Passenger Jones on YouTube

I've never been to a psychiatrist (shame on you to the person who just thought "Well, that explains a lot"). Like everyone else, I've needed some psychological help here and there, and like most of us, I've found that help from some place other than a trained professional.

In most cases, the help we need can be found without a psychiatrist, just as most of our physical aches and pains will heal up without the need of a surgeon. This less drastic level of help might come in the form of talking out your problems with your spouse, with a trusted friend, with your clergy, in prayers, through meditation, or some other method that lets you see yourself and your feelings in a clearer light. Writing to this blog is one way that I understand myself a little better.

Over the weekend I created a slideshow/video that I had been thinking about for some time. I wanted to combine images of paintings done by Vincent Van Gogh with the song "Float Slowly" by Passenger Jones. Doing one of these slideshows to music is nothing new as I have done them with photos from the Saints Training Camp, Millsaps sports, Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, and concert photos I've taken of performers like Charlie Mars, Cary Hudson, the Taylor Grocery Band, Owen Beverly, and others. The only difference here is that this slideshow is the first I've done without using my photos.

I ended up being pleased with the results and I hope Taylor Hildebrand and the other guys in Passenger Jones are equally pleased. I didn't ask before posting the slideshow because of something a friend in the Taylor Grocery Band told me a couple of years ago. He said that bands who have made it big worry about copyright infringements because it potentially takes money out of their pockets. For everyone else, things on YouTube are great because it gives them greater exposure which is needed if you want to become big enough to worry about money being taken out of your pocket.

That explanation sounds good, and in general I think it is sound reasoning. However, when I was thinking about this blog post, I had to think a little deeper on the subject and there's another reason I create and post without asking--I don't want people telling me how to do something. I've read a series of letters written between my parents during my childhood summers when Mother was in Belgium and Daddy was back in Jackson. It's amazing how often "Frank" and "stubborn" got combined in a sentence. I thought that was a personality trait I had outgrown. Upon reflection, I think it is a personality trait that is still alive and well when I find something I really care about.

I really care about my photography, and by extension these slideshows. I have a vision and I don't really want to deviate into someone else's vision. I once sent an email to a somewhat well known regional singer asking for permission to use one of his songs in a Saints video. His contact person wrote back giving permission, but also requesting changes like putting the song credit at the start of the slideshow, not at the end. That was a little awkward since the video was already posted to YouTube. I didn't change it and I didn't pull it, and I never heard back from the contact guy.

The end result is that the 10,000+ hits on that video have provided some exposure for the singer. The end result also was that I stopped giving people the opportunity to make suggestions. Maybe that's why I don't want to charge for my photography. As soon as people start paying me for my work, I have to follow their vision instead of my own. Working for free is a great way to insure a large degree of freedom and I guess my stubborn streak makes that freedom worth a lot to me.

I guess I should finally get around to links for the video. If you click here you will get the YouTube video and my hit count will go up. You can also watch the version that is posted to Smugmug unless you are hooked up to a slow internet connection. The quality is much better and it even looks good if you click on the "full screen" icon which is in the bottom right hand corner of the video screen. Here's the link for the Smugmug version.