Watching a legend at work

I got to witness and photograph the legendary Finnish conductor and composer Leif Segerstam at work on Friday night. He has been in Trondheim this week conducting both the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Trondheim Sinfonietta. I'm on sick leave from playing at the moment, so I didn't actually get to play under his leadership in the orchestra, which is sad of course but such is life. I'm happy that I have another artistic outlet to turn to when playing isn't an option.

He is quite a unique figure in the music business, in almost every possible way. We might all think that we're special and highly personal in the way that we “conduct” ourselves. However, in Leif Segerstam we may have met our master.

The lighting at the venue was less than ideal for photography, which meant both strange shadow patterns and absurdly high ISO-values. The light was mainly focused on the conductor's hair and not his face. Problem? Yes. Artistic opportunity? Could be.

It took me a while to decide how to best bring these images to life, but I ultimately decided to go for a desaturated look and feeling. The lighting was basically harsh spotlights in front and multicoloured stage lights at the back of the ensemble setup. I could have gone for a black and white edit of course, but I liked this silvery “in between”-look. The facial expressions and the “human patina” come to life in this way, in my opinion. Like the “Segerstam-way”, it's a personal artistic choice on my part bringing my take on the occasion to the viewers.

For this shoot, I wanted to test two camera setups. I brought my own Sony A7RIII and a Sony A9ii-loaner. The lenses were primarily the 24-70mm f2.8 GM and the 70-200 f2.8 GM. I did also fire off some shots with my Sigma Art-lenses (85 and 135mm). I'm not the biggest fan of zoom lenses, but this time I wanted to see if my feelings on the matter could be proven wrong. Preliminary verdict: The A9ii is significantly better than the A7RIII in these kind of conditions, giving me cleaner files with no apparent banding issues (which is the main reason for this test). Zoom lenses, well, great for versatility but the ISO-values at f2.8 compared to f1.4-1.8 are hard to swallow. Maybe an A9ii for fast paced performances in low light and the Leica SL2 for those high resolution and high fidelity portraits and personal projects? Dreaming is allowed, right?!

Anyway, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to experience Maestro Segerstam and to do some gear testing this weekend.

Ole

On stage

I had one piece off in last week’s concert programme, so I took the opportunity to make some test shots with my current camera setup. I found myself almost instantly limited by a few factors, such as a combination of access and focal range, but in the end I’m quite pleased by the results that these limitations yielded.

For this kind of scenarios I’m currently shooting with a Sony A7RIII and lenses ranging from 24 to 400mm. I’m primarily a prime lens shooter (whenever I can). I find that prime lenses give the subject more character, and subsequently me more artistic opportunities to express that character. One is of course limited to a fixed focal range, but as seen in these images I think that with a little ingenuity that is rather a creative opportunity rather than exclusively a crippling limitation.

Most of the images seen here were captured with a Sigma Art 135mm-lens for the Sony FE-mount system, either in full frame or in crop sensor format to gain a little more reach. To be as unobtrusive as possible, not disturbing the rehearsal process, I positioned myself quite far back on stage and mostly out of sight. This meant that I couldn’t get the usual close ups of the conductor, but ended up doing sort of “environmental action portraits” instead. This resulted in a combination of a cinematic(ish) view of the stage along with the subject separation and compression that you get using a telephoto lens.

I chose to incorporate light reflections of a grand piano and a Wagner tuba to hopefully create some depth and definition to the images. The edit is also centred around the main subject, making her mental and visual connection with the musicians of the orchestra as apparent as possible.

You probably know by now that I absolutely love my Leica cameras, but i have to admit that the Sony system really shines in this kind of scenario. Great dynamic range and autofocus capabilities are pretty essential for shooting in dim/contrasty locations with this much movement. I would love to try the Sony A9ii with the behemoth 400mm f2.8 at some point, that should be pretty amazing for this kind of stuff.

But for now: “Practice, practice, practice..”

Ole

Visual harmony in beautiful Busan

My two Leica cameras saw a lot of action on our day off i Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. I was especially eager to test the latest addition to my arsenal of camera gear, the Leica M10, in a real world scenario. I’m happy to report that this old school manual camera has been featured numerous times professionally during this tour, which I didn’t expect going into this assignment. The split second images captured with the M10 might not be as crisp and technically “perfect” as those taken by its more modern counterparts, but there’s a special feeling when capturing and looking back at an image that you have taken without any of the modern conveniences. That is very similar to playing a classical instrument, as mentioned before on this blog.

I hope that you will enjoy this little taste of Busan, in full manual mode.

Ole

Comic relief

There is no doubt a lot of seriousness and focus involved in making music together at a high level, but every once in a while you capture a bit of off the cuff comedy.

Ole

The artistic process

A close look (literally) at the conductor’s role in a rehearsal situation, as observed from the co-principal viola chair of the orchestra: Greeting, looking, listening, coordinating and generally having fun making music together.

Featuring Han-Na Chang, chief conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera, at work with the orchestra in Seoul.

Ole

"Practice, practice, practice"

The punchline from the famous joke “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” couldn’t be more true for a musician. The time spent on stage, performing for the audience in the evening, is only the tip of the iceberg. Finding time and a place to practice and to focus on the task at hand is crucial, whether it is in a Seoul hotel room, on stage at the venue or in a dimly lit backstage corridor.

Ole

Exploring Seoul

After landing in South Korea, and spending at least 13 hours onboard airplanes (not including the ground stops ), it was time to hit the streets of Seoul. The body craved some light exercise and a bit of fresh air.

I took my Leica cameras for a walk to capture the contrasting vibes of the city, the serene and ancient temple grounds and the hustle and bustle of a modern metropolis.

Ole

Arrived in South Korea

The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera has landed safely in Seoul, South Korea. I personally have been to Seoul once before, many years ago, touring all over Asia with the Trondheim Soloists and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. Touring with a full sized symphony orchestra is something quite different, logistically, compared to travelling with a smaller string ensemble. Here are some first impressions after touching down at Incheon International Airport outside Seoul.

Ole

Musician and tour photographer

My orchestra, The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera, is soon leaving home base in Norway for a tour of South Korea. I’ll be doing double duty as co-principal of the viola section and tour photographer for the duration of this trip. The images will primarily be delivered to and distributed by the communications office of the orchestra, but I will also try to update my own blog with pictures and some accompanying text. I hope that you will enjoy following us as we head to Asia!

Here are some behind the scenes moments from our concert in Trondheim last night.

Ole

Why Leica?

My next instalment is about gear, and the age old question: Does it really matter? And as always, the answer is somewhere between yes and no.

I relate my thoughts about this matter to my background in music as well. The best instrument you have to express yourself is always with you (more or less consciously), the human brain. Without that, any creative tool whether it be a musical instrument or a camera would be of very little help or value.

I have never really cared much about what instrument I’ve played on as a musician. I know many do, but I haven’t been one of them. My focus has been on honing my skills with whatever tool was resting on my shoulder. The few times that I have bought another instrument, was as much due to teachers or colleagues telling me it was time for an upgrade. It’s not always a matter of upgrading either, it can be about looking for a change in tonal color or simply to find a tool that is easier to work with than what you have at the moment. Without the “oral concept” (paraphrasing the great trumpeter Bud Herseth), the concept of sound that you have in your own head before even playing a note, searching for another instrument would be both hopeless and pointless.

That brings me over to photography and camera equipment. What’s the connection between a musical and a visual tool? Basically, you have an idea or a vision of what you want the final product to sound or look like. All instruments can produce sound and all cameras can produce images, but it’s still the person making use of that tool that is the actual creator.

Why is Leica any different, to me? Yes, it’s still just an image capturing device and yet I feel a special connection when holding a Leica. You can of course say it’s all about feelings and I would have to agree with you. Creating and experiencing any kind of artistic expression is very much about feelings. As a classical musician, you tend to spend all your time working with “old technology”. Even if the violin you’re playing isn’t from say 1750, a modern instrument will have the same basic design as if it were that old. The magic isn’t so much in the innovation of the tool as the players ability to bring those basic elements to life.

A modern electronic instrument (i.e. synthesiser) is of course much more advanced and can to a certain degree also have several automatic features. If you translate that into photography, the basic elements of image capturing are still the same. In digital photography: Aperture, shutter speed and ISO. All the other functions like blazing fast autofocus are of course wonderful and highly useful, but the question in my mind is nevertheless: Does this mean that the images themselves get better at conveying an idea or message to the viewer, or that they simply get easier to capture. I originally heard this sentiment from experimental winemaker and art historian/gallery owner, Sean Thackrey, concerning winemaking and modern technology.

So that’s why I love the simplicity of a Leica, the constraints of basic controls and a single prime lens challenges me every time I pick it up.

The first time I tried a Leica, I thought of it as another overpriced lifestyle product. In a way it is, but not exactly like I expected it to be. I can’t tell you the specific technical details behind my affection for a certain camera or a musical instrument. For some the Leica look is micro contrasts and for some instrumentalists it might be a certain varnish used by a famous violin luthier hundreds of years ago. Whatever the technical details might be, you can feel it when they all play together in creating a work of art.

I think it’s about time to stop writing about “musical photography”, and to get out and capture some more images of Berlin before returning home to Trondheim soon.

Bis später,

Ole

Why photography?

Good evening from Berlin,

Returning to the apartment from a rather spectacular performance at the aforementioned Philharmonie, I started thinking about the need to express oneself artistically and the process of creating.

Why photography? A legitimate question. “You’re a musician, not a photographer.” That’s true, and yet I play and talk “in pictures”. So then, why not take actual images as well. Our life is very much a sensory experience, and that is what I’m trying to bring to life whatever the expressive outlet might be. Sound for a classical musician often starts with lines and dots on a piece of paper, which is pretty uninteresting for both the performer and the listener if it wasn't for the interpretive possibilities of those signs. The same can be said of photography, it’s basically just about the interplay between light and shadow. But when brought to life in a single frame, it can yield wonderful results.

The thing with creating music is that you spend endless hours, if not years, practising and preparing for something that is “lost the moment it’s created”. When the note is played, it’s gone (if not recorded of course). That’s both the magic of a live performance, but also kind of a sad fact if you ask me. Photography is on the other hand something entirely different, it’s about capturing and holding on to that moment. Keeping a record of whatever happened, no matter the significance of that moment.

Going back to music for a moment. Like I said, I just returned for an orchestra concert at the Philharmonie. The Berlin Philharmonic played Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony conducted by Daniel Harding. He conducted the very first concert I ever played with a professional orchestra, close to 20 years ago. Conducting no less than a symphony by Mahler. That was a very special experience for a young music student, being thrust into the overwhelming world of Gustav Mahler without knowing how to make heads or tails of playing in an orchestra. Much because of this experience, Mahler’s music has a very special place in my heart. There’s no record of this, it’s just in my memory and again it is all about conveying and understanding human feelings.

Photography has in a way completed my need for holding on to moments, so that music can stay fleeting and magical in its own right.

Music and photography, two quite different ways of communicating human feelings, but at the same time very complementary looking at the big picture.

Bis später,

Ole

Seeing music.

Berlin, March 2019.

Hello from Berlin,

I’m spending the month of March in this awesome city of culture. The municipality of my hometown of Trondheim (Norway) has very kindly allowed me with to stay in their “artists apartment” here in Berlin for a whole month. This is a rather unique opportunity for an artist like myself, that’s allowing me to get to know the cultural scene of Berlin in greater depth than is possible during a short visit. There’s so much going on at any given time here, which one expects of a world class city. The more you experience, the more you realise the scope of whats on offer, and that you cannot possibly take it all in, in the course of just one month. That’s of course not entirely a bad thing, it just means that you have to return again and again.

The focal point of any trip to Berlin, as a classical musician and photographer, is of course Die Philharmonie. The home of the mighty Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. There are so many great orchestras and concert halls around the world, but can they top this power house of music I wonder? There’s something of a “Gesamtkunstwerk” going on when you visit this place, located close to Potsdamer Platz. You can see the architect Sharoun’s golden and edgy building from afar. When you enter into this structure, you wander around in these angled and quirky shapes. The evident reason for the shape of this building hits you when stepping into the main performance hall. You as an audience member are surrounding the stage and the sound surrounds you. An immersive feeling, if you’re on stage performing or comfortably seated in the hall as a member of the audience. Do make the time to come to Die Philharmonie and experience the true power of the performing arts. If you would like to see more of the hall, the resident orchestra and behind the scenes footage, I highly recommend checking out the orchestra’s own photographer Monika Rittershaus. You can find her work online and, believe it or not, in good old fashioned books. Her book “Moving Music” is a wonderful documentation of Sir Simon Rattle’s tenure as chief conductor of the orchestra.

I still have a few days left in Berlin before I head home, and those days will be filled with cultural activities and of course photography.

Bis später,

Ole

Die Philharmonie