Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/11/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Today you can do that with negative Clarity in LR. It does wonders for wrinkles ;-) Now you can start with a really sharp lens and go either way! Tina On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 2:57 PM, <tedgrant at shaw.ca> wrote: > Jim Nichols offered: > Subject: Re: [Leica] 80 Summilux R (was 'Am I being stupid? (R content)') > > > Thanks for the advice, Ted. I can only speak from my experience with >> family members, and from comments from my late father-in-law, who had a >> small studio where he shot 5x7 negatives in B&W, and retouched the >> negatives >> with very sharp pencils. He knew how to get return business from his >> female >> customers, which was to make them look good. ;-)<<<< >> > > Hi Jim, > > Aaaaahhhh the good old days of 5X7 film portraits, negative retouching with > the lightness of a feather to skin! :-) > > One thing I never learned to do, retouching! Because, apart from the 4X5 > size of the Speed Graphic the largest film size I ever exposed, always news > events not requiring retouching. The rest of the career was 2 1/4, > predominantly 35mm. The one time I tried retouching I ended with a > transformation from a pretty looking young woman almost to a Boris Karloff > monster. Game over forget this stuff. :-) > > Today however in photography, it appears most photos, studio or street are > crispy sharp compared to the soft gentle beauties of the bygone eras. It is > interesting to visit a friends home and see portraits taken 40-50 years ago > or longer and see the "gentle softness" of those days. Created by lens or > retouching. Or both! > > On a few occasions I'd put a clear filter on a lens, rub my finger around > my face and forehead which would pick-up some normal skin oil residue and > rub it on the filter for a softening effect of sorts. I know of some folks > who'd smear Vaseline on a filter. To me it was always way to much. > > But there are some classical ladies of age today who like to have the > youthful touch in softening the character of a few wrinkles. Or shall we > say, "the beauty of aging !" :-) > > cheers, > ted > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: <tedgrant at shaw.ca> > >> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> >> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 12:18 PM >> Subject: Re: [Leica] 80 Summilux R (was 'Am I being stupid? (R content)') >> >> >> Jim Nicchols offered: >>> >>>> "Mark, >>>> >>>> It sounds like you don't shoot many portraits of women, else you would >>>> also >>>> add that the portrait lens cannot be razor sharp in all details. This >>>> is >>>> why older lenses find favor with those who specialize in this >>>> market.<<<<<<, >>>> >>> >>> And Mark in rebuttal offered: >>> >>>> I shot mainly women and after a while diffused none of them and had no >>>>>> "old" >>>>>> >>>>> glass to use on them. >>>> I just image Googled Karsh (who did photography quite a few women), and >>>> Penn, and Avedon and the gals were just as sharp as the guys. Karsh's >>>> shot of >>>> >>> < George Bernard Shaw seems a bit soft maybe from what I can >>> >>>> see.<<<<<<<< >>>> >>> >>> It didn't make any difference to Karsh... it was sharp, male or female or >>> into file 13 which eventually went to the scrap heap.As much as my >>> comments >>> about Karsh may have some folks wonder how I can, It's simply because his >>> brother Malak and Karsh were friends of mine for a number of years. Malak >>> and myself were assigned to work on the same subject in photographing the >>> tourist beauties of Canada several times over the years. He in one part >>> of >>> the country, I in another. With great sessions upon returning comparing >>> each >>> others photography. >>> >>> I was a guest in both of Karsh's Ottawa studios, the old original on >>> Spark's Street and the new one in the Chateau! Assigned to shoot a >>> series >>> on his new wife in their home in the suburbs of Ottawa shortly after they >>> were married. KARSH without question demanded of the society editor he >>> approve any and all pictures before publication. That was before he >>> knew I >>> was the photographer for the assignment. And in his position he demanded >>> that kind of control from publications and got it. >>> >>> When I was told this by the editor, I said "forget it, just tell him it's >>> me doing the assignment and no he isn't going to approve any of my >>> pictures >>> as, "I don't have to approve any of his!" Jokingly of course. :-) Editor >>> not >>> knowing we were acquaintances was shocked and near died! I of course was >>> being slightly facetious with a smile. So while I was in the editors >>> office >>> she called and spoke with KARSH. His response? >>> >>> "Why didn't you tell me Ted Grant was the photographer and we wouldn't be >>> wasting my valuable time now!" >>> >>> End of KARSH approving any photographs without even seeing them until >>> published! :-) Estralita didn't have any problem as she knew me through >>> visits and seeing some of my published photos. Wonderful, kind lady to >>> shoot >>> with. >>> >>> But his pictures were sharp regardless the old wives tale of "ladies >>> like soft lenses" not to show their wrinkles! Which to some degree >>> indicate >>> beautiful character! ! :-) >>> >>> cheers, >>> Dr. ted :-) >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- Tina Manley, ASMP www.tinamanley.com