Tag: piano

A Photo a Week Challenge: Anything

I like open topics, because it gives everyone a chance to be creative. I recently purchased a Lensball (an upgrade from the small crystal ball I bought from Amazon), and I had fun playing around with it. I need a bit more practice getting truly sharp images in it, but I’m happy with how this one turned out.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) OF YOUR CHOOSING.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.
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Thankful November 9th: Music

  • Papa’s hands
  • Piano keys
    Keys
  • Inside a grand piano
    Inside
  • Steinway & Sons
    Steinway & Sons
  • K Harmer playing Grieg
    Concerto night
  • The Master Class
  • Finish with a florish

There has never been a time in my life that hasn’t included music. I grew up in a family of seven (including parents), and all of us played at least two instruments (including parents). My dad’s mother was a piano teacher. She taught me for 11 years, and she was my biggest supporter when I chose to study music in college. I play the piano, and violin. In college, I studied singing and choral conducting. I started teaching piano when I was 18, and I currently have 15 students who do two to three recitals a year. I met my husband because I was the music director for a show at a local community theater. The show we were doing was written by a friend who asked my younger sister and me to arrange the music. I have written a little original music, but I mostly do choir arrangements (makes sense, see previously mentioned college path). I love music. I don’t know what life would be like without music infusing pretty much every aspect of it.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Orange

orange_nmp

Orange is a really fun color to photograph. There are many things in nature that are orange: pumpkins, oranges, flowers. This little fellow really, really wanted to join his big brothers playing at the Christmas piano recital. Even though he was a little young to take lessons, he came all ready in his dapper orange sweater. He was also thrilled to get a chance at the 9′ concert Steinway grand piano after the formal recital was over.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE PHOTOS THAT FEATURE THE COLOR ORANGE.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Music

I couldn’t resist Cee’s challenge this week. I have been involved in music longer than anything outside of my family.

From a recital at my sister’s house. The performer is Larry Green, a professor of music at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

cee_bw_music4_nmp

Next, a black and white version of my piano student at her high school concerto night.

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This one is of a very good friend, Kelly DeHaan, who is the resident music director for Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley City, Utah. He was conducting a master class about picking the right audition song. In this picture, he is accompanying one of the singers he invited to perform for the class.

cee_bw_music3_nmp

And finally, my nephew and his new wife (now my niece!) dancing the Macarena at their wedding reception with many of their family and friends joining in.

cee_bw_music_nmp

For more from this challenge, visit Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Music.

Selected as a Featured Post on Cee’s next challenge, Bathrooms and Outhouses. Thanks, Cee!

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A Photo a Week Challenge: Music

Jed Moss playing the piano

In most countries, culture is infused with music. It is part of history as well as current events. Like other art forms, music not only tells the story of an era, but also helps to shape it. During times of war and conflict, popular music becomes more nationalistic and patriotic. During the Great Depression, popular music not only lifted people up, but also spoke of the struggles of many. When a place is experiencing peace and prosperity, popular music is usually more bubbly and lively. One thing that popular music has always done is shock the older generations. My parents didn’t like our music. Their parents didn’t like their music. And on back throughout the centuries. Johann Sebastian Bach (ah, Bach) was an underpaid, little-recognized chapel meister in Lipzig, Germany for the majority of his professional career. His music wasn’t “discovered” until Felix Mendelssohn conducted a performance of it in 1829 (it was the first performance since Bach’s death in 1750).

I was raised on classical, jazz, and big band, though we all loved the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel (much to the dismay of my parents).  This picture is of local musician Jed Moss, who is an amazing pianist, all-around artist, and just the nicest guy you could possibly hope to meet. I took this picture of a performance he gave of an incredibly difficult piece (look at all of those notes on that music — shesh!) at my nephew’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor.

So what’s your favorite music?

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT INCLUDES MUSIC IN SOME FORM OR OTHER.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Photo bomb

I took my new camera to the piano recital last week so I could play around with it a bit and hopefully get some fun and great pictures. This is one of my favorites. The cutie in the back (and in focus) is the owner of the hands in my Steinway post. Just as I snapped this picture, her younger sister (also one of my students) decided she wanted in on the action. It’s one of the best photo bombs I’ve had the privilege to take.

Photo bomb

Steinway (and a new camera)

Steinway & SonsMy piano students had a recital last night. I love hearing them play, even if they don’t have a wonderful performance. I love that most of them enjoy performing.

I also just picked up the Nikon D610. Currently, Photoshop doesn’t support the RAW NEF files that this camera produces, so beware! But iPhoto does, and so does Aperture (which I’m purchasing today). I’ll let you know how it all turns out.