Paul was making his Cigar Box sound as though Muddy Waters was in the room when I took this shot. I smiled as I watched him demonstrate with Fleur picking away quietly with rhythm harmonies in the background. It's amazing how a solo instrument comes to life when it has some accompaniment!
I have also noted that a third of my subjects thus far are wearing sunglasses. Realistically in our climate it's a wonder that there haven't been more, besides, it's a fact that one can't play blues with any conviction if one isn't wearing shades.
Some would argue that one's eyes are the windows to one's soul, and are therefore the most important part of a portrait. I beg to differ. I think it's nice to guess what lies beyond occasionally, a bit like taking pictures of people with their clothes on really.
Thorley Guitars
As for the composition, well it's why I struggled with Fleur yesterday, I didn't want them to be too similar, probably a pointless struggle in the scheme of things!
5 comments:
Okay okay ... let us not venture into the naked portrait arena. Pulease ...
See I find this one so different from yesterday. This is front on; yesterday side. This has quite a busy background that is a bit hard to crop away whereas yesterday's was easier. It is nice that he is concentrating on his music and paying scant attention to you.
In both cases, you removed the cigar box! Bit argumentative this morning aren't I. Shall go and have a large mocha and try to kool it a smidge.
Forgot to say: I like your Stranger photos from Flickr on your CDPB and want to do the same. That okay?
I find Fleur more engaging, this one leaves me a bit cold, probably because the concentration gives him quite a severe look.
Forgot to say: I like your Stranger photos from Flickr on your CDPB and want to do the same. That okay?
Of course it is! I was going to suggest it once I had the bugs worked out! I actually have a whole dummy strangers blog, but Blogger have banned me from it at the moment. They think it's spam!
Now back to Paul. I wanted to take more of a profile (moving camera left and down a bit). That would have got rid of that annoying green blob over his shoulder and reduced some of the background distraction further, but I was also trying to get a different angle to yesterdays!
The cigar box is a victim of my obsession with my own "landscape" constraint I'm afraid! I keep asking myself "is it important to the story?" I think there's enough detail in the three strings and rustic fittings for an enthusiast to understand what's going on, and for most does it matter?
Yes, maybe if you had gone down a bit more, the background would have been all umbrella which may have had a nice effect. At least this guy was occupied and not just holding a pose for you.
I think you are right about the cigar box being not totally necessary. We need to know what he is concentrating on and the neck shows that very nicely.
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