Ukulele

rainbowrainbow Registered Users Posts: 2,765 Major grins
edited October 22, 2009 in Other Cool Shots
659343888_AdhxN-XL.jpg

5D, 70-200 f/4 IS, 200mm, 1/250, ISO 800

Comments

  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,955 moderator
    edited October 22, 2009
    There's nothing really wrong with this shot, but I can't say that it does much for me either. ne_nau.gif What caught your eye here?
    My Pics
  • rainbowrainbow Registered Users Posts: 2,765 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2009
    Richard wrote:
    There's nothing really wrong with this shot, but I can't say that it does much for me either. ne_nau.gif What caught your eye here?

    By happenstance, rather than interest, I have been able to photograph in a number of outdoor music venues. This was at the annual "Aloha Festival" in San Francisco this past summer. So my challenge is to shoot a musician or instrument to capture a flavor of the instrument, musician, or an interesting angle for the picture.

    Here the ukulele, extremely popular in Hawaii, is a tiny instrument usually played by large people (Iz, maybe the best known singer, ukulele player, was over 500 pounds and dwarfed the ukulele, which ran counter to his angelic voice and tinkles of the strings).

    So, I liked the positions of the hands on the four strings, the koa wood bracelet with the tattoo, and the pleasing colors complementary colors of the two aloha shirts to capture the spirit of the ukulele.

    Thanks for looking and commenting and inquiring instead of letting this photo pass quietly into the good night...
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,955 moderator
    edited October 22, 2009
    rainbow wrote:
    By happenstance, rather than interest, I have been able to photograph in a number of outdoor music venues. This was at the annual "Aloha Festival" in San Francisco this past summer. So my challenge is to shoot a musician or instrument to capture a flavor of the instrument, musician, or an interesting angle for the picture.

    Here the ukulele, extremely popular in Hawaii, is a tiny instrument usually played by large people (Iz, maybe the best known singer, ukulele player, was over 500 pounds and dwarfed the ukulele, which ran counter to his angelic voice and tinkles of the strings).

    So, I liked the positions of the hands on the four strings, the koa wood bracelet with the tattoo, and the pleasing colors complementary colors of the two aloha shirts to capture the spirit of the ukulele.

    Thanks for looking and commenting and inquiring instead of letting this photo pass quietly into the good night...

    Ok, cool. I play acoustic guitar and I actually did spend some time looking at the details. For one thing, I didn't know that ukes came in cutaway forms. I could also tell from the look of the wood and finishing that it was a good quality instrument. But I think most people would have been more interested in a somewhat wider view that showed more of the musician. Just a guess...
    My Pics
  • rainbowrainbow Registered Users Posts: 2,765 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2009
    Richard wrote:
    Ok, cool. I play acoustic guitar and I actually did spend some time looking at the details. For one thing, I didn't know that ukes came in cutaway forms. I could also tell from the look of the wood and finishing that it was a good quality instrument. But I think most people would have been more interested in a somewhat wider view that showed more of the musician. Just a guess...

    Thanks! And every photo we take and post cries out for the one that we did not take... :cry

    I did have some wider views as you described, but they captured the musician, and not the instrument. This is certainly a very narrow topic photo. And, just like guitars, there is a whole culture built around different ukuleles beyond the $8 "toy" ones that you can find in the flea markets.
  • Wil DavisWil Davis Registered Users Posts: 1,692 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2009
    For me there's just way too much in the picture.

    Is it about the instrument? The musician's hands?

    The background is too distracting…

    I think I'd have concentrated on just the hands or the hand on the neck of the instrument.

    Where is the centre of interest?

    Taken as a whole there's just too much to look at…

    Closer examination reveals the ukulele to be well used (wear on body near the sound hole) also it shows the instrument to be well-made (take a look at the purfling, trim, and machine-heads)…

    I think the patterned background and the patterned shirt work against you here.

    ne_nau.gif

    - Wil
    "…………………" - Marcel Marceau
  • rainbowrainbow Registered Users Posts: 2,765 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2009
    Thanks for the feedback. I held up paper to "crop" out first the right half, so I could see it with just the right hand with a blue shirt, then I held it over the left side to see just the left hand and red shirt. In both cases, the "center of interest" became easier to discern, but then again, it became a completely different photo. I can see why the contrasting shirt colors can be a distraction to you. I actually view them as complementary colors that go hand in hand with these ukulele players.
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2009
    Hey rainbow,

    This is a tough photo citing the issues the others and yourself have mentioned.

    I took the liberty (I'll immediately pull it down if you say) to crop a little differently for your viewing. This unconventional crop isolates the instrument being played better, but may not show the instrument itself enough.

    689501122_3RHXJ-L.jpg
    Randy
  • rainbowrainbow Registered Users Posts: 2,765 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2009
    rwells wrote:
    Hey rainbow,

    This is a tough photo citing the issues the others and yourself have mentioned.

    I took the liberty (I'll immediately pull it down if you say) to crop a little differently for your viewing. This unconventional crop isolates the instrument being played better, but may not show the instrument itself enough.

    Thanks for the effort. I have the same thoughts as you on the crop. In yours, my focus is now on the neck of the instrument. If I were to reshoot, I probably would have had a slightly wider view with a greater option to crop to where I or you ended up. But I think just including the part of the head and bridge as I did probably captured what I was after well enough for me.

    Thanks for looking and commenting (and notice, out of respect for you I did not take this as a bokeh shot with my 135 L...mwink.gif )
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2009
    rainbow wrote:
    Thanks for the effort. I have the same thoughts as you on the crop. In yours, my focus is now on the neck of the instrument. If I were to reshoot, I probably would have had a slightly wider view with a greater option to crop to where I or you ended up. But I think just including the part of the head and bridge as I did probably captured what I was after well enough for me.

    Thanks for looking and commenting (and notice, out of respect for you I did not take this as a bokeh shot with my 135 L...mwink.gif )


    :lol4

    Thanks man, now that I'm sending the 85 1.2L back, I'm vulnerable again!
    Randy
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