There’s been a lot of vaping this year… This shot of Jazz/Folk violinist Pascal Roggen is the second photo in my 2019 top 10 list.
Before I get into the photographic details, I want to talk a little about Pascal. He's one of the greatest musical talents in the country (if not the world). His bio is so impressive that it's hard to know what to pick. Do you talk about his performances at the BAFTA awards? What about playing in Cuba with the Buena Vista Social Club, or his Masters in Jazz from the Guildhall, or his kiwi band Albi and the Wolves? And where does his international ranking in Warhammer 40k fit into this? If you want to read his full biography click here. But the best way to see him is to pop along to one of the Albi and the Wolves concerts.
Back to the photo:
I'd seen a cheap electric fireplace from China that used steam to mimic fire effects. I figured that a smoke machine and LED lights could achieve a similar result.
We soon realized that smoke machines provide almost no control over the vapour, and that they produce far too much smoke. Something smaller was needed. Enter the e-cigarette.
After feeding a string of LEDs into the violin we used a straw to blow smoke through the f-hole. Keeping the violin in place, we'd repeat the process on the other side, then combine the two images.
No other lighting was used as they'd overpower the LEDs. The light was very dim so we had to push the camera's ISO very high. This added noise. But I like the noise pattern of the Lumix S1R, it's very reminiscent of film grain, so I saw no need to de-noise in post.
Above: My first test using vapour and LEDs, on a cello I have around the house (My former career! I was a concert cellist for 20 years…)
Gear:
Panasonic Lumix S1R
Leica Summicron M 35mm with Leicam M-L adapter
#Leica #Lumix #S1R #changingphotography