Filters for people photography

[carl_crosby3]

I have read that in Black and White photography, a blue filter will

give "more pleasing" flesh tones. Is this because many skin blemishes

have a reddish component to their coloration, and blue filters block

red, making some blemishes less noticeable? Could a blue filter be

used in conjunction with , say, a Tiffen softnet filter to further

deemphasize blemishes, freckles, scars, etc? The manufacturers seem

to make very few blue filters nowadays--could the 80A Daylight-to-

tungsten balancing filter be used with success? If not,

recommendations, please.

Also, for color: what sort of a warming filter can be used to move

the flesh tones from the normal pasty white to a more pleasing

tonality? Would something as light as the Skylight 1B work, or is

something stronger called for? I assume (a dangerous word) that the

Tiffen softnet filters could be used also to soften and minimize

blemishes. Has anyone had experience in these areas? Thanks

[hudsonphotos]

"in Black and White photography, a blue filter will give "more pleasing" flesh tones. Is this because many skin blemishes have a reddish component to their coloration, and blue filters block red, making some blemishes less noticeable?"

 

There's no color in black & white so that wouldn't have anything to do with it. Some people use a Tiffen Green filter to smooth out contract on people (and scenics).

 

For color I like the Tiffen 812 warming filter. If using print film tell your lab not to adjust for the filter or else they'll cover up the gold tone with more blue and you won't get any filter effect. The 812 works great with slide film where the lab can't screw with what you originally intended to do.

 

Have fun!

[bob_horner]

Light or medium yellow filters usually work best at reducing red blemishes in my experience. B+W does make two blue filters for Black and White, #080 and 081.

[jeannie]

<i>I have read that in Black and White photography, a blue filter will give "more pleasing" flesh tones. Is this because many skin blemishes have a reddish component to their coloration, and blue filters block red, making some blemishes less noticeable?</i>

<BR><BR>

Black and white filters lighten their own color and darken their complement color. In the case of the blue filter, it lightens blue, and darkens red. If you want to reduce the appearance of blemishes, you probably *don't* want to use a blue filter. On the other hand, if the subject has really good skin or good makeup, a blue filter can be used to create that "old Hollywood" look in which women have dark red lips (from the red lipstick).

<BR><BR>

<a href="http://photographytips.com/page.cfm/300">Just one of many info sites on filters.</a>

[lacey_smith4]

yes, read and experiment. remember, as mentioned above, that the filter will darken the complement, and lighten the same color. So a blue will accentuate red markings/blemishes/blood-shot eyes, also darken red lipstick (if you have the flawless face model, and want the 40's lipstick "pop" effect). Red hair will darken with blue, (with a red filter, look blond). I addition to the "beauty" looks mentioned, some would blue use to accentuate the ruddy/husky/character written face of older men (the Earnest Hemingway portrait).

 

However, much of the need to accentuate colors has diminished with more modern films and better contrast and printing control, though the yellow-orange-red spectrum stays around as a way of reducing blemishes and lines in fair skinned people. Bluish eye shadow will darken a bit, etc. Of course, in the extreme, deep red and IR film gives that "dreamy" white complexion.

 

Also, remember that the glamour/Hollywood portraits taken in the 30's often was on a more orthochromatic film (sensitivity shifted towards blue), and I think only Agfa Ortho (if still available) approaches this spectrum.

 

Take a dozen pictures, most of us would have some difficulty establishing filters used in the shot, unless they are side by side, and a color photo in the mix. For simply pleasing effect mild yellow/orange at most, for drama, try either extreme.

[jkantor]

Those models also used very heavy makeup.

[henk]

Carl,

 

With a blue filter you will emphasize the veins, not a very good thing. You should get a yellow of even better a yellow/green filter. I use a light yellow/green alot, lightens the skintones and evens out exessive redness/veins/marks etc. A yellow also works well with people with very dark complexion.

 

Greetings,

[henk]

Forgot something, if you have to compensate really dark veins, a blue could be preferred over a yellow/green(which is a yellow with a little blue in there also).

 

Greetings,

[carl_crosby3]

Thank you all for your responses. BOY, how DID I ever get that mixed up? That is what I like about the forum, somebody will know the solution to a perplexing problem. As for the earlier comment that "there is no color in black and white, so that would have nothing to do with it." Interpreting colors in a pleasing way as a black and white photo IS what it is all about. It reduces our efforts to a stark image, which doesn't have color to distract from any major flaws. You have to be GOOD to do good black and white. Maybe one day... anyhow, thank you all. Until next time.. CC

[R Jeezy]

<p>Panchromatic film:<br>

-rugged caucasian men - green filters will make white guys with beards look really "weatherbeaten". Like twenty years ago I worked at one of the last traditional photo shops around Ottawa and we stocked, for consumers, all the Ilford papers, films, etcetera (even filter kits for Multigrade paper and all the Cibachrome stuff... wow). Anyway there was a neat kit in a binder they used to send out with all the films, developed on all their developers and printed on all their papers - REALLY handy to see how all the B&W films interact in the chain of development (although obviously all with Ilford materials), but one of the most striking prints in the whole pack was this Ernest Hemingway looking dude shot on Delta 400, developed with Perceptol and printed on some fibre stock with a contrast grade I can't remember. Straight head-and-shoulder shot, and one of the most striking portraits I've ever seen. Anyway, with all the above said, and from my own experiences...</p>

<p>-for "tough" guys (interpret that as you will) - varying degrees of green filters depending on their complexion. Remember that blemishes, freckles, skin tones in general, so on, will be smoothed in increasing degrees by yelloe/orange/red filtration, and enhanced by degrees of green. So the popular yellow/green filter will make those guys look *a little* more "rugged" than usual... but will not make have any flattering effects on any women that may happen to be in the picture with them. Keep this in mind. The more green, the more rugged they will generally appear. Remember to compensate exposure accordingly.</p>

<p>-most caucasian women - experiment around with yellow/orange/red filters. I found middle orange (2 stops compensation) the most flattering overall for portraits, as it will help mask blemishes (freckles and so on) while still preserving enough tonality to make a somewhat natural picture. Depending on skin tone (Oriental skin tones) dark Yellow filters can achieve similar results as well. Standard yellow filters are better than nothing for women but aren't as effective as the orange ones. Red filters will almost remove any hint of skin blemishes, but also leave skin (male or female) with almost no tone whatsoever and often a weird "glow" that looks unnatural. Keep in mind too, the eye colour of the subject - hazel eyes and such work well with yellow/orange/red filters as the same filter effect that is lightening and reducing any of their blemishes is also lightening their eyes, but if your subject has green or blue eyes, those will be darkened with the above filters. In instances like this, if you do not want the eyes to appear either very dark or totally black, only makeup can be used as mentioned above.</p>

<p>*ADVISORY* I have actually never shot portraits other than for caucasians or orientals; so use what has been said above as a guide for those skin types.</p>

<p>-Ortho film:</p>

<p>Be prepared to use a lot of makeup, and be prepared to have a look reminiscent of the "glamour" shots of the 20's/30'/40's. Remember that, considering ortho film isn't sensitive to reds at all, things like lips for women will just be rendered as straight black. Not undesirable for glamour shots. But also consider that any freckles, zits, or other blemishes, being mostly orange or red, will likely come out black. The bonus is, considering ortho film's extreme blue sensitivity, if you take the time to cover over any potential skin imperfections, if the model's eyes happen to be blue they will be very nicely lightened - again, look at old glamour photos for examples. Ortho film also tends to be very slow and razor sharp too though, so be don't skimp when doing the makeup!</p>

<p>Developers will not (in my experience) affect the colour balance or spectral sensitivity of the film you are using, so use them how you would previously have used them - Rodinal will still give razor-sharp acutance and D76 will still give flat and balanced negatives and so on and so forth. When taking the actual shot you will need to compensate for exposure though, so try and try and see what works (especially for portraits, the filter factor is not always perfect, especially depending on the lighting used - but it is often a good starting point to gauge exposure).<br>

Good luck :D</p>