Saturday, November 2, 2013

Musical and Raindrops on Windows (This week's Photo Hunt themes)


Considering how much rain falls on Hong Kong annually, I actually don't have that many rainy day photos in my photo archive. This became pretty clear to me over the course of hunting for appropriate images for Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunts today!

Something else that struck me while thinking about this week's Photo Hunt themes was how many musical numbers and songs I know that reference raindrops and rain.  A few that come to mind: the classic Singing in the Rain and Raindrops Keep on Falling On My Head, Barry Manilow's I Made It Through the Rain, Rhythm of the Falling Rain, and a fairly new favorite -- If You Want the Rainbow, You Must Have the Rain (from the charming Sita Sings the Blue).

Still, try as I might, I couldn't think of a musical work that explicit references on raindrops on windows!  So the only way I can link this week's two Photo Hunt themes are through words rather than images...and to get those checking this blog post out to imagine some kind of music playing when viewing my photos of raindrops on windows -- one of which is pretty conventional looking (and so could work with a conventional pop or classical music number), the other of which is more abstract looking (and I think would work better with a jazzy score)! ;b

14 comments:

Trekcapri said...

Hi YTSL, I'm going to have to check out a couple of those songs you mentioned. Your abstract photo looks very cool. I went with a similar abstract look as well, but your photo looks more like a work of art than mine.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Susan Demeter said...

Lovely pics for the theme. Its amazing how much nature in this case the rain inspires art including music. :) Happy weekend!

YTSL said...

Hi Trekcapri --

Hope you'll enjoy listening to the songs you check out! And thanks much for liking my abstract photo. :)

Hi Sue --

I reckon that nature is inspiring - and not just for artists! ;b

Carver said...

I love your rainy shots and although we had different rain inspired songs, looks like great minds think a lot.

Aiyah Nonya said...

Lovely pictures of the rain.
I went to the musical Singing In the Rain before. Love it and was splashed with 'rain' as I was sitting in the front row. :)

Gattina said...

I think raindrops are difficult to photograph ! Besides that, today I could sing in the rain ! But I didn't !

Bill said...

Hi, Yvonne

It is raining here in Florida as I'm typing this and pausing to look out the window, so my day fits in with the theme of this week's Photo Hunt...My favorite song about rain is the romantic, Here Comes The Rain Again, by Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics(posted on YouTube with printed lyrics).

The top photo makes me wish I were in Hong Kong...The middle photo is one anyone can relate to because it could be a time for self-reflection while riding a bus on a rainy day and staring out the window.

Yes, the bottom photo is an abstract shot that could easily be an abstract painting - but not the furious energy of say, Jackson Pollock, but something softer and dreamlike...This is such an interesting photo because it is open to various metaphorical interpretations...It could be a shot through a rainy windshield of the blurred lights of the city...Or, it could be a view of a pond with all kinds of marine growths. It could be a microscopic close-up of a scene in nature. It could even be a close-up view of a galaxy or nebula...

This photo made my day. Thanks!

Bill

MaR said...

It doesn't rain much where I live so I couldn't find raindrops in my archives...! enjoyed your shots and now I have those rain-related songs in my head...Happy weekend!

Annie said...

I like how you connected the two themes. The abstract jazzy photo is amazing!

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

I've popped by to leave my musical 'note' ... thanks for playing the photohunt.
It does seem that y'all are singing in the rain this weekend.

YTSL said...

Hi Carver --

Yes, indeedy, re (our) great minds... ;b

Hi Aiyah Nonya --

I didn't know there's a real live "Singing in the Rain" musical! I've only ever seen the film with Gene Kelly!

Hi Gattina --

I agree that raindrops are difficult to photograph -- especially when one feels that one has to protect one's camera while taking photos in the rain!

Hi Bill --

Re the top photo: Don't know if you recognized the location -- if you didn't, it's Cheung Chau. :)

Re the bottom photo: if you're wondering, I took it while the Typhoon 8 signal was hoisted. So yeah, we're talking about quite a lot of large rain drops battering my window that night! In any case, I'm glad you like it as much as you do! :)

Hi Marcy --

It rains A LOT here. And even though autumn's supposed to be dry, we've had some rain sprinkles today and yesterday! :O

Hi Annie --

I'm glad you like the way I made the connections between the two themes. Felt I had to stretch more than usual this week to do so! :)

Hi Sandi --

I just thought of another rain-themed song: The Carpenters' "Rainy Days and Mondays"... ;b

alejna said...

I'm very amused by the combination of these themes you have going, because for several years I have been trying to work up a version of "My favorite things" with things that I like to photograph. My first item was going to be "raindrops on windshields." Actually, here is what I found as a draft of the first verse:
"Raindrops on windshields and peeled paint on dumpsters
Bright copper drainpipes and old rusty hydrants
ripples in puddles that spread out in rings
These are a few of my favorite things."

And as for a song that combines rain and windows, there is "I can't stand the rain." I know it from the movie "The Commitments" (or possibly just from the sound track, since there are songs on the soundtrack that didn't make it into the movie). The song starts out "I can't stand the rain against my window."

I love your raindrops photos, in any case! And I love the list of rain songs, too! (It's right up my theme-loving alley.)

Bing said...

as i have mentioned in Carver's blog, while others listen to the raindrops in sorrow, i hear them as music to my ears.

i love blues but i haven't listened to something about the rain. :D

YTSL said...

Hi Alejna --

Thanks for liking my photos and list of rain songs! More than BTW, you inspired me to Google "I Can't Stand the Rain" and was surprised to see it having been sung by a bunch of people, including Tina Turner! ;O

Hi Bing --

Are you the kind of person who goes out singing in the rain then? ;b