Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Thanks I will, I was down to one light.
Shooting my 14-1/2" Cooke Series II in a few minutes. I won't bore people with more Plastica images, but she never blinks.
Today I will end up all white backdrop. It's not adjustable and I cannot move it very much at all. More adjustable lights soon!
But first my models want a printing session with their 6x9 images.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gandolfi
Randy: try to set a little back lightning - that usually give more "clear" result...
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
My mother's brother was too young for the Second World War, but joined in time for Korea.
Here he is as seen through a 15 Inch Gundlach Portrait No.5 Series A at F5.6
Attachment 119228
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Cooke Series II 10-1/2" WO SF setting 3 refocused light yellow filter. 4x5 HP5 Rodinal 1/50 12 minutes tray shuffle.
Attachment 119229
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Randy Moe
Cooke Series II 10-1/2" WO SF setting 3 refocused light yellow filter. 4x5 HP5 Rodinal 1/50 12 minutes tray shuffle.
Nice one, Randy!
Jonathan
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Excellent mix of shapes and tones Randy, and the glow in the eye makes it even nicer.
Bill, the lighting is real nice on the guy's face. I'm not in love with how the out of focus foreground rendered in that for some reason.
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Thanks guys, I am happy with this image as is.
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Hi Randy. That is the characteristic soft focus of the Cooke, and it is really, really lovely!
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Thanks Tim, I just don't know as I am new to SF, I have shot RB 150SF medium format and Kodak Portrait 305, but I have trouble focusing those. I consider this my first successful SF image, but I think most people here prefer Petzval...
Each to their own and I always ride into the wind.
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Randy, if you don't mind some more commentary on it... What makes it successful rather than eye candy is an aspect of what is needed to make any soft or sharp photo successful; the composition and selection of tones is really pleasing. Multi-tone notan Arthur Wesley Dow would have said while teaching the famous photographers of a hundred years ago. When we use sharp lenses we as photographers or views get distracted away from this and hone in on details, etc... rather than the basics like this.
On the kodak 305, focus on the nose tip rather than eye. The focusing is tricky.
Re: Soft-Focus Lens Examples
Well, I've never heard of it, but there should be some descriptors for different types of soft focus. I would call this portrait Sf as opposed to pictorialist, which is almost misty, with heavy diffusion. Like shooting in fog. When I first got my cooke and heliar I was confused because I expected a lot more diffusion, but you will quickly come to love the roundness and tones of this lens for portraits. For the pictorialist stuff try a wolloston meniscus, (or tape a magnifying glass on to a shutter).