Oftentimes, we walk into stores or shop online and are taken aback at how pricy certain things can be, musical instruments in particular. How many times have you looked at the cost of a piano, violin, or guitar and thought ‘wow, that’s a lot of money’? But the reality is that crafting such gorgeous instruments is a time-consuming, individualistic process and the price simply reflects the work being done. At least, that’s how James Jackman now feels after working with Preston Thompson Guitars for a recent shoot.
This was the first time working with this client and I had a great time learning about the guitar making process. I landed this job through a friend who is friends with one of the luthiers at Preston Thompson, Joel Chadd. In this case, I pitched to them, and based on my portfolio they were comfortable having me come in to shoot whatever I thought would be interesting or useful to illustrate the process.
I spent about five hours shooting in the workshop. The only COVID-based regulation was that I wore a mask the entire time.
During those five hours, James’ appreciation for the craft of guitar making grew immensely. Already someone who’s interested in woodworking, the South Florida-based photographer now understands just why some of these guitars come with four-figure (or higher) price tags.
I do not have a musical background in terms of playing an instrument, but I listen to a lot of blues guitar music. I definitely have an appreciation for woodworking, however.
View this post on InstagramI never knew a guitar could cost so much! After seeing the care and precision that goes into making such a fine instrument the price is more than justified.
And James’ own hard work is all over Preston Thompson’s Instagram page, with more of his shots to be featured on the company’s site soon. Who knows? Maybe for all his great work, James can get a discount on one of those understandably expensive guitars. At least he won’t get sticker shock next time around!
So far, the images are being used on their social media pages and will eventually make their way to the website.
See more of James’ work at jamesjackman.com.
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