with the viewer and entice them to come back again and again...
November 22nd, 2004 at 3:00 pm
"i've got a secret. if you play stevie wonder's 'talking book' and start viewing fiftymillimeter from the very first post, it synchs up perfectly."
ian, i've done that with my site. seriously. weird.
i'd say no to music but i love the ambient sounds from the moment of shooting idea. i've been meaning for a long time to get a minidisc recorder and a nice mic, and leave it recording all the time while on walkabouts. if it had time stamping capabilities it would work really well. so much more work though.
November 22nd, 2004 at 5:00 pm
"Many digital cameras can capture sound as well, why not record the scene where the image is?"
Miles, what you say there is pretty interesting. In the 80's, when the first pocket tape walkman appeared, some sound specialists guided by a philosopher named Abraham Mols predicted that, thanks to these pocket devices, we'll be able to record audio samples of places or times just like we take photographs, and listen to them a bit like we look at pictures...
Not so much people followed his opinions...
November 22nd, 2004 at 5:37 pm
The only audio I have provided with my images are for my "Australian Birdsongs" pages...natural sounds to accompany the image of the birds and their description.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/punkclown/Punkclown/DifferentSongs.htm
Even then they don't start playing automatically, I would say that having someone else's taste in music foisted on me without any control over it whilst surfing the web is a turn off for me. Having said that I shall now go and investigate infrangable...
:-)>
November 22nd, 2004 at 5:45 pm
i don't think that this was a literal question, ie music loading when you view, but more of a what kind of music goes with your work question.
to that end, the soundtrack to pee wee's great adventure would be my choice. it's the soundtrack for my life.
November 22nd, 2004 at 6:15 pm
I have been told that my band is a useful tool while creating? I would be happy to work with any photographer. I have a band web page and a new web page with some new mp3's will be up soon. http://www.ifthousands.com
November 22nd, 2004 at 11:27 pm
my soundtrack is autechre
November 23rd, 2004 at 2:51 am
"my soundtrack is autechre"
old autechre (cool) or new autechre (not so cool) ?
November 23rd, 2004 at 7:25 am
My soundtrack is "Music-to-Read-Dead-French-Post-Structuralists-By".
But seriously (I finished that class already), I've often thought about ditching the music, but more people seem to like it than not. It's force of habit at this point...
November 23rd, 2004 at 10:10 am
You might have seen my note about your comments.
I was not talking about adding music to my webpage.
I think some slow jazz, like some of the songs from Pat Methenys album: Beyond the Missouri sky, would be great.
And I think blork has a good point about people only visiting a photoblog for 5-10 seconds. I do that myself.
That almost makes me sad.
Are we missing the point with photography.
A painter I talked to always said to the people who watched his work: "Look at each painting for a minute or two, or else you wont understand the meaning with it."
Smart words. Think they also count for photography.
November 23rd, 2004 at 4:51 pm
Sorry Kjetil, I misunderstood. It would depend on my mood and what type of images I were viewing.
My soundtrack would probably be Brian Eno "Music for Films" or perhaps any of Mannheim Steamroller's "Fresh Aire" series when in a relaxed, contemplative mood...
Nine Inch Nails, Tool or King Krimson when in a more 'hyped-up' state.
:-)>
November 24th, 2004 at 2:45 pm
Charles Mingus! On the production side, in high school I'd usually draw or paint to Mingus, and listen to Talking Heads in the darkroom. Now I listen to street noise when I'm out and whatever random MP3s come up when I'm on the computer. For looking at my pictures (the city pictures at least) I'd say some flavour of 40s-50s bop, but then I think that's best for looking at anything.