String Instruments

Thank you for submitting an entry in my contest "String Instruments". Congratulations on being my #1 choice! Your entry "Country & Western" was a stand-out from the beginning. Your choice of not showing his face made me want to study the photo further to learn more about him. I loved the color of his un-tucked, but very clean shirt and the and the gentle reflection it cast back on his guitar. His hands are neither young nor old, but they are clean and well groomed. He wears what may be a wedding band on his pinky finger and some sort of signet on his ring finger. He is seated, and we cannot be certain whether he is mid strum or posing for the shot (my guess is posing based on my limited guitar abilities). This photo is simply fantastic!

Thank you for submitting an entry in my contest "String Instruments". Congratulations on being my #5 pick! The use of a black background with a black and red guitar is a bold choice and well executed! The lighting is outstanding as the strings almost look red-hot! The resistance to include the entire guitar is brilliant as the image is perfectly balanced. Well done!

Thank you for submitting an entry in my contest "String Instruments". Congratulations on earning a spot in the top 10! While most of my top picks were photos that focused mainly on the instrument, I adore this gentleman with his Turkish "banjo" (sorry, I don't know the name of it). He is singing and playing and appears to be focused on his next finger position while in mid strum. His weathered and kindly face made me smile the moment I saw him. From a musical standpoint I am curious about what he is wearing on his right arm (because there is not the same on the left)-is it something to protect while strumming, or sun protection? There is much to ponder as I smile back at him.

Thank you for submitting an entry in my contest "String Instruments". Congratulations on being my #2 selection! Your entry "Classical Shadows" is simply stunning. The use of shadows in the form of hard diagonal lines, plays into line theme of the frets and strings and balances out the beautifully proportioned curves of the guitar body, the sound hole, and the design around the sound hole. Well done!

Thank you for submitting an entry in my contest "String Instruments". Congratulations on being my #4 selection! Your entry "Joe Perry, AEROSMITH" certainly caught my eye, even before I read the background story. In fact, the eye ring is oddly focused no matter where I move. Your outstanding use of selective color has truly made this image even more interesting that how I imagine the original. Well done!

Thank you for submitting an entry in my contest "String Instruments". Congratulations on being my #3 pick! I find your entry "The Best of the Best" to be fabulous in the framing and lighting! The image is crystal clear at the bottom with a bit of blur towards the frets making the low E string look like it has the tiniest bit of vibration, while the high E string is only slightly visible over the sound hole. The scuffing I see on the wood leads me to believe this is a well-loved and often played instrument. Well done!