Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/19

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Subject: [Leica] Self-Portratits - again?
From: scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)
Date: Mon Jun 19 14:07:52 2006
References: <44932F79.303@summaventures.com> <CDB619EA-EEF6-485B-9A64-FB0F06C56CA4@pandora.be> <4495FB15.7040006@adrenaline.com> <4496EC5F.6010204@summaventures.com>

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


-- 
Pics @ http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps
Leica M6TTL, Bessa R, Nikon FM3a, Nikon D70, Rollei AFM35
(Jihad Sigint NSA FBI Patriot Act)



Replies: Reply from pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig) ([Leica] Self-Portratits - again?)
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?)