Tom The Piano Tuner

Every time my piano tuner Tom comes round we have long conversations about jazz, records and amplifiers ... and as he tunes it, I keep seeing photos. This time, instead of letting the opportunity slip through my fingers, I asked if I could photograph him and what he's does. He's a smiley chap and we always start with a cup of tea before he begins. 

He's got some really interesting home made tools (the dowling bracket on the piano keys is to stop him getting an octave orientated RSI) and his mohogany piano key is over 100 years old. I shot in natural light, using a 50mm f1.4 / 24-70f4L IS and my Canon 5D4. I tried to make the best use of reflections and colour (I polished the piano in advance) and I'm glad he chose such a complimentary shirt. Although I initially had ideas of doing this on film, the digital made me much more inventive, even standing on the window ledge and the piano stool to get 'aerial views'.

In this last image, you can really see the power of the using a f1.4 aperture. It's an older Sigma lens I bought in 2007 and it makes fabulous images to say the least. Why not have a go at photographing something fun in the same way.