This is the nineteenth collaboration between Richard from CK Ponderings and I. It was Richard’s turn to set the theme. Hope you like the results…
Richard Cooper-Knight:
Dreaming: Liberation
Dreaming: Liberation
As Richard and I progress with these collaborations, ideas for the photos seem to become more and more of a challenge. This one was no exception, and, as I chose the theme, it’s all my fault! In the end, inspiration came from a variety of sources: Richard’s effort in the last collaboration, a second shot I have seen in somebody else’s blog recently (apologies, dear blogger, but I cannot remember which site it was on!), and a memory of the cover for a Pet Shop Boys single from the 90s.
It took a while to set up – light backgrounds are not forthcoming Chez CKPonderings, and work means I am still driving to and from the office in darkness – but after several attempts, I’m fairly pleased with the result (although, as always, I am sure I could have done better)!
Richard Guest:
The Dreaming, 2013
The Dreaming
As Richard says, he set a stinker this time and I wasted many hours attempting to stage a photograph that involved myself, a bed, a flash of light and (lots of) birds in flight – it was supposed to be a light-hearted take on the idea of visualising dreams, a joke, a throwaway. But the birds just would not fly the way I wanted them to. And I couldn’t get myself in a convincing position in the bed. So, with very little time left, I went for a walk to clear my head and there in the street, as I have done with many others, I found my shot.
The Dreaming is an album by Kate Bush. It was released in 1982.
Here are some of my favourite tracks from the album: There Goes A Tenner, Sat In Your Lap and the title track, (which has to be seen to be believed) all with official videos, courtesy Youtube.
Interesting, I like it! Great job, guys!
Thanks very much, Arjun! I love Richard’s shot.
Yup. The blur is quite innovative. Cheers!
Thanks Arjun! 😀
Nice image! And nice take on the theme too, Richard! (And you managed to get a bit of Kate Bush in there too, which is always a good thing!) 😀
Thanks, Richard! Love your image – very intriguing when twinned with the title – are you going to expand on it? Also, again think the two work really well together! Yes, Kate Bush is essential at this time of year. 🙂
The title is linked to music as well – the Pet Shop Boys’ single ‘Liberation’ had a similar-feeling cover (although this feels more like ‘Yesterday, When I Was Mad’…)
Love Kate and the images.
Thanks! 🙂
Thanks, Elena. Yes, I listen to Kate almost every day during Winter – I’m a big fan of her early work. I like the later stuff too, but the first five albums are incredibly innovative despite not using that much technology.
This may be one of my favorite of your collaborations. There is something deeply stirring (in an unsettling way–which I very much like) about both of the images. Very successful blur, blending with the background, in the first image; superb tones in the second. I LOVE those jagged edges and lines in the second shot. Both of these photographs are fantastic interpretations of the theme. (Big fan of Kate 🙂 )
Thanks very much, Melanie. Really glad you like it – I think the two images work together really well together in this one (they could almost be a diptych) – because they’re both kind of denying the viewer something. (Yes! Winter belongs to Kate 🙂 )
Thanks, Melanie! I am glad that you like the images! 😀
I can’t wait to see how this all unfolds. Love both images.
Thanks so much! Yes, I wonder where we’ll go next…
I dread to think,,, It’s your theme! 😀
🙂
Thank you! 😀
These are both great shots, and I love the theme! Very nice job. The staging anecdote made me laugh!
Thanks very much, Jennifer! Yes, that may be my last attempt at staging 🙂
Thank you, Jennifer. 🙂
Again – incredible images from both of you. Great interpretations of the dreaming.
RC-K: I love your image so much. It is gallery worthy. Needs to be seen by many people. Looks like something that would be used in a public marketing campaign for awareness or something. All dreams are nightmares – not all nightmares are bad.
RG: Your shot is a great abstract!!!!! THE DREAMING is my favorite KB album. And in many ways your image really captures the infinite variety of Kate’s voice – from the jagged glass shard-like sound to the smooth and wispy curves. Both styles that zig zag throughout the songs.
Again great work to both of you.
Not sure if you take collaboration idea submissions but would love to see what you guys do with the idea of “mental” or “mentalist”. 🙂
Thanks very much, Terry! That’s really nice to hear. I’m definitely up for suggestions – thinking of the theme is often as hard as executing it 🙂
Wow! Thanks, Terry! That’s much appreciated! With a couple of exhibitions in the pipeline, I’ll keep that in mind! 😀
Too bad you didn’t get the shot you were after, Richard. Sounds interesting…
These are both great, though! I find it fascinating how you each interpret things.
Together they make me think of – splinters of the mind.
I love Kate, too!
Hooray! Another Kate fan! Hmm, all traces of the original shot were erased in a Stalinist purge last night. Thanks very much, Karen!
Thanks, Karen! 🙂
ciao! i selected your luvFAB blog for the BLOG OF THE YEAR AWARD 2012!
check it out: http://thebestdressup.wordpress.com
Thank you so much! That’s very nice of you! I will, of course, spread the love in due course!
Nice contrast between your two images – soft and fluid to static and jagged. The peeling ply caught my eye!
Thanks very much, Philippa! I like what I think is negation in both images. They deny the viewer something…or something 🙂
Tantalising x2! another theme?
Thanks, Philippa! 😀
[…] thanks for Richard for being an excellent collaborator (our latest pairing can be viewed here) and to Mark for some truly inspiring […]
Great shots as usual. Love RCK’s shot, very sci-fi/horror. In fact it reminds me of a little of a scene from the film Jacob’s Ladder. Love the shapes and shards in your image Richard – a great abstraction. My girlfriend is a big Kate Bush fan, though I don’t think she’s too bothered about the recent album (50 Words for Snow).
Thanks, Stevie. Funnily enough I was listening to 50 Words for Snow today – it’s definitely a grower – quite abstracted in a way and definitely not pop. What I don’t like about it is the cover – but album art’s not what it used to be…grumble grumble…it used to be all fields round here and now look at it…etc.
I like both images, the thing I find what interesting is how you both interpret the themes in very different ways.
Yes, I love that – but I think the images hang well together even so. Thanks very much, Leanne!