by Editor Lourens Durand
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 26 of May 2023

'Goodbye My Lover' by Ismail raja sulbar

Classical music is a genre of entertainment that has been around for centuries and has evolved over time, in tune with historical changes in social mores.  If we look closely at its structure, we will see that it has always had several layers of complexity that contribute to its unique beauty and appeal, all of them together evoking emotions, captivating moments of import, and telling stories.

These layers include melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, form, emotions, and expression, each requiring a high level of skill and knowledge, both for the composer and the performer (and the listener).
There is nothing like experiencing the interplay of the different orchestral instruments reflecting a balance of pitches and melodies above a baseline of rhythm and complemented by harmony and drama, building a series of pictures that build up to a crescendo of emotion that tells a story, evoking memories and emotions, whether of happiness, toil or sorrow.

Similarly, good photography uses layers of complexity to evoke emotions and tell powerful stories, capturing moments in time that are memorable and making them stand out from the thousands of other pictures seen daily.

The most basic layer is the technical skill of the photographer in using aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length in an optimal way to get the message across. Complementing this is the photographer’s ability to process the results optimally in post-processing, either in the darkroom or in image editing software.

One of the most important layers after this is composition, the conscious arrangement of elements like lines, shapes, and combinations of tones and colour to create a sense of balance and harmony, whilst adding to the emotional effect.

Also important is that the blend of light and shade, the direction and intensity of the lighting used enhances the mood of the story.

Then there is the setting, the choice of background, the clothing (in the case of portraits), and the props, all of which add to the story.
Finally, there is the story.  All the elements in the photo need to be carefully thought through and planned in advance, anticipating the situation, the overall scene, the lighting, the mood, and even the use of symbolism to enrich the story. All of this requires the EYE – the ability to see the final picture well before pressing the shutter button.

Here is a selection of photographs taken by 1X.com photographers, illustrating the value of visualization, planning, and storytelling in photography, in the same way as classical music masterpieces are built up, primarily in the mind of the composer.

Or, sometimes, the moment just arrives.
But still the story behind it needs to be recognised…

Lourens Durand

'Persian musician girl' by Moein Hasheminasab

'Repairman violin.' by Israel Fichman

'High seas 2' by Adrian Donoghue

'Still life with violin and candle' by Andrey Morozov

'The Greatest Love of All' by Ario Wibisono

'symphony to my best friend' by dete

'Music Lesson MMXV' by Karol Szejko Zeiko

'Sophie' by Chris Bos

'Mysteries of Depth' by Sergey Parishkov

'Through time.' by Silvia Simonato

'Story Of Family Farmer' by A.Madestra. W

'Gift' by Natalia Simongulashvili (NATALIORION)

'What shall we do next?' by Ineke Mighorst

'Maasai Mother and Son' by Yuzheng Ren

'Happy hour' by Adrian Donoghue

n/t by Leila Emektar La_

'The silence of water' by Mohammad Sorkhabi (Sorkhe Abi)

'Red Rose 3' by Sebastian Kisworo

'The Rhythm of Sorrow' by Sebastian Kisworo

'The performer' by Marc Apers

'Long LOVE' by Sarawut Intarob

'Shepherd' by Mustafa Cebecioglu

Гармонист by Viktor Cherkasov

'When you say nothing at all' by Lita Pratikto

Aydın/klasikler by Yavuz Arslan

'Swimming of Memory' by Kenichiro Hagiwara

'Insomnia!' by Ali Khataw