[Leica] 80 Summilux R (was 'Am I being stupid? (R content)')

[kcarney1 at cox.net (Ken Carney)]

Here is what you need, Ted:

http://harrysproshop.com/Imagon/imagon.html

I had one of these in 250mm, for 4x5.  Basically, you rotated these 
things around that look like sink strainers until you get the "look" 
wanted.  Personally, I thought they made awful portraits - low contrast 
and soft wrinkles.  As an exception, it did work fine on young women 
with smooth complexions.   Now of course I would just do that in post if 
wanted.  I don't, but will go so far as to get rid of a really bad zit.

Ken

On 11/8/2010 1:57 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
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