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Anna, Portrait (2)
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:26 am    Post subject: Anna, Portrait (2) Reply with quote
Sometimes the correct focus is not the right focus... :



Planar 1.4/85 on 5D


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting expression in this shot and love the bokeh'd BG. This is my
fave of the two (so far).


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, great soft focus!


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Esox lucius wrote:
Yes, great soft focus!


The interesting thing is, there is no filter or other trickery, it's just a front focused photo. If you look, the necklace is more or less in focus (real focus is probably even before the necklace).
But the resulting look, is that of soft focus, but without the halos that you get with filters.
I admit it was casual, I wish I did study this. It deserves to be tried again and pursued, I mean, to focus elsewhere on the figure and leave face is that area which is not focus and not yet blur.
I totally love this effect. Much "cozier" and warm than any filter (let alone postproduction). It doesn't feel fake and lying as the filters. It feels alive. Filters look like makeup, this doesn't.
It even feels like the hair are waving in space.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, emotion over technical perfection + understanding of the equipment = Excellent photograph


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I agree Orio, front focused makes for nicer look than filter.

I accidentally discovered it when I started shooting low light portraits with manual focus lenses. I need to dig into archives and post pics in some other thread.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
great, I like the front focus result!


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This I really like Exclamation


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's a good shot!


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great serendipity in this shot.
She is a really charming model.
I hope you can shoot with her some "envirenmental" type portraits.
You know in a crowded cafe, bar, or shopping area. The thing that would make this shot really alive is a better sense of place.
She has motion from the soft focus and position of her arms,hair, and eyes especially but, the place does not invoke imagination of what she might be doing or feeling.

Orio, Try www.ModelMayhem.com to find models to trade time with. There should be many in your area (or at least Milan) that need help with their Port.
It could be a great chance to expand what you seem to be very adept at.
It's a networking site for Models/Photogs/MU designers etc...


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very cool and a very subtle effect I noticed similar effect a while ago when I took a picture of some flowers but this is much better and probably more useful too, would be good to see a few more Orio if you can manage, btw I also prefer this image to the first though both are very fine Very Happy


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
F16SUNSHINE wrote:
Great serendipity in this shot.
She is a really charming model.
I hope you can shoot with her some "envirenmental" type portraits.
You know in a crowded cafe, bar, or shopping area. The thing that would make this shot really alive is a better sense of place.
She has motion from the soft focus and position of her arms,hair, and eyes especially but, the place does not invoke imagination of what she might be doing or feeling.
Orio, Try www.ModelMayhem.com to find models to trade time with. There should be many in your area (or at least Milan) that need help with their Port.
It could be a great chance to expand what you seem to be very adept at.
It's a networking site for Models/Photogs/MU designers etc...


Thanks Andy. She is my favourite model between those that I have done sessions with so far. Unfortunately, she is a professional, and to hire her for the type of photos that you mention, would cost me an arm and a leg. So I resort to these group sessions, in which of course I have restraints and I can not always pose her in the place and the way I want.

Thanks also for the link. Interesting! I'll check it out.
Maybe f I could find some other photographer to share the expense with... Alessandro?? Smile


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lovely portrait Orio. Funny how we all learn something new all the time. Thanks for the sample


patrickh


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice. I prefer this one ... it's an interesting observation about the focus.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
PaulC wrote:
Very nice. I prefer this one ... it's an interesting observation about the focus.


Isn't it?

I think it's really this type of details that make the difference.

I don't think that any of the real masters used soft filters or trickeries... and yet you see such pleasing female portaits from the old masters... it's all in the focus ! In the exposure, and in the focus. No tricks. Only cheap magazine photographers use tricks of filters. Masters use the focus and the exposure:

http://thelookdesign.com/jb/edouard_boubat_lella.htm

I think that computers spoiled us to take shortcuts too often. Shortcuts are compromises. Compromises are a good tool in everyday life but not in the arts, because they affect the artistic result.
We should think more of what we are doing instead of just doing and thinking "I'll fix that in PP".

The focus is a very powerful expressive instrument. We use just a few notes of it: putting subject in focus, and then "play with the bokeh". But there is more to do. There is so much potential. We should exercise the full scale not only the most usual notes.


PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I wonder what the effect would be if you took a sharply focused neg and defocused slightly on the enlarger.

Wouldn't that be a bit like applying a gaussian blur in PS?

Sadly I can't try it because I can get hold of an enlarger anywhere.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
PaulC wrote:
I wonder what the effect would be if you took a sharply focused neg and defocused slightly on the enlarger.
Wouldn't that be a bit like applying a gaussian blur in PS?


Well, I'm no scientist to know exactly how the Gaussian blur works, but for sure, if you defocus the enlarger, blurred it will look ! Laughing
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