Violin Scroll and Tuning Pegs Black and White Photography
A Carved Spiral and Tuning Pegs Held in Darkness
The carved scroll of this violin was enough to hold my attention on its own. I lit the instrument simply and let the black background surround it, making a black and white photograph of the part above the neck. The spiral sits toward the lower left, while the strings and pegbox extend diagonally toward the opposite edge.
I wanted to take this detail out of its usual musical setting and look at it as a form. The curl has a broad, softly lit outer edge and tighter rings toward its centre. Beside it, the tuning pegs catch narrow highlights along their rounded surfaces. The strings introduce a different kind of line: thin, bright and almost straight against the curved wood.
There is a worn quality to the surface that I find more interesting than a flawless finish. Small marks and changes in tone give the wood a texture, while the dark pegs remain mostly smooth. I kept the surrounding space empty so those differences would be easy to notice. Nothing in the background asks for attention.
For me, this is where a musical instrument becomes a small piece of sculpture. The photograph cannot carry the sound of the violin, but it can follow the shape of something made to produce it. The quiet lighting, close view and diagonal arrangement let the scroll keep its own presence, with the strings leading beyond the frame.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2025
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About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
