Exercise 23 - Multiple points

For this still life I decided to use some of my musical instrument miniatures to create a tenuous stage set. 

For a backdrop I used my electric mandolin. 

For the lighting I used two led lights with white card as reflectors. 

The camera was tripod mounted in aperture priority, with minimum aperture.

The background uses red fabric from my light tent kit with the mandolin on its side. I chose the mandolin because of its size which shows off the curves better than a larger instrument.

The drum kit is the first piece to be placed. I felt this needed to be placed centrally.

Next to be positioned was the amber / silver acoustic guitar. This was placed slightly off centre and towards the front, to give some balance to the image.

The Toledo steel guitar was next with its main body placed centrally – the amber guitar was moved to the right to maintain balance.

A banjo was placed next – as it is larger scale than the previous pieces I placed this to the back. To maintain a balance the Toledo steel guitar has been reversed.

The balance still wasn’t right, so I introduced a second banjo on the opposite side of the drums.

The electric guitar / mandolin section arrive next. The amber guitar has been moved to the left to maintain the image balance. I think the arrangement has now gone far enough. The next addition has made the group too cluttered for my liking.

 So this last image will be ignored. I’ve included it merely to make the point about going too far.

This is a reminder of what colour looks like!!

The next part asks for a sketch – so here goes:

The sketch without the relationships of interactions and shapes

This shows the interactions and shapes formed in the final image.

 

Photoshop sketches better than I do and it’s easier to show the interacting points:

This one is easier to put the relationships and shapes on too.

Relationships changed as the image evolved, but in the final picture the relationships occur between the banjos; the mandolin round hole and the bass drum; the bass drum and the two banjos; the amber guitar and the small mandolin; and the Toledo steel and two electric guitars. These relationships all relate to the balance of the image, apart from those related to the bass drum, which are also related by their circular shape.

 Shapes that appear in the image are:

Triangle between the mandolin hole and two banjo drums; 

Almost rectangle, but definitely a trapezium with the banjo necks; 

a trapezium with the parallel lines of the mandolin and Toledo steel guitar necks.