Soft-Focus Lens Examples

[Bob Salomon]

Edmund Rice (c. 1594 – 3 May 1663) landed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in summer or fall of 1638 leaving Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. I am one of 2.7 million descendants. Amazingly, of all the millions, I am the most like him in facial features. A Velostigmat ll 14inch with diffusion feature at f8.

Attachment 200932

So, how and when did you end up in Canada?

[Jim Galli]

Edmund Rice (c. 1594 – 3 May 1663) landed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in summer or fall of 1638 leaving Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. I am one of 2.7 million descendants. Amazingly, of all the millions, I am the most like him in facial features. A Velostigmat ll 14inch with diffusion feature at f8.

Wow! You are a dead ringer for old Edmund. I thought it was his ghost. That velo did a fine job. A fine job indeed.

[cowanw]

Kind of you to say.
Thanks

[cowanw]

To see the family similarities, this is one of the 10th generation of North Americans descending from Deacon Edmund Rice who arrived from England in 1638. I say North Americans because for some unknown reason on about 1817, there was a move to Canada from Vermont by Asa Noble Rice.
This is taken with a Wollensak Series two Velostigmat 16 inch with diffusion at F6.

[Jody_S]

...on about 1817, there was a move to Canada from Vermont by Asa Noble Rice.

Can't imagine why. While most Americans see our culture as remarkably similar with but a few historical divergences. the reality is that our cultures are remarkably similar with very few divergences.

[cowanw]

Russia's Tsar Nicholas and Great Britain's George V were almost identical twins in appearance and often mistaken one for another. Closely related, and both monarchs of their countries their lives took very different turns in World War One. Oddly though, rumour has it that they were both killed by their own governments. Nicholas's death is well known but George was possibly given extra morphine in order to time things so that the announcement of his death was first announced in the Times rather than the daily tabloids of the time. Through the magic of Jim Galli's little green men the first image is done with an early (serial number under 100) 20 inch 500 mm F7 Ilex Caltar and the second image with a late serial number 20 inch 500 mm F7 Ilex Caltar. Lynn Jones, who was involved at the time these lens were made for and sold by Calumet, briefly mentions them in an article in the Jan/Feb 1996 View Camera magazine. He is quoted as saying "The early offerings were variable in quality but by 1967 they were uniformly excellent." That being the case I guess the first lens is of poorer quality and qualifies as softer.
King George V attending the site of the disaster at Cadeby Colliery in July 1912



Nicholas and his family was incarcerated at Tsarskoe Selo in the spring of 1917. Apparently Nicholas rather enjoyed chopping wood to pass the time.



It takes a better photographer than this royal photographer to tell the difference between early and late 20" Caltars

[Mael]

Plastic magnifier duct-taped on a Speed Graphic Anniversary lensboard, calculated focal length and aperture approx 200mm at f/8, Fortepan 400

[Andrew Plume]

Sir, that's brilliant - I can detect that although this is your first post on here, you're very well versed in portraits, terrific indeed

regards

Andrew

[Mael]

Thanks !

Another one from my archives, Verito 9 inch at full aperture, Speed Graphic Anniversary, TXP.

[Mael]

Crappy M42 Polaris 135mm f/1.8 mounted in reverse position on Speed Graphic