Russell Stowe is an experienced Luthier, and he set up Woodbridge Violins in Suffolk back in 1991. Woodbridge Violins repair, restore and sell all types of stringed instruments from cellos to violas and violins.
I’d first been introduced to Russell a few years ago, when I was shooting stills photographs and portraits for a Visit Suffolk tourism campaign. His workshop reminded me of the woodcarver Geppetto’s workshop in the old children’s story of Pinocchio. I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere, encompassed by an assumingly organised chaos of wood, tools, glues and laquers …
I wanted to convey this atmosphere in the 360 degree interactive panorama. This wasn’t like any ordinary workshop i had seen before, it had immense character and was almost timeless in it’s appearance. It therefore seemed appropriate to produce more than a mere record shot of the scene.
I used my portrait photography skills to capture Russell’s character and create something a little different. Unusually, I also chose to add a slightly surreal look to the finished shot. This look was achieved by carefully tone mapping the high dynamic range (HDR) image to ensure it held full detail in the highlights outside the window as well as the dark interior. Adding music also helps to enhance the mood and spirit of the portrait.
