My beloved stand partner brings his joy to the music. (Please view larger)

We musicians of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra have been locked

out of our concert hall since Sept. 7. Embroiled in an unreasonable

labor dispute and not appreciated by the Board that purports to

support us, I have decided to pay tribute to my extraordinary friends

and colleagues through pictures. I respect the dignified way they have

conducted themselves. They've held their heads high, kept a positive

attitude, and continued to bring music to our city through

self-produced concerts. In addition, they play outside in front of our

concert hall, rain or shine, as a symbolic gesture that refuses to

'let the music die'.

Christal,

This is a very good portrait and I like it a lot.  The left side of the photo is a bit distracting and I think you should try to crop just a few inches from his right elbow.  Just my humble opinion.  And, I really do like this image.  Hope you and your colleagues can resolve your labor dispute soon, so Indianapolis will soon hear beautiful music. 

Thanks for this excellent suggestion. I changed it out to accommodate your idea.  I actually thought about it when I edited it, but I thought it would encroach on him too much.....or cut off the top of the bow.  It didn't work with a 4x6 or 8x10 crop, but when I used a 5x7 size it worked.  I have to admit that this is the only picture in my portfolio I didn't take.  I was actually playing with him (to his left), so my husband took this.  Unfortunately, I wasn't in a good position for the camera because the music stand was obscuring me.  I'm amazed at how hard it is to get a good picture of a violinist!  Side note:  We just ratified a contract.....a lousy one.....but hey, some work is better than no work.  :-)  Don't get me started on the value of the Arts!  :-)  Thanks again for your help!