Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/20

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Subject: [Leica] Self-Portratits - again?
From: pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig)
Date: Tue Jun 20 03:48:52 2006
References: <44932F79.303@summaventures.com> <CDB619EA-EEF6-485B-9A64-FB0F06C56CA4@pandora.be> <4495FB15.7040006@adrenaline.com> <4496EC5F.6010204@summaventures.com> <4497121A.90406@adrenaline.com>

Scott,

I have "Beaton" by James Danziger, published over here by Secker and Warburg 
and 
probably out of print by now, give to me in (I think) the early 80s. It 
covers 
all of his work, including his time in China, Burma, Libya (one in a field 
hospital that would make Ted proud) - he did a lot more than society 
portraits. 
You should give it a look. He was a man whose public image was coloured by 
those 
portraits, but who - in reality - was much more versatile. The page with the 
publication details carries a self-portrait which would certainly make the 
cut 
on the LUG. It's not the one you linked to, it's just casually lit in a 
studio 
in 1938. One wall looks to be a mirror and he is shooting with what looks 
like a 
TLR on a tripod.

Peter

Scott McLoughlin wrote:

> Peter Dzwig wrote:
> Like "Beatonesque"! What were you doing??
> --------
> Thanks for looking. Peter, I was copying a Cecil Beaton portrait
> of course :-)  I could also say I was practicing for a portrait project
> of my relatives. Anyway, there's a health context to the
> pic too, but see the response to Philippe's message for that.
> 
> I received a lovely book, "Beaton Portraits" editted by a Terence
> Pepper for my b'day a year ago. Right away, I loved the hard
> lighting he used for (many/most of) his portraits. From  a
> modern portraiture pov, kind of a "softbox-be-damned"
> aesthetic :-)  So there's a portrait of Cecil Day-Lewis, and I copied
> the lighting and the sitting arrangement.
> 
> Found a small pic of Beaton's original portrait online:
> http://www.npg.org.uk/live/OC_Data/images/weblg/2/6/mw67926.jpg
> 
> Books on the table. A black sheet for the background; lighting ratios
> and distance make sure the sheet comes out nice
> and black.
> 
> Then there are two inexpensive Alien Bees AB800's. One camera
> right for some short lighting (shoot the shadow side) and another
> dialed back some positioned at camera right and behind the subject
> (me, in this case).  The lighting isn't exactly the same, but it's pretty
> close. I smoke, and I didn't go for the smoke look in the original,
> which too bad. Also my head is turned a bit too much, but hey, it's
> all in fun.
> 
> Then I had some fun with the extended left hand :-)
> 
> I used photo books for the books, and the main book
> in front of me is, in fact, the "Beaton Portraits" volume,
> but opened to Beaton's remarkable portrait of Gwili Andre:
> 
> http://users.raketnet.nl/aureus.lux/images/Gwili_Andre-Cecli_Beaton.jpg
> 
> Also, some might recognize the corners of Sturge's controversial
> "Radiant Identities" and Thornton's "Edge of Darkness."
> 
> Anyway, I wish I had powdered my nose!  Everytime I
> see this pic, I think I'll digitally clone over the blown highlight
> on the nose, but I never quite get around to it :-)
> 
> Scott
> 
>>
>>
>> Scott McLoughlin wrote:
>>
>>> Ooo, oh - I have a couple of SP's too :-)
>>>
>>> http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps/Scott/slides/CircleMirror.html
>>> http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps/Scott/slides/Beatonesqe_1.html
>>> http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps/Scott/slides/Pissed.html
>>>
>>> No Leica shots on hand, but.....
>>>
>>> Scott
>>>
>>>
>>>  > Another SP for the LUG collection. Summer portraits guys?
>>>  >
>>>  > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album293/ 
>>> SelfPortraitwithGlassesMurano200605_001
>>>  >
>>>  > Leica M3 5cm Sumitar f5.6 1/30th KOdak BW 400CN
>>>  >
>>>  > Peter Dzwig
>>>  >
>>>  >
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> 


Replies: Reply from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] Self-Portratits - again?)
In reply to: Message from pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig) ([Leica] Self-Portratits - again?)
Message from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) ([Leica] Self-Portratits - again?)
Message from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] Self-Portratits - again?)
Message from pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig) ([Leica] Self-Portratits - again?)
Message from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] Self-Portratits - again?)