Grand Piano Photoshoot with Professional Pianoist - Cecilia Ratna

Cecilia Ratna is a professional pianist who needed a portrait for her upcoming concert poster. Time was tight — she had students arriving at her home soon after our session — but we made the most of it.

We used one of her grand pianos as the centerpiece, and Cecilia was wonderfully cooperative, even helping to clear the area so we could set up. The biggest challenges were the angles and lighting, so I brought in professional lighting to ensure her portraits matched the standard required for a concert poster.

We explored a few styles: formal, approachable, and later, at her request, a more serious tone. This gave us a good variety to choose from. I was completely undecided whether she should smile with her teeth showing or not — both versions looked equally charming.

Beyond the shoot itself, Cecilia’s warmth stood out. She even bought us a meal with many different dishes, a gesture that made the session feel more like a collaboration than just a job.

In the end, the portraits captured her artistry, professionalism, and personality — a fitting reflection of a musician preparing to take the stage.