What is a Beauty Dish ?

[Paramount bokeh]

Thanks for the replies. Alan – which book is it that you have showing his set up – I would like to get it. Many thank.

[soeren]

See link for examples of lighting including beauty dish.


http://strobox.com/

Perhaps the book "Hollywood Portraits" by Roger Hicks and Christopher Nisperos could be helpfull?

or try this thread
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...rrell-lighting

Beautydish

[Alan Gales]

Thanks for the replies. Alan – which book is it that you have showing his set up – I would like to get it. Many thank.

Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits by Mark A Vieira

[Alan Gales]

The book has a photo of Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone on the front jacket. It's a neat book that tells about Hurrell's professional life and there are a lot of photographs in it including a few of Hurrell with an actress. Of course you can see some of his equipment in these shots.

This book is not an instructional book at all.

[Alan Gales]

If you are trying to exactly reproduce what Hurrell did today it would be impossible. He purchased a huge batch of outmoded Eastman Commercial Ortho film from a wholesaler who wanted to unload it when panchromatic became available a year earlier. This is the film he used for most of his photography. He had huge ceilings in his studio on the Movie grounds and used Arc lights which are the same kind of lights which movie crews used to light sets to look like sunlight. Sometimes the amount of lights he used was unbelievable. All of his photographs are heavily retouched by retouch artists which was customary in the day.

There are books available that teach how to get that "Hollywood" look using hot lights or even strobes. You can get a very similar look today.

[Paramount bokeh]

Thanks Alan, – and thanks all for good advice. However, impossible is a word I don't recognise.
Cheers. PB.

[Jim Noel]

There's an error on MM??? No, can't be.

Oh, the shame of it all. We'll never live it down. Our reputation is ruined.

Back on topic... I don't think beauty dishes existed when Hurrell was working, did they?

- Leigh

Absolutely he used them. I have pics of him working and they are included. . They are for strobes, but they were first used with hot lights.

[C. D. Keth]

If you are trying to exactly reproduce what Hurrell did today it would be impossible. He purchased a huge batch of outmoded Eastman Commercial Ortho film from a wholesaler who wanted to unload it when panchromatic became available a year earlier. This is the film he used for most of his photography. He had huge ceilings in his studio on the Movie grounds and used Arc lights which are the same kind of lights which movie crews used to light sets to look like sunlight. Sometimes the amount of lights he used was unbelievable. All of his photographs are heavily retouched by retouch artists which was customary in the day.

There are books available that teach how to get that "Hollywood" look using hot lights or even strobes. You can get a very similar look today.

Why would that be impossible? You didn't say a single thing that's impossible.

[vinny]

What Chris said.
I know a guy who has a bunch of arc lights which still work. It's pretty rare but there are a few people who still use them on occasion.

[Alan Gales]

Why would that be impossible? You didn't say a single thing that's impossible.

I guess I should have been clearer. It would be impossible to exactly do everything the way Hurrell did it. It would be impossible to use the same film, lighting equipment, and professional retouchers that Hurrell used. Some of Hurrell's models actually had their vision permanently damaged from his lighting equipment.

As far as results go, sure you can approximate what he did if you have the room, equipment and learned to retouch negatives. You could also do it safely today.