Portrait of a lady photographer

Graf variable anastigmat is known as a soft focus lens that can cotrol

softness. But I could not find the way how to do it. This was done

without control: it's a sharp lens.

A beautiful portrait.

 

What is interesting to me is the plane of focus. Her hands and cane are slightly out of focus, but then in what must be only about four inches back, the image comes into focus, then the back of the chair and her shoulders are outside the depth of field.

 

Did you shoot this with the lens fully stopped down to f/4.5?

 

Thank you, Jim. It would be by the tilt effect: her sleeves and the front end balls of the chair are in focus. Aperture was F8 approx. and the depth of focus of large format lens is usually more effective in front than in the back. Also done by lens cap exposure as this lens was very big.

She, age late 60s, needs a cane in walking but still has a SLR camera always on her shoulder.

That this is a lens cap exposure makes it even more interesting to me.

 

If you don't mind another question or two...how long was the exposure time, and what kind of lighting did you use...hot lights? I seem to see reflections or catchlights in the balls on the chair, but I see no catchlights in her eyes or reflections on her glasses, and the shadows and the hot spot on top of her head seem to indicate that the lighting was above her eye level...so I'm trying to figure out how you did this shot.

Hello, Jim.

Exposure time might be minimum 1/2 second or longer, because lens was too big. So I had to stop down the aperture to f8 or more, or I put the light partly off, as it was too much for lens cap exposure.

The lighting was the standard commercial studio's. It was always ready to accept cliants and could chose back ground sheets by the help of studio master. Frankly speaking, I didn't pay any attention to eye catch nor to the subject lady herseld, as I had to concentrate to the shutter work not to give shock to the camera.

Thank you for your attention. Please check others by your professional eyes.