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Archive 2022 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

viablex1
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

Does anyone have any good examples. The instruments include a cello, violin and viola. I am thinking of using the nikon 105 F1.4 for closeups and just looking for ideas no flashes or lighting since it will be distracting etc. There are 4 subjects.

Jun 11, 2022 at 03:59 PM

JohnSil
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

No, no examples. I have only a few with guitars.
I’d look on IG or Pinterest for large scale ideas/story boards.
But how can lighting possibly detract in any way unless it’s poorly done.

Edit: OK got it. Distract the musicians. So you're not posing these? They are already playing like an actual gig like a wedding or something and you're just gonna shoot the group? Is that right? Or are you posing them?

Edited on Jun 11, 2022 at 07:37 PM · View previous versions

Jun 11, 2022 at 07:08 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

Are these portraits or are they live performance images of people playing those instruments? If you're not going to be lighting the shots then you're going to have to either put them in the best part of the room for themselves and their instruments and learn to recognize when the available light is suitable. If you just have to shoot them where they happen to be and can't direct them, then no amount of looking at other photos is going to help. You'll just get what you get.

I've shot just about every sort of musician both in photo studios, recording studios and on live stages indoors and out. Sometimes I light. Sometimes I use what's there. Hell, even once I Superclamped Balcar flash heads in the rafters at Gruene Hall in San Marcos, Tx. to shoot live photos of Robert Keen. None of that flashing bothered him, his band or the audience, well, except the drunken cowboys tripping over anything to get to the head.

You do whatever it takes to get the shot YOU want to make. Musicians are surprisingly resilient when it comes to being lit while being photographed. I've made a forty year career of that.

Jun 12, 2022 at 05:01 AM

story_teller
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

You can also use Google. Just enter "image cello portrait", etc. and you'll get a ton of examples.

Jun 12, 2022 at 08:08 AM

Danpbphoto
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

viablex1 wrote:
Does anyone have any good examples. The instruments include a cello, violin and viola. I am thinking of using the nikon 105 F1.4 for closeups and just looking for ideas no flashes or lighting since it will be distracting etc. There are 4 subjects.
Might suggest you shoot off a "PM" to member Strad( he owns and plays an original Stradavarius violin...he is a professional violinist and takes images of musicians with classical instruments.
Good luck!
Dan

Jun 12, 2022 at 09:27 AM

John Caldwell
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

Often I shoot talents when they are in my studio for recording sessions, usually as a courtesy to the talent. These are not particularly good, heavy post work and such, and with available light at 85mm. Given the time, I'd do a range of perspectives, some, loose, some very close detail-oriented shots, and arrange them as collage. This may not be what you need though.

Jun 12, 2022 at 12:34 PM

viablex1
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

Thanks 👍 gives some great ideas I am going to try to photograph them with some lighting. I did some shots yesterday with the Fuji 50mm F1 and the 105 F1.4 about right

Jun 13, 2022 at 08:15 AM

mbphoto_2.8
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

is it a staged photo session or a concert documentation?
If you're staging the whole thing, I would definitely make sure that you have enough light available for high quality images.
could also try to emulate "concert lighting" with multiple bare strobes firing through grids and down at the subjects.

If this is a concert setting, you obviously need to work with available light.

Jun 13, 2022 at 08:47 AM

Danpbphoto
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

see here also..Ron is also great!
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1647273/0?keyword=Strad#15233237
Dan

Photo by "friscoron"

Jun 13, 2022 at 09:58 AM

John Caldwell
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

mbphoto_2.8 wrote:
is it a staged photo session or a concert documentation...If this is a concert setting, you obviously need to work with available light.

Critical point.

Jun 15, 2022 at 10:02 AM

Oscarsmadness
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Question about portraits with classical instruments

Danpbphoto wrote:
Might suggest you shoot off a "PM" to member Strad( he owns and plays an original Stradavarius violin...he is a professional violinist and takes images of musicians with classical instruments.
Good luck!
Dan

Do this ^

Jun 16, 2022 at 10:08 AM


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