table-top / commercial / architecture Clarinet

Part of a project for the local symphony, it invoved photographing

abstract graphic elements of musical instruments to be used in

programs and promotional materials. Your thoughts and comments

concerning either aesthetic or technical qualities of this image are

greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for taking the time to

comment.

smacks of pete turner images

Balanced - good clour blend good shot

this made me think of something..pretty simple..that is already thought about..but made me think about it...differently i guess.. that is...lines seem perfect in this... colors are strong... the truth is i hate it a lot. ...but!!! some how i could see..that in others eyes it might be amazing.. hmmm i haven't been so polar about a photograph ive seen on here... i realized...at least this time i rate...objectively... not... completely subjectively...

Not really sure what I'm looking at, but I like it.

Simple and beautiful. Background really helps bring it to life.

I love it. I've always been attracted to the graphics/abstract side of photography. The image is exciting.. Great use of light/shadow and curves and lines. Love the placement in the lower portion of the frame. Nice Shot!

This one does not do it for me. I have looked at it trying to be inspired. I cannot find anything. Yes, it is a nice closeup of a known object, and if we played "guess what this is" we might go a few rounds, but it is not grabbing me. Perhaps we needed a week off from inspiring pieces. The composition is nice, and the lighting is nice, and the clarity is nice. So in all, it is "nice" but not inspiring. You could place this on the top, middle, sideways, diagonally, or even use infra red. still uninspiring.

Still life rarely captures my attention. This one is very interesting. Picks up on a mundane detail and plays with form, light and colour to bring about an interesting visual theme. The simplicity and lack of obviousness of the subject is an attention-grabber. Very good for the intended purpose, as stated in the photographer's comment.

This still is so abstract it holds the viewer's eye. If not for the title I'd still be figuring it out. The lighting is also well done

Its a nice image, which is also commercially viable. (lots of room at the top of the image for text / company logo et).

 

I feel it doesn't quite make a 7&7 - it gets a 6&6 from me.

In my opinion this shot is a bit 'dull'. Getting rid of this contrasting blue color would also approve the shot. Maybe next shot a diagonal black&white which reveals just a little more of the Clarinet, without revealing too much??

Beautiful but too much blank space at top?

When I first gazed upon this photograph today. I was impressed by the unique lighting and thought it beautifully accentuated the forms of the still life.....but what I thought I was looking at was a table with various pieces of fruit placed upon it! Not untill looking up and seeing the title did I clue in. Now as for a picture of a clarinet, I think it is quite good as well. This is a unique way to shoot an instrument but just as a photographer shoots a model laying down on her side to accentuate the hourglass shape of the female body, you've captured the sensual shapes of the instrument.

 

Good Work!

I disagree with the comments about too much space at the top. With the clarinet being so dark and weighty, you need all that blue at the top to balance it out. If the blue was a lighter shade you wouldn't but since it is a pretty dark shade, you need more of it in order to create that balance in the photo.

I like the tones, though I long for some stronger highlights upon the silhouette. It also looks like the spherical object has multiple sources of light...it looks almost "marbled."

Some of the ratings this photo has gotten before POW are peculiar. It's taken a number of low hits it doesn't deserve. Some people simply do not understand the criteria

Additionally, some of the ridiculous low hits are from those with 0 uploads. I'll never understand how PN allows this

It's good to see one of yours featured as a POW. It only took a

few hours to get at the most common issues surrounding this

kind of image . . . . "doesn't grab me", "too much dead space",

"do/ do not know what it is", etc.. I hope people will come back

and visit this page later in the week, but then maybe that's

because I have a vested interest in promoting this style of

photography. It's a lot of fun, and in this case, actually has value

to a client, so it's good by definition. :-)

It gives me a feeling of lonelyness...a 'cold', alien landscape. I am not sure if that is what you were going for.

 

I suppose we could debate whether such a feeling would 'promote' the work of (attendance to) a Symphony orchestra but, that would require a degree in Psychology and a long study/debate to follow :-)

 

While the image is well executed I find myself longing for something more to make it feel 'complete'. In other words, even the most abstract object suggests something to us, the viewers. That's unavoidable since we 'want to' make sense of what we see (and hear) instinctively. in my case, this reminds me of a landscape of sort. Could be an earthly or outer space but, regardless, because of what it reminds me I would automatically look for a "Moon" or "Sun" a spark of sorts, something to focus on. Even if it were a more localized spotlight somewhere on the object to give it a 'focal point'.

 

Right now, my eyes wonder left to right increasing the sensation of being 'lost' in a cold space.

 

As far as the question of framing I think it works but, I would center it more L to R and subdue the light on the element (a plate?)on the body of the instrument on the lower right hand corner. I find that outline distracting right now.

The position of the clarinet in the lower part of the frame creates a very cool surreal landscape. I know that a very good studio setup could produce this image. How much photoshop alteration went into this image? I will have to check out your other images. Thank-you.

I agree - I had no idea what the object is without reading the title. But that's irrelevant, it's a GREAT picture - and placed in proper context (a brochure for a symphony?) it would be much easier to identify. I'd rather talk about the fine eye of the photographer and the overall pleasing picture. Yes, Turner-ish - also reminds me of the "bodyscape" pix that were so popular for a few minutes - the female body as a landscape. Well done - well planned, well shot.

the question is: Is the lower part of the frame the best placement for this clarinet ?. If your goal is to show a clarinet, the answer is no, for here, only those who knows well music instruments can recognise a clarinet. But as the author says himself, his purpose was to photograph abstract graphic elements of musical instruments, and in that case the placement on the lower part of the frame is perfect : one cannot (or with difficulty) recognise the instrument.

The shot is well executed for me, just one point that bothers a bit is that the clarinet axis is not straight, is falling quiet a bit to the right, but I'm a bit obsessive about those things, for others might be ok.

 

As for the composition, might be a bit too much negative space, but as Scott states, this is intended to be used in promotions for the orchestra, and in that way I think is a terrific image. In the upper space should be included this season's concerts schedule or any other relevant information or whatever, so there's not so much negative space after all.

 

At the end of the day, great idea and great execution.

The photographer stated what he wanted to achieve and he fully succeeded and more.

 

Not only is this a perfect abstract with clear cut composition and rendition (although the original MUST be have more snap than the JPEG shown) that can stand on it's own, but it's also a perfect background to place text on the top part for a programm or flyer. For this the pic would also work rotated 90°. In that sense and for that purpose (to answer the elves question 'Is the lower part of the frame the best placement for this clarinet?') the placement of the clarinet is perfect.