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Razor sharp optics are great unless, that is, you're photographing the love of your life. In those instances, you might want to borrow her pantyhose. A flattering portrait is often praised for its soft lighting, good angle, and natural expression. You'll rarely hear a subject rave about a picture that highlights her pores, wrinkles, and blemishes. Sometimes, modern camera lenses can be too sharp! A popular solution used by pros is what's known as a softening or diffusion filter. Simply put, these accessories attach to the front of the camera lens and downplay the appearance of texture on the face. The wrinkles don't go away; you simply don't notice them as much. These specialized filters can cost as much as $200 and are difficult to find for less than $20. Plus, if you use a variety of lenses for your portrait photography, you might have to buy more than one filter to fit the different lens diameters. That's fine if you shoot portraits for a living. But what if you just want to take a nice shot of your sweetie? Ask her for her pantyhose. That's right, by stretching a piece of light beige pantyhose over the front of your lens and securing it with a strong rubber band, you can create the same flattering effect achieved in professional portraits. The more tightly you stretch the material, the milder the effect the looser the material, the softer the image. You can capture good portraits without filtration, as shown in Figure 3-11, if you use good technique. But there will be situations in which you'll want to add a little softening effect, as shown in Figure 3-12 using a pantyhose filter. Be sure to keep a knee-high stocking, along with a couple sturdy rubber bands, in your camera bag for just these occasions. I actually prefer knee-highs to pantyhose, because I don't have to cut the material. One knee-high fits nicely in my accessory pouch. And it doesn't run or unravel, because I haven't had to trim it. For best results with this technique, I recommend the following camera setup: Figure 3-11. A portrait without filtrationFigure 3-12. A portrait using a pantyhose filter
If you don't get the results you like with one pair of pantyhose, try another with a different weave or thread count. You'll be amazed by the results. Derrick Story |
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