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Thread: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

  1. #1
    ScottPhotoCo's Avatar
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    HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    Good afternoon all! Happy 2014!

    Over the past few years I have been experimenting with different processes (medium format film, large format film, wet-plate) and medias (traditional films, expired films, xray film, direct positive paper, aluminum, etc.) and am enjoing the learning process immensely. As I have been learning processes and experimenting I have been spending a lot of time looking at works by photographers and painters both current and historic trying to learn to "see" light, form and composition from a variety of different perspectives. It is now time for me to explore a new ideas in the art world of "...ism"s.

    The things I am going to be exploring and researching will be in the realms of pictorialism, tonalism, luminism and impressionism. Perhaps focusing more on the emotion than the object in an image. To actually begin my explorations I have purchased a 16" Kodak Portrait lens to experiment with.

    I have never made an image with a soft-focus lens so I would love any direction, technical or experience based that may help me skip some of the beginner mistakes that I'm sure to come upon.

    In my ideal world I would love this thread to be a place of conversation about the technical approaches and results of LFF member efforts as well as a place to discuss concepts, ideas and theory of the "...ism"s and how they may add to the efforts of making a successful contemporary image.

    Please don't jump in and talk about how much you may hate/dislike or oppose these images. There are tens of thousands of other threads that will be more up your alley. Let's make this thread a place of conversation, learning, good natured discussion of this particular topic.

    THANK YOU in advance!

    As I await my lens to arrive and am able to share images, here are some images that inspire me...

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  2. #2

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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    Tim,

    After pouring over many Pictorialist tomes in recent years, one thing I have concluded is that the printing processes mattered as much as, if not more than, the lenses that were used. This is one of the reasons why most contemporary uses of soft focus lenses tend to look nothing like the images you posted. (Of course, styles have changed, too.) This isn't to say we shouldn't be inspired by these past works, but trying to emulate them with "straight" modern printing or scanning techniques can be a frustrating exercise.

    Take the Karl Stuss image of the bridge (third from the top in your post). I'm pretty sure that if you stood in the same spot, at the same time of day, with the same camera and lens but shot it on T-Max and scanned the result you wouldn't come close to the look of the original. Conversely, if you took one of your own modern photographs and made a photogravure or gum-over-platinum print of it you would come closer to that look whether the lens used was soft focus or not.

    Anyway, just my two cents. I'm not an expert by any means, although I've developed a keen interest in this period of photography over the past few years after having been weaned on the Group f/64 ethos for far too long.

    Jonathan
    Last edited by jcoldslabs; 9-Jan-2014 at 19:42. Reason: Added info.

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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    To add a personal example to the mix, below is what I consider to be my most Pictorialist-ish image to date, and it was taken with a medium format plastic Diana camera on Plus-X that expired in 1978. Toning added in PS. I realize this contradicts what I said above about process vs. lenses, but in this case the combination of plastic camera and old film seems to have done the trick.

    (I realize this is no help at all in regard to your pending Kodak Portrait lens, but it adds to the discussion overall I hope).




    J.

  4. #4
    Jon Shiu's Avatar
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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    Very true that the printing/technique used is important. For example many times a paper negative was used and pencil used to enhance the image. See Creative Camera Art by Dr. Max Thorek.

    Jon
    my black and white photos of the Mendocino Coast: jonshiu.zenfolio.com

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    ScottPhotoCo's Avatar
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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    Thanks Gents! I appreciate the thoughts and feedback. Two approaches that I thought may assist in this exploration is utilization of the Harman Direct Positive Paper as well as wet-plate collodion. As I don't have a wet darkroom I will have to work with the tools that I have, and I will not resort to Photoshop as I take this journey...

    Also, film with sensitivity only to blue spectrum of light seems to more closely come to the feel of what I get when I look at photos such as these. X-ray film may come in handy.

  6. #6
    ScottPhotoCo's Avatar
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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

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    A few more that make we want to explore...

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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    I love this topic.

    For practical advice I've written about my reinhold wollaston meniscus which you could probably find in a couple minutes of searching. It's a heck of a challenge and requires you to actually burn some film, lots of film.

    You can make images exactly like the dead pictorialists did. It's about seeing light and dark and knowing how your lens will respond to your adjustments and scene.

    My eyes devour pictorialism books. It's closely related to impressionism as that was a popular art style in the late 1800's, and was often traditionally themed or allegorically themed. The themes went out the window after they became cliche'd and in the 20's we had sort of a pictorialism & modernism mashup which I love. Pictorialism is the style that brought allegory, emotions, abstraction, notan, and other great interesting things into photography. If you can visualize the shapes and tones in pictorialism camera-work, straight photography is a walk in the park. Common photo history from the perspective of Newhall seems to regard pictorialism as a fad. It was an epic transformation and teaching tool that informed/skilled the f64 crowd (which then took things in the other direction.)

    Read:
    Pictorialism into Modernism
    After the photo secession
    truth beauty
    aperture book about Clarence H White
    books on kasebier, Kuenh, mortensen, day, coburn, edward s curtis.

  8. #8
    ScottPhotoCo's Avatar
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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    I am enjoying this process of learning immensely! jp498 (sorry, I don't know your real name), can you share a link where I might find your writings on your reinhold wollaston meniscus?

    I am fortunate to live in SoCal and have access to so much art first-hand. I am also a "reader" at The Huntington Library so I can see original photographs up close by many of the photographers you mentioned. I also have books by Kasebier, Mortensen and Cameron (C. H. White on the way) and have access to original prints by Mortensen and Curtis at the Huntington. Super amazing.

    Thanks!


    Tim
    www.ScottPhoto.co

  9. #9
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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    Well, my first hurdle in mounting my 16" Portrait lens. May have to trim the top of the flange to fit the DD. Bummer.

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  10. #10
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    Re: HELP + REFERENCE – Using soft focus lenses – and the world of "...ism"s.

    I had a similar problem when I mounted a Pinkham Bi-Quality for a friend and rather than trim the mounting flange I was able to add a wood spacer underneath the flange. From the screw spacing on your flang it looks like it might work on your flange. I might have pictures, and will look to night when I get home. I would seriously avoid trimming the flange, but that's just me.

    Roger

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