Lunch Guitar Concert

[Spearin]

The Department of Music at my university has been putting on a small concert each day (I think) in the Convocation Hall. Today I was assigned to shooting it. Playing the acoustic guitar is Peter Stoicheff, an English Professor at the U of S. He played a mixture of his own composed tunes and some others.

1. A view between the doors of the Hall.
http://www.spearin.ca/andrew/dump/IMG_9858.jpg

2. Tuning between tunes.
http://www.spearin.ca/andrew/dump/IMG_9853.jpg

3. Taking a bow to the audience's applause.
http://www.spearin.ca/andrew/dump/IMG_9849.jpg

4. Sharing a story.
http://www.spearin.ca/andrew/dump/IMG_9843.jpg

5. Warming up. (Same place, different time as #1, cropped)
http://www.spearin.ca/andrew/dump/IMG_9836.jpg

All shot in RAW, Manual, with the 85mm @ f/4.0
PP includes (some) cropped, channel mixer b&w convert, curves, noise ninja, usm

I was also interviewed yesterday by my university newspaper's hiring committee for next year's Photography Editor position :)

[DwightMcCann]

All wonderful images, but the first and last are really outstanding.

[saravrose]

i really like the last one... the compositions are all incredible though and the conversions seem to be perfect...

sari.

[René Damkot]

I agree with Dwight, and would like to add #3 to the favorites list.
I'm curious to a color version, and would like a bit of comment on the channel mixer settings.

[Spearin]

Thank you all for the wonderful comments :)

Here is the third one in colour:

http://www.spearin.ca/andrew/dump/IMG_9849c.jpg

As for settings of the b&w conversion, I used the Channel Mixer adjustment layer with Red at 50%, Green at 0%, and Blue at 50%.

[Wes]

I like them all, but the first is outstanding...poster material!

[Ruffneck]

I prefer the B&W images. They are simply spectacular! Excellent Job.

[Brad_T]

Great pictures - really interesting compositions also. Makes you want to keep looking at them..

[brandonwillis]

i really enjoyed the last photograph

[dzstudios]

Fantastic shots and great conversion. Black & white wins hands down every time.

There is much to be said for lots of 'white space' (or in this case, black space) around a performer... it just adds a bit of class.

lovely

[René Damkot]

Yep, B&W adds a lot here.

[Conspectus]

These images are fantastic. Razor sharp, great contrasts and superb B&W. Really loved them although the 'fade' effect doesn't really appeal to me.

Conspectus,

[Bichutsky]

i love the first and last ones. did you shoot this handheld? or on a tripod? because these images are crisp! what ISO setting were you set on? oh and one more question... sorry... what is noise ninja?

thanks,
k

[Spearin]

They are all shot handheld. ISO is 1600. Noise Ninja (http://www.picturecode.com/) is a plugin for Photoshop CS2 (also available as a standalone program) that reduces colour noise... very useful.

Conspectus, I've tried responding to your e-mail twice, but I've lost it before I could send it! I will respond soon though!

Also a little side note, I was hired for the Photography Editor job at my uni's newspaper :D

[Dorman]

I really like this set, especially the first shot, and I like B/W, I don't think color would fly here.

A couple experimental ideas, how about trying them as a duotone? And in the first shot, if the top of his guitar was in color and the rest B/W?

Well done Spearin!

[abbyroadme]

The cropping of the first one and last one are perfect! It brings character to the photos and a great feel.

[abbyroadme]

The cropping of the first one and last one are perfect! It brings character to the photos and a great feel.