How to do a soft look?

12 years 8 months ago #130954 by Five Brain
You know how some portraits have a soft look...how do you achieve this look? Is it a movement of the camera, so the photographer purposely blurs the image? or is it done in PP?


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12 years 8 months ago #130966 by Bjean
I know some photographers use vasalign on a filter to give a soft look around the edges of the image. You can also create the soft look in photoshop.


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12 years 8 months ago #130972 by Henry Peach
It can be achieved in several ways.

Many lenses are a smidge softer at their largest aperture, and depending on the lighting may have a diffuse look. Most of my lenses still seem pretty sharp at their max aperture, but my Canon 50mm f/1.4 can create a diffuse glow at big apertures if the lighting is right (or wrong depending on whether I want that look or not).

There are soft focus lenses designed specifically for this.

A Vaseline smeared filter will do it. Another old school method is to stretch net-like fabric such as womens' hose or scarf tightly over the lens.

It can also be achieved in processing. Vaseline on the enlarger lens, or in Photoshop. Below is my favorite softening action.

www2.rangefindermag.com/magazine/jun06/showpage.taf?page=88
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12 years 8 months ago #130974 by McBeth Photography
Nikon soft 1 filter

It is what it is.
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12 years 8 months ago #131179 by KCook
For precise control I just do it all with a blur brush in PP. My old Elements 4 can do this, but only for 8-bit images.

Kelly Cook

Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/

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