Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2017/06/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Thu, 8 Jun 2017 "Ted Grant" <tedgrant at shaw.ca>wrote: >Hi Alan, >Very beautiful "BUTTERFLY LIGHTING!" >I'm not sure whether it's my eyes failing? Computer screen failing? Your >lens creating the super gentle "softness" I think I'm observing overall??? >But I see it as a plus factor in the attractiveness of this lady subject? >But it's much like a super gentle glow??? >Now if nobody else see's this effect??? I guess I'm gone to the "Great >Spirit's" land and haven't realized it yet! >Regardless? I see a photo of a very attractive female portrait! Good on you! >cheers, >Dr. ted O.C. =========================================================================================================================== Thanks, Dr. Ted. Your eyes are fine. I purposely used a ca. 1910 9" f/4 Wollensak Verito Diffused Focus lens for this picture because I like the combination of sharpness overall with a bit of glow, especially in the highlights. The best stop for this is f/11. Anything from f/4 to f/8 is too soft. The aperture blades in this old lens are getting irregular, so I cut a piece of black paper with an f/11 opening and inserted it next to the diaphragm. In 1985 I found this lens at a camera store with a tag that said "paperweight?" and at a price of $12.50 USD. I knew what this lens could do so I snapped it up, and the next day went out and bought a 1909 4x5 Revolving Back Graflex to use it on. To make it more useful, I added electronic flash X-synch by using slot car pickups and microswitches on the mirror cocking mechanism (so a 100-year-old camera can use the latest studio strobes). I think Veritos are going for more than twelve dollars these days. ...oh, at the same time I bought this lens I also purchased a brass French Victorian focusing loupe for another $12.50 USD. I guess the store didn't know what they had. -- Alan Alan Magayne-Roshak, Senior Photographer University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Photo Services (Retired) UPAA Photographer of the Year 1978 UPAA Master of the Profession 2014 amr3 at uwm.edu http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/ "All the technique in the world doesn't compensate for an inability to notice. " - Elliott Erwitt