Some afternoons ago, I headed over to Guitar Center. Guess why. (If you didn’t guess “to look at guitars,” you’re either really paranoid and suspicious of rhetorical questions, or you’re on this page but not really paying attention to what you’re reading. If it’s the latter, then that makes two of us. I think we both need to take a break and have some hot chocolate.)
Anyway. Where was I? Oh, yeah. I had my camera with me, and the wall-to-wall guitars of all colors and funky shapes almost gave me shutter paralysis. You know the feeling. It’s the same feeling my stomach gets when faced with rows and rows of food on buffet tables where everything looks so good that you don’t know where to start. (And half the time, you end up wondering if you can use the tray as your plate. But not me. I just heard some people feel that way. Really. I’m not some people.)
I wasn’t sure if I should try to shoot some photos in the store. I was afraid that some sales associate there (who’s probably almost half my age) would yell, “hey lady, you’re not supposed to be taking any pictures in here!” from across the room. Then everyone would turn and stare at me as I try to apologize while slinking behind the largest amp I can find.
But I did manage to take a few stolen shots here and there.
See how shaky my hand was for fear of being caught? Of course, it only occurred to me after the fact that I could have just walked up to the manager and asked for permission to take photos in the store. Sometimes, I forget that I’m a grown up.
Oh well. Maybe next time. The worst that can happen is that they’ll say no. Then I’ll pout a little bit, feel sorry for myself, then go back to taking pictures on the sly.
Nah. I’m just saying that, but truth is, I’m a scaredy cat who doesn’t like to break the rules. I mean, I could if I wanted to, but my stomach begins making weird noises, my hands get clammy, and my conscience starts bothering me so much that I end up confessing my deed and wind up in a blubbering puddle of tears on the floor.
It’s really not a pretty sight. Kinda wet and messy, too.
Thank you for listening to me air out my issues. I hope it doesn’t scare you away. Hello? You still there?
Can I lure you back with a tritone version of that guitar photo?
Please. Don’t leave.
*sigh* Another beautiful bw-conversion.
How about an experiment? I think the guitar looks better white than yellow, but I think it would pop even more if you kept the colour of the wall behind it (or tinted it in a bluish white, perhaps)?
(And just to clarify: that was a sigh of admiration, not of boredom!)
Henrik, that sounds like an interesting idea! And one I wouldn’t have thought to try, so I’m glad you suggested it.
Let me play around with that a bit and see what I come up with. I haven’t yet tried something like that before. Oh, and if you want to do your own thing with the file yourself, feel free to give it a whack.
Ivory you HAVE to go back to that store and ask the manager to take pictures. The curves and lines on those instruments are begging to be photographed. I love the tri-tone version.
Hey brc, maybe we could do a distance SGDT satellite event and do a music store visit someday. Is there one in your vicinity?
There is, but my camera does not do well in indoor/low-light situations. I don’t have a tripod and a flash would ruin the photos.
Brc, I didn’t have a tripod in there either. (Hence the blurry red guitar photo, which by chance came out quite interesting with the blur. Or so I thought.)
The second guitar there was a different story. I put my camera down on a crate that happened to be sitting in the middle of the room. Then I very carefully pressed the shutter and hoped it would come out sharp. I actually had to sharpen that up a bit more on Photoshop.
Shhh. Don’t tell anyone.