Softening portraits

[Jehu]

I searched before starting a new thread. After almost 3 years of LF experience, I've finally got a darkroom going. It's kind of makeshift right now but I'm getting my workflow figured out before I start framing the walls. In doing so, I've noticed that I've become very reliant on Photoshop for softening my portraits. I know that portrait softening predates computers so there are probably some good techniques. A google search mostly yields digital methods. The few analog hits I got mentioned using panty-hose nylon as a diffuser.

I've only printed a couple of portraits so far. I'm not real happy with the results. They're kind of flat and muddy as far as tones go.

I could sure use some suggestions from those who have passed this way before.

[Jim Galli]

You can do much with lenses that are imperfect, ie. have some aberations. Use the Componon-S for the landscapes but for the portraits experiment with things that are less than perfect. One of my absolute favorites for this is the rear group from a Xenotar. A rear group from a large tessar might be a good place to start. Even an old 161mm Kodak enlarging lens will help a bit compared to a componon or Rogonar.

[Jehu]

Jim,
When I visited you last year, you put one of those soft lenses on one of your studio cameras and focused on the pickup in your back yard. I knew right then that I had better avoid that kind of photography because those old brass lenses would be worse than a drug addiction for me.

I wonder if there's a rear filter to create that kind of effect on one of my store-bought modern lenses.

[Brian C. Miller]

You can do it either in the camera or in the darkroom. There's a thread around here about filters, and the Zeiss Softar is at the top. Below that would be the Tiffen Soft/FX. There are a number of portrait lenses, and as Jim said, using a lens' rear group by itself can give you excellent results.

If you want to do it in the darkroom then you can hold a nylon stocking or other diffuser under the lens for half of the exposure.

[Mark Woods]

Portraiture is as much about the lighting as it is about the lens. Your comment about flat and muddy plays to the combination of lighting and development. Examine some of the great portraitists and look at the lighting. Karsh, Hurrel, Penn, Avedon are just a few. Enjoy the journey and your new darkroom. BTW, a stocking stretched in a needle point frame works well and is consistent.

[Jehu]

You can do it either in the camera or in the darkroom. There's a thread around here about filters, and the Zeiss Softar is at the top. Below that would be the Tiffen Soft/FX. There are a number of portrait lenses, and as Jim said, using a lens' rear group by itself can give you excellent results.

If you want to do it in the darkroom then you can hold a nylon stocking or other diffuser under the lens for half of the exposure.

The nylon stocking is probably what I'm going to try next. Is it best to put it right under the lens or should there be some distance? It seems like closer to the lens would minimize the effect and be easier to control.

[grahamcase]

You can also try the old vaseline trick. Slather some vaseline onto a UV filter on your lens, and photograph soft portraits to your hearts delight!

[Jehu]

You can also try the old vaseline trick. Slather some vaseline onto a UV filter on your lens, and photograph soft portraits to your hearts delight!

I've heard that you can use hair spray. I was going to experiment with that a little.

[Peter De Smidt]

In camera diffusion will spread the highlights in an image, whereas diffusion under the enlarger will spread the shadows. Both can be used to good effect. While it can be used both in camera and in the darkroom, you can also use the diffusion for part of the exposure, although that's harder in camera with portraiture.

The high end way to do this would be to use pencil/etching/dye on the negative. That's how many of the famous Hollywood portraits were done in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. See: http://www.seraphicpress.com/archive...ord_untouc.php That's a challenging skill to learn though.

How you light will also help. For example softer light will give less texture in the skin, as will moving the light closer to camera axis. Upping fill light will also help.

Finally, scanning, retouching digitally, and either outputting an inkjet print or a digital negative are also options.

[Mark Sawyer]

Keep in mind that most diffusion-during-enlargement techniques lower the contrast, some considerably, and you should adjust your film processing and printing accordingly.