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  #1  
Old 14th May 2020, 03:20 PM
samcal samcal is offline
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Default How to achieve a soft and dreamy look when handprinting

Hi! Hope everyone is doing well!

I have been shooting medium format (Mamiya RZ67 Pro II) for some time now. I would love to start getting into making handprints but have no experience in this at all.

I was wondering if anybody would be able to help me out at all by giving me some tips on how to achieve a soft and dreamy look like these images:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Q3eMABe16/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ZSwLGgVsy/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9w_UUogfwO/

Is this effect created more so when taking the photo by using a particular lens/filter or in the darkroom by using a certain type of paper/technique?

Thanks!

P.S. I am new to this site so apologies if I have posted incorrectly.
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Old 14th May 2020, 10:26 PM
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Bob Bob is offline
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Welcome aboard.

I think the same look would be achieved by diffusing in the darkroom (I have no idea how these particular images were created - presumably digitally).

Putting a diffuser over the taking lens blurs the highlights into the shadows whereas doing the same under the enlarger lens does the opposite - blurs the shadows into the highlights. This is particularly visible in the last of the images you link to. I think the first one shows it too but I have ony tried it with b&w so am not sure how it looks in colour. The middle one looks like a plastic lens or standard diffusion at the time of taking the image. But I stand to be corrected - they are small images and I do not use Instagram so cannot log in to see larger versions (just getting my excuses in early! )

You would typically only use the diffuser under the enlarger lens for a part of the exposure depending on how noticeable you wanted the effect to be.

Last edited by Bob; 14th May 2020 at 10:36 PM.
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Old 14th May 2020, 11:01 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Hi and welcome to the forum.

Bob's covered it really. And in addition, I think I've seen special soft focus lenses for the mamiya from time to time. Although this would be a more expensive route.
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Old 15th May 2020, 08:28 AM
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As per the other replies, there are a few ways you can do this.
In camera: You can buy ready made soft focus filters, but you shouldn't yet because you still aren't sure what you want. Use a cheapo UV or skylight filter and smudge it. Hairspray or Vaseline, and you can make all or part of the image soft. It lets you play with degrees of softness. On occasion I've just steamed up the lens by breathing on it, then as the fog clears picked the moment to expose. If done in camera the result is always that highlights spread into shadows, making them 'glow'.

The alternative is to diffuse in the darkroom. Same deal- use a filter which has been smeared, or very fine gauze (nick the wife/girlfriends tights) over the lens during printing. The difference is that because you're going negative to positive, the diffused light produces dark halos, where shadows bleed into highlights. Very different effect, and one you'll see less often.
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Old 15th May 2020, 10:30 AM
big paul big paul is offline
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I have been using my softer 111 filter and putting it under my enlarging lens when printing ,if you move it about as you expose the paper you will get more softness ,or do what the old pro,s used to do and just before you take the photo breathe on the lens .
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Old 15th May 2020, 11:03 AM
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vanannan vanannan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by samcal View Post
Hi! Hope everyone is doing well!

I have been shooting medium format (Mamiya RZ67 Pro II) for some time now. I would love to start getting into making handprints but have no experience in this at all.

I was wondering if anybody would be able to help me out at all by giving me some tips on how to achieve a soft and dreamy look like these images:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Q3eMABe16/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ZSwLGgVsy/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9w_UUogfwO/

Is this effect created more so when taking the photo by using a particular lens/filter or in the darkroom by using a certain type of paper/technique?

Thanks!

P.S. I am new to this site so apologies if I have posted incorrectly.
Buy a Holga!
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  #7  
Old 15th May 2020, 11:19 AM
Stocky Stocky is offline
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If you really get into soft focus in-camera, as opposed to post processing, an old Imagon soft focus lens will fit your camera, as will a Fuji soft focus lens (whose name I've forgotten).
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Old 15th May 2020, 11:49 AM
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Well, Imagon lenses are of course excellent for trying different grades of diffusion. Though I know only of Imagons for large formats.
I never tried this, but once read about the advice to cover the lens with a stretched piece of lady stockings. At least cheap enough to try.
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Old 15th May 2020, 12:02 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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2 ways that I have done this over the years, In camera. stretch black stocking over the lens, you can vary the amount of diffusion by varying the amount of tension of the stocking, the tighter the less diffusion, in the darkroom, you can also use stocking, cut the leg off your wife.s/girlfriends tights, but for the best results it must be dark, Another. method, taught to me many years ago by a professional portrait photographer, is to use a long exposure, at least 20 seconds, for the first 10 seconds expose as normal, doing your dodgeing, for the last 10 seconds, slowly focus and slightly de focus the lens, I have used this method, and it takes a bit of getting used to, but done properly it certainly does give a dreamy effect to the finished print,
Richard
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Old 15th May 2020, 12:27 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Check out some Robert Mapplethorpe portraits.

I saw a programme about him not long ago, and his printer used a stocking in the darkroom, for about 20% of the exposure time, if I recall correctly.

Good luck!

Terry S
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