I had the extremely rare honour of photographing a fine Lockey Hill cello from around 1780 at the Stringed Instrument Company in Auckland. Thanks so much to Cath for trusting me with this rare beauty!
Crafted around 1780 this is a fine example of Lockey Hill's prolific work, which was unfortunately cut short after he was hanged in 1796 for horse theft!
The cello is seen from the inside. It's currently in the process of restoration. It needs a lot of work but someone's going to have an absolutely exquisite instrument once this is all done and dusted!
This is part of a series I'm undertaking on the internals of fine instruments. I use a special technique called focus stacking which has the effect of making these small spaces seem vast. This is a simple optical illusion. Our brains are wired to expect close up macro shots to have a shallow depth of field. By combining dozens, sometimes hundreds, of shots I ensure that the photo is sharp from front to back. This tricks the mind into believing that the image is of something much larger than reality.
This is a stack of 18 photos taken with the Laowa 24mm Probe lens on a Lumix S1R.
This is a look inside an extraordinary instrument. Roger Manin's Selmer Balanced Action Sax from the 1940s. It had just been carefully refurbished by Neige Music Atelier in New Zealand, with Italian Pisoni Pro pads with metal resonators.
Typically closeup macro shots like this have a very shallow depth of field. To keep it in focus from from to back I took 47 photos, moving the focus ring slightly each time, and ran them through some special software to combine just the sharp parts of the image. The result appears cavernous. The apparent size is an illusion. It's essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature effect that tricks us into thinking large scenes are small.
I Photographed it on a Lumix S1R with a Laowa 24mm probe lens.
The interior of a fine 1980s Yanagisawa Saxophone. Photographed whilst under restoration at Neige Music Atelier in New Zealand.
The photo looks so large because everything's in focus. Normal photography practices result a very small depth of field at macro scales, so I used some special techniques to blend 77 images together bring out all the detail. This is essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature technique that makes everything look small...
Shot on A Lumix S1R
Laowa 24mm Probe Lens
14k Gold Flute. Photographed using specialist lenses and techniques while under restoration at Neige Music Atelier in Auckland.
I had the extremely rare honour of photographing a fine Lockey Hill cello from around 1780 at the Stringed Instrument Company in Auckland. Thanks so much to Cath for trusting me with this rare beauty!
Crafted around 1780 this is a fine example of Lockey Hill's prolific work, which was unfortunately cut short after he was hanged in 1796 for horse theft!
The cello is seen from the inside. It's currently in the process of restoration. It needs a lot of work but someone's going to have an absolutely exquisite instrument once this is all done and dusted!
This is part of a series I'm undertaking on the internals of fine instruments. I use a special technique called focus stacking which has the effect of making these small spaces seem vast. This is a simple optical illusion. Our brains are wired to expect close up macro shots to have a shallow depth of field. By combining dozens, sometimes hundreds, of shots I ensure that the photo is sharp from front to back. This tricks the mind into believing that the image is of something much larger than reality.
This is a stack of 18 photos taken with the Laowa 24mm Probe lens on a Lumix S1R.
The exquisite architecture of Steinway.
I had a rare opportunity to photograph the action and internals of a Steinway Model D recently. I found my self in awe of the craftsmanship and attention to detail of parts of the instrument that no one except a technician would ever see, especially the carving of the joints in which reflect curves on the outside of the piano. Just the strings are a feat of engineering. They exert just over 20 tonnes of pressure on the frame!
These photos were painstakingly created using a special probe lens from Laowa and a Lumix S5 camera. Typically a close up photo like this would be mostly blurry, so I used a technique called focus stacking to keep them sharp from front to back. This involves taking a series of approximately 100 photos per image, slowly adjusting the focus for each one, then running them through special software to merge the sharp part of the photo.
The result appears to be a cavernous like space that invites you to walk through...
Thanks to @LewisEadyLtd @chironasmrma @atollrecords and Lumix New Zealand for this opportunity.
Lumix S5
Laowa 24mm Probe Lens
Sigma MC-21 Adapter
Godox Flash
The exquisite architecture of Steinway.
I had a rare opportunity to photograph the action and internals of a Steinway Model D recently. I found my self in awe of the craftsmanship and attention to detail of parts of the instrument that no one except a technician would ever see, especially the carving of the joints in which reflect curves on the outside of the piano. Just the strings are a feat of engineering. They exert just over 20 tonnes of pressure on the frame!
These photos were painstakingly created using a special probe lens from Laowa and a Lumix S5 camera. Typically a close up photo like this would be mostly blurry, so I used a technique called focus stacking to keep them sharp from front to back. This involves taking a series of approximately 100 photos per image, slowly adjusting the focus for each one, then running them through special software to merge the sharp part of the photo.
The result appears to be a cavernous like space that invites you to walk through...
Thanks to @LewisEadyLtd @chironasmrma @atollrecords and Lumix New Zealand for this opportunity.
Lumix S5
Laowa 24mm Probe Lens
Sigma MC-21 Adapter
Godox Flash
The exquisite architecture of Steinway.
I had a rare opportunity to photograph the action and internals of a Steinway Model D recently. I found my self in awe of the craftsmanship and attention to detail of parts of the instrument that no one except a technician would ever see, especially the carving of the joints in which reflect curves on the outside of the piano. Just the strings are a feat of engineering. They exert just over 20 tonnes of pressure on the frame!
These photos were painstakingly created using a special probe lens from Laowa and a Lumix S5 camera. Typically a close up photo like this would be mostly blurry, so I used a technique called focus stacking to keep them sharp from front to back. This involves taking a series of approximately 100 photos per image, slowly adjusting the focus for each one, then running them through special software to merge the sharp part of the photo.
The result appears to be a cavernous like space that invites you to walk through...
Thanks to @LewisEadyLtd @chironasmrma @atollrecords and Lumix New Zealand for this opportunity.
Lumix S5
Laowa 24mm Probe Lens
Sigma MC-21 Adapter
Godox Flash
The exquisite architecture of Steinway.
I had a rare opportunity to photograph the action and internals of a Steinway Model D recently. I found my self in awe of the craftsmanship and attention to detail of parts of the instrument that no one except a technician would ever see, especially the carving of the joints in which reflect curves on the outside of the piano. Just the strings are a feat of engineering. They exert just over 20 tonnes of pressure on the frame!
These photos were painstakingly created using a special probe lens from Laowa and a Lumix S5 camera. Typically a close up photo like this would be mostly blurry, so I used a technique called focus stacking to keep them sharp from front to back. This involves taking a series of approximately 100 photos per image, slowly adjusting the focus for each one, then running them through special software to merge the sharp part of the photo.
The result appears to be a cavernous like space that invites you to walk through...
Thanks to @LewisEadyLtd @chironasmrma @atollrecords and Lumix New Zealand for this opportunity.
Lumix S5
Laowa 24mm Probe Lens
Sigma MC-21 Adapter
Godox Flash
An internal view of the action of a Fazioli Grand Piano.
This instrument is one of the finest pianos in existence. Fazioli create about 80 grand pianos a year, each one of them takes 8 years to make!
To take this shot I used a special 24mm probe lens from Laowa on a Lumix S1R.
Typically closeup shots like this have a very shallow depth of field. I wanted the entire photo sharp to I shot 71 photos, adjusting the focus slightly on each.
These were merged in a wonderful program called Helicon Focus. The result appears cavernous, almost like architecture. This is a simple optical illusion. We're so accustomed to seeing macro photos with a short depth of field, that when we see something that's sharp all the way through our brain assumes it's massive.
This is essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature effect that was so popular a few years back.
Many thanks to Sly's Pianos in Auckland for access to this extraordinary instrument.
An internal view of the action of a Fazioli Grand Piano.
This instrument is one of the finest pianos in existence. Fazioli creat about 80 grand pianos a year, each one of them takes 8 years to make!
To take this shot I used a special 24mm probe lens from Laowa on a Lumix S1R.
Typically closeup shots like this have a very shallow depth of field. I wanted the entire photo sharp to I shot 71 photos, adjusting the focus slightly on each.
These were merged in a wonderful program called Helicon Focus. The result appears cavernous, almost like architecture. This is a simple optical illusion. We're so accustomed to seeing macro photos with a short depth of field, that when we see something that's sharp all the way through our brain assumes it's massive.
This is essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature effect that was so popular a few years back.
Many thanks to Sly's Pianos in Auckland for access to this extraordinary instrument.
An internal view of the action of a Fazioli Grand Piano.
This instrument is one of the finest pianos in existence. Fazioli creat about 80 grand pianos a year, each one of them takes 8 years to make!
To take this shot I used a special 24mm probe lens from Laowa on a Lumix S1R.
Typically closeup shots like this have a very shallow depth of field. I wanted the entire photo sharp to I shot 71 photos, adjusting the focus slightly on each.
These were merged in a wonderful program called Helicon Focus. The result appears cavernous, almost like architecture. This is a simple optical illusion. We're so accustomed to seeing macro photos with a short depth of field, that when we see something that's sharp all the way through our brain assumes it's massive.
This is essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature effect that was so popular a few years back.
Many thanks to Sly's Pianos in Auckland for access to this extraordinary instrument.
An internal view of the action of a Fazioli Grand Piano.
This instrument is one of the finest pianos in existence. Fazioli create about 80 grand pianos a year, each one of them takes 8 years to make!
To take this shot I used a special 24mm probe lens from Laowa on a Lumix S1R.
Typically closeup shots like this have a very shallow depth of field. I wanted the entire photo sharp to I shot 71 photos, adjusting the focus slightly on each.
These were merged in a wonderful program called Helicon Focus. The result appears cavernous, almost like architecture. This is a simple optical illusion. We're so accustomed to seeing macro photos with a short depth of field, that when we see something that's sharp all the way through our brain assumes it's massive.
This is essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature effect that was so popular a few years back.
Many thanks to Sly's Pianos in Auckland for access to this extraordinary instrument.
The sublime action of a Fazioli Grand Piano.
These are considered by many to be the finest pianos ever made. The factory only produces around 100 a year and each instrument takes years to complete, with over 8000 individual parts.
This is a photo of the keyboard action, part of the piano usually hidden out of view and familiar only to technicians.
Part of my Architecture of Music Series, Special Probe lenses and High Resolution cameras are used to capture the inside of instruments in a way that makes them appear vast and cavernous. Each photo is made up of dozens to hundreds of individual frames, carefully combined to give the sensation of space and depth.
When we see closeup macro shots like this we expect them to have a narrow depth of field. By combing hundreds of shots with varying focus I make sure that the entire instrument is sharp from from to back. This gives the illusion of space, tricking the mind into believing that it's seeing an expansive chamber you could walk through.
Thanks to Sly's Pianos of Auckland for access to this extraordinary instrument.
Prints Available Here
A fascinating Didgeridoo by Trevor Gillespie/Peckham of the Wiradjuri tribe in New South Wales, Australia.
These ancient instruments are not carved by hand, but are hollowed out by termites. The resulting grooves and channels give each instrument a unique sound. The inside is sealed, and the outside carefully decorated with figures, colours, and symbols that convey deep meaning and history.
The inside of a Selmer Balanced Action Saxophone from 2021.
The photo looks so large because everything's in focus. Normal photography practices result a very small depth of field at macro scales, so I used some special techniques to blend 98 images together bring out all the detail. This is essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature technique that makes everything look small...
Shot on A Lumix S1R
Laowa 24mm Probe Lens
