Slim Clavier
Dec, 2015Views
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Awards
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Fall Award 2020
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken at "Coeurdevillage Bistro Culturel", one of my favorite haunts that regularly hosts exhibitions and concerts in a rural setting adjacent to Montreal.Time
I took this picture during one of the regular Thursday night live concerts before a full audience.Lighting
The available light consisted of alternating color stage lights, constantly shifting from red to blue, green, and white. Proper timing was essential.Equipment
I used a small handheld Nikon D-7100 with a zoom lens. More importantly, I borrowed a chair to climb onto the piano.Inspiration
I had been producing images of the live shows for promotional purposes at the Bistro for quite some time. This time I wanted to isolate the pianist, Slim Dubois, from the audience and background clutter. I thought a direct overhead shot would achieve this while providing an interesting graphic appeal.Editing
Using Photoshop and OnOne for post-processing, I extended the keyboard to enhance overall composition and darkened the floor. Next, I reduced detail and definition by down-sizing the image and re-enlarging it again before adding the poster edge filter and adjusting it on a separate layer. It was quite simple.In my camera bag
From years in advertising photography, I'm used to working from layouts. Today I still sketch my images prior to picking up a camera. This makes it easy for me to choose exactly the right equipment to lug along. In my studio, I mainly use a Nikon D-700 andNorman flash units, but sometimes just some ordinary tungsten lights and a D-7100 do just fine. I'm not too fussy about what I carry around outdoors, provided it's lightweight and I have a polarizer handy.Feedback
My best advice is to warn you that it's rather uncomfortable shooting down from top of an upright piano. You won't be able to see through your' viewfinder since you need to hold the camera out front at arms-length. I also strongly recommend you first check with the pianist...see if he minds having a camera and photographer balancing just over his head while he's giving his performance. (After I was first introduced to him, we had a long conversation which left him more comfortable with the whole idea and ultimately, he acquired the image for poster purposes.)
