T H E L I S T E N I N G R O O M
As we know the right ambience in listening rooms is an important element in hosting successful auditions.Displaying appropriate wall art that inspires and enhances the customer experience is sometimes overlooked when planning the listening environment.
There is nothing generic about the high end sound equipment and expertise you share, exclusive imagery by leading international music photographers - William Ellis.
ABOUT MOCK PROJECT:
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ABOUT MOCK PROJECT:
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ABOUT MOCK PROJECT:
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ABOUT MOCK PROJECT:
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M O N O
C H R O M E
'Silver print or gelatin silver print. Print process was introduced into general use in the 1880s.
These prints are made with silver halides suspended in a layer of gelatin on fibre based paper.'
National Portrait Gallery, London, England
SILVER GELATIN PRINTS - HANDMADE BY WILLIAM ELLIS
T H E A R T I S T' S E D I T I O N
THE NEGATIVES
The photographs were taken using largely Leica M series and Hasselblad cameras.
Film stock was Kodak Tri-X and Ilford HP5.
The negatives printed in Leitz and De Vere enlargers.
THE PAPER
The paper used is premium quality gloss Ilford Warmtone Fibre Based Paper. This is extraordinary paper, I selected it because I love the luxuriously rich prints it made on it - warm deep blacks and wonderful creamy whites.
It might seem a little strange to be so rapturous about such an apparently mundane thing: but the print is the ultimate outcome and this paper type is the trusty messenger that bears it.
The depth of tone and richness of a silver gelatin print cannot be reproduced on any screen. They have a presence I find captivating.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS
Silver gelatin photographs are hand made in the darkroom from the original negative by myself applying a craft process which dates back to the 1880s.
The prints are made with silver halides suspended in a layer of gelatin on fibre based paper.' This process is carried out on the fly and requires quicksilver creative judgement and technical skills which are extremely rare in today's digital world.
Each silver gelatin print is in itself a unique piece displaying subtle variations in tone and contrast. With excellent archival permanence, its exquisite look and feel has made fibre based paper the standard for fine art photographers worldwide.
DOUBLE-THICKNESS ARCHIVAL MOUNT
ARTIST'S EDITION EMBOSSED
T H E A R T I S T' S E D I T I O N
P r e v i e w
The Picture | The Story
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter - composer, tenor saxophone, and seen here on soprano sax.
Herbie Hancock said of him when both he and Mr Shorter were in Miles Davis' 'Second Great Quintet':
"The master writer to me, in that group, was Wayne Shorter. He still is a master. Wayne was one of the few people who brought music to Miles that didn't get changed."
This photograph was taken at a small club where I was able to get close and fill the frame using a short telephoto lens - 110/2 on a Hasselblad camera.
This lens when used at maximum aperture produces an image with very little depth of field, as you can see.
This property - along with the lighting produces an almost 3 dimensional look to the image.
This look is further enhanced when the negative is made into a silver gelatin print - no screen can reproduce the richness and depth of coal black and shimmering silvers that this type of print exhibits.
Herbie Hancock said of him when both he and Mr Shorter were in Miles Davis' 'Second Great Quintet':
"The master writer to me, in that group, was Wayne Shorter. He still is a master. Wayne was one of the few people who brought music to Miles that didn't get changed."
This photograph was taken at a small club where I was able to get close and fill the frame using a short telephoto lens - 110/2 on a Hasselblad camera.
This lens when used at maximum aperture produces an image with very little depth of field, as you can see.
This property - along with the lighting produces an almost 3 dimensional look to the image.
This look is further enhanced when the negative is made into a silver gelatin print - no screen can reproduce the richness and depth of coal black and shimmering silvers that this type of print exhibits.
The Picture | The Story
Omara Portuondo
Buena Vista Social Club - the group that brought traditional and contemporary music back onto the world stage. The way she engages the audience was remarkable - she sang to a thousand people as if in a little club, we hung on every word and geature.
I've visited Cuba a number of times shooting at Havana Jazz Festival and working for a Canada based company specialising in cultural and educational tours.
This image - again made on a Hasselblad was amongst the set of photographs of Cuban musicians curated for an exhibition/installation at the Jazz Café which is just off the Malecön in Havana.
The event was covered by Granma
- the official party newspaper. The publication is named after the boat which carried 82 revolutionaries to the island including Fidel Castro, his brother, Raúl Castro, Che Guevara, and Camilo Cienfuegos. I was in Havana when Fidel Castro resigned and handed over the reins to his brother. But that's another story.
A R C H I V A L P I G M E N T P R I N T S
Limited Edition Archival Pigment Prints are made on heavyweight paper and in contrast with handmade silver gelatin prints are produced with the latest digital technology using state of the art wide format inkjet printers. Pigment inks are used to ensure archival properties, a full range of tones and colour coupled with a consistent rendition of both colour monochrome images throughout the edition.
The Hahnemühle FineArt paper used produces striking black and white prints with deep blacks and a tonal range which accurately portrays the original. It is acid- and lignin-free and conforms to ISO 9706 - museum quality for highest age resistance.
P r e v i e w
The Picture | The Story
Jamie Cullum
One of the fundamental challenges faced when photographing a concert is as you might suppose - the lighting.
There is no consistency in stage lighting in terms of colour, intensity and placement and the photographer has no control over this.
This is part of the challenge and excitement of creating images of an artist that attempt to capture the spirit and excitement of a great live performance as I experienced it - in close up.
Archival Pigment Prints exhibit beautiful saturated colours and wide tonal range retain a natural air and convey
The Picture | The Story
Liza Minnelli
Cinematic and Musical Royalty
A unique, irrepressible, irresistible force of nature.
There were two other photographers stage right as we waited for Miss Minnelli to appear - as whenever possible I set up on my own, stage left.
After the big show biz build up and first song was coming to it's end I was still shooting and as I am I hear the words from Miss Minnelli as she's looking at me and in front of the full house of around 2,500 people I hear -
"Hey cutie - would you like to move to this side."
She was pointing to the area where the other photographers were working.
It didn't sound like an invitation - more like a request graciously stated, so of course I decided I would like to move sides.
It was a fabulous concert by a giant of the entertainment world - and a story for the book.
The Picture | The Story
Miles Davis
I photographed Miles Davis twice. This is from the first shoot and the image is from a scanned colour negative exposed in a Hasselblad camera.
I like it very much in colour but prefer it as a black and white photograph and find that as an Archival Pigment Print the contrast range is reproduced with high fidelity and great depth. It conveys the drama of the moment just as I had felt it.
I believe that like music, a photograph is nothing without emotion.
The Picture | The Story
Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock is one of the few musical chameleons who have created music that is innovative and soulful in whichever iteration he chooses to perform.
The first time I photographed Mr Hancock was in 1992 when he was appearing on the Miles Davis Tribute Tour.
The group consisted Miles' protégé Wallace Roney on trumpet and what is often referred to as Miles' 'Second Great Quintet'. One of the greatest ensembles in jazz history - Ron Carter - bass, Wayne Shorter - sax, Tony Williams - drums.
I had spoken with Mr Hancock earlier and had given him a print from the Glasgow concert and one of the stage portrait of Miles.
After the sound check and the band had left the stage I was able to make a series of portraits and was privileged to be the only person onstage as he ran through a piece solo - as you can see, shooting from the end of the Fazioli Grand - it was very difficult not to be wrapped up in the luxuriant sound of the music as I leaned into the piano to take some of the photographs.
A very memorable shoot - and an amazing concert.
