Architecture In Music

The Architecture In Music Coffee Table book launches on Kickstarter March 15!
That's the same day as the Oscars - which isn't a coincidence, please watch the Sound & Music section of the awards carefully...
There will be large discounts to early backers - pre-register here.

Coming soon: Architecture In Music A large-format hardback coffee table book revealing the hidden interiors of some of the world’s finest musical instruments.

Nice article on me with some new and some lesser seen photos!

Charles Brooks Inside the Secret Cathedrals of Sound Explore the artistry of Charles Brooks, a cellist and photographer who reveals the magic inside string instruments.

Finally have a gallery in my lounge!

Here’s what I was doing at 1am this morning….
Morning News Chicago

The Stunning Interiors of Rare Musical Instruments Photographer Charles Brooks takes amazing photos of the insides of musical instruments including pianos, guitars, clarinets, and flutes.He reveals the hidden...

Inside two remarkable instruments: a 1730 Pietro Guarneri violin and a 1989 Christophe Landon viola.

The violin was crafted in Venice by Pietro Guarneri, a member of the legendary Guarneri family. It’s likely this instrument once premiered works by Vivaldi or Albinoni, composers active in the city at the time. Today, it’s played by Helene Pohl, a New Zealand-based violinist.

The viola was made in London by Christophe Landon, who modelled it on a 17th-century Maggini he had recently restored. The result: a stunning modern instrument that has gone on to win multiple awards. It now belongs to Australian violist Sally Clarke, and photographing it was made possible through the support of the The Australian World Orchestra.

Both images were created using custom-adapted medical endoscopes inserted through the endpin button hole, the tiny space at the base of the instrument where the strings anchor. These lenses don’t capture much detail on their own, so I take hundreds of overlapping photos and blend them using specialised software. The result is a crystal-clear, wide-angle view that creates the illusion of stepping inside a much larger space.

These two images are part of my Architecture In Music series.
You can explore the full collection at www.architectureinmusic.com

Think you know your instruments? We return with yet again another mystery instrument! Find out if your instincts are correct in the comments below...

What is this image of?
A) 1940’s Selmer Balanced Action Saxophone
B) Yamaha 867d French Horn
C) Eastman EBE853 Eb Compensating Tuba
D) Yamaha YBL-835 Bass Trombone

We’re collaborating with internationally acclaimed photographer, Charles Brooks, who will be photographing the 1761 Guadagini violin of the esteemed, Wilma Smith, as well as other AWO players' instruments. We’re excited to announce more VERY soon. In anticipation of the various projects, we’re sharing some of his works on our socials.

By Charles Brooks for Architecture in Music, https://www.facebook.com/charlesbrooksphotographer

This is the first photo ever taken inside a Stradivarius Violin - it's something I've been working towards for years and I'm excited to finally share it.

It's the 1717 'ex Hämmerle – ex Baumgartner', currently played by Daniel Dodds, the artistic director of Lucerne Festival Strings, and one of Australia's finest musical exports!

I photographed this using a couple of different endoscopic lenses adapted to a Lumix G9ii camera, a system I've been developing for some time now. The final image is the result of combining 257 individual frames: a combination of focus stacking, panoramic shots, and exposure bracketing.

Huge thanks to Daniel, the The Australian World Orchestra, and luthier Rainer Beilharz for making this possible. If anyone from Oz wants to hear this instrument, Dan will be playing it with the AWO in their Mahlerfest concerts in September.

Prints Available at www.architectureinmusic.com