1940s portrait style
Tigger
Christmas present. I am going to shoot B&W and sepia tone it. I don't
have a problem with the toning, but the posing and backdrop ideas are
giving me fits. She wants something done in the style of the 1940s
portraits, but I am having a hard time finding anything to look at for
refence and am not real familiar with this era. I agreed to the shoot
before I realized that this would be a problem and is too late to back
out. I told her that I was not familiar with this era and would try, but
would understand if she wanted to go with another photog. She doesn't
want to try to find someone else on this short of notice, the shoot will
be in a little over a week, so it's up to me. Could anyone suggest a
website or some other source where I could look over some portraits from
this era or done in the 40s style? TIA
--
David - http://TITAN.SFASU.EDU/~z_woodarddg/
MC
==
Could anyone suggest a
website or some other source where I could look over some portraits from
this era or done in the 40s style? TIA
==
You might want to check out the Movie section of a bookshop or library for
portraits of the stars of that era. I *think* the best practitioner was
named "Hurrell" (George Hurrell? Not sure).
You could do an AltaVista search on Hurrell +portraits & see what you come
up with.
MC
Could anyone suggest a
website or some other source where I could look over some portraits from
this era or done in the 40s style? TIA
PS: It was George Hurrell.
Do an AltaVista search under just that... one of the places it leads to is
this:
Chris Downes
celebs in 30's & 40's.
Chris
Tigger <wood...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:382BB1B9...@hotmail.com...
> I have a customer who wants me to shoot her for her boyfriends
> Christmas present. I am going to shoot B&W and sepia tone it. I don't
> have a problem with the toning, but the posing and backdrop ideas are
> giving me fits. She wants something done in the style of the 1940s
> portraits, but I am having a hard time finding anything to look at for
> refence and am not real familiar with this era. I agreed to the shoot
> before I realized that this would be a problem and is too late to back
> out. I told her that I was not familiar with this era and would try, but
> would understand if she wanted to go with another photog. She doesn't
> want to try to find someone else on this short of notice, the shoot will
> be in a little over a week, so it's up to me. Could anyone suggest a
> website or some other source where I could look over some portraits from
> this era or done in the 40s style? TIA
Carl Wegerer, III
www.flash.net/~wegerer
I own many books on the subject of Hollywood Glamour and will be glad to
help you. If you have any questions, please contact me at weg...@flash.net
Jon Cohen
>Could anyone suggest a
>website or some other source where I could look over some portraits from
>this era or done in the 40s style? TIA
>--
I agree that Hurrell was probably the best & Karsh is up there. You could
also look at Edward Steichen's portraits, and Alfred Steiglitz. You should
also not trust my spelling. (I'm away from my books).
Key points:
o Pockets of light & shadow.
o Good rim light on hair.
o Often uses somewhat harsh light -- don't use soft boxes or any other
big surface area difusser.
o Big smiles were rare.
HOLLIS6475
BTW, don't use modern movies.. use those of that period.
reply to Point...@AOL.COM (this address is closed for a while the spammer
have got it)
Carl Wegerer, III
http://www.garageglamour.com/tips/rembrnt.pdf
Here is the recipe for lights (these are the light used by Hurrell):
1000w Mole Richardson Baby-Baby Solarspot (Fresnel)
750w Mole Richardson Softlite (similar to a soft box)
250w Mole Richardson Mini-Moles (Fresnel)
All are tungsten/quartz lights. The 1000w in the flood mode is your key
light. A 250w light in the spot mode needs to light up the hair from behind
the subject. Another light needs to be angled so that a spot appears on the
black background paper if used (this separates the subject from the
background): I use another 1000w. I use the 750w Softlight as my fill.
You will need to use tungsten film like Kodak E320T in color. A 400 EI B&W
film works best. Shoot between f/11 and f/16 to get crisp images, open up
for softer images.
Your subject should wear shiny clothes (silks or satins) that reflect light.
Sequined gowns look great too.
If you provide me with a fax number, I can submit lighting diagrams for the
sessions with Sharon Stone, Sherilyn Fenn, Raquel Welch, etc that Hurrell
did in the documentary.
Carl Wegerer, III
weg...@flash.net
zeitgeist
of beer kegs with 2K bulbs, (dueces) 1000w (aces) and for
effects, inkies (500 watts) Hurrell's key light was often
two spots next to each other, (again with the extended
highlights...) the lights were often 'feathered' and
barndoored down that the light was bouncing off the doors.
but just as often the light was full and direct on.
Hurrell made full use of the contrast range of the film and
the fill light is barely perceptable. More than just a hair
light, there were often more lights from behind than direct
to the face, a favorite was a skim light that would graze
the cheek on the shadowed side, sculpting the cheek, rimming
the ear, and sometimes, (incomprehensibly to me, licking the
tip of the nose. This light was often directly opposite the
key light.
the finnished look was acheived with a lot of retouching, a
lot of retouching, and there was a lot of negative to
retouch, 5x7 and 8x10, (11x14?) these negs much weigh a
half pound each, what with the amount of silver used in the
film in that era and all the lead added. I saw a neg of
that era, not a hurrel I'm sure, probably some model agent
husler, but the whole thing was scribbled on with a soft
lead pencil. But when you use focused hard lights you are
going to raise a lot of texture and not only does each bump
of skin texture need a bit of lead to raise the density, but
often the highlight side needs a scrape from a razor to drop
that level, (etching but I don't know much about it)
You could fake it, shoot with some reflector floods, cut a
hole in a mount board and use it to cut off the light fall
to give you that focused light effect. a parabolic over the
camera for fill, a couple more reflector spots for hair and
effects lights. Go for that glamour look, the key and fill
in line over the camera, or do a rembrant with a hot splash
light on the opposite side, whatever works best for the
clients face.
background, keep it simple, gray paper roll, hot spot, or do
something that was popular, take a plastic plant and shine
the background spot through it for weird splotchy light on
the background.
Tigger wrote:
>
> I have a customer who wants me to shoot her for her boyfriends
> Christmas present. I am going to shoot B&W and sepia tone it. I don't
> have a problem with the toning, but the posing and backdrop ideas are
> giving me fits. She wants something done in the style of the 1940s
> portraits, but I am having a hard time finding anything to look at for
> refence and am not real familiar with this era. I agreed to the shoot
> before I realized that this would be a problem and is too late to back
> out. I told her that I was not familiar with this era and would try, but
> would understand if she wanted to go with another photog. She doesn't
> want to try to find someone else on this short of notice, the shoot will
> be in a little over a week, so it's up to me. Could anyone suggest a
> website or some other source where I could look over some portraits from
> this era or done in the 40s style? TIA
> --
> David - http://TITAN.SFASU.EDU/~z_woodarddg/
Tigger
me with this question. I hope everyone has a great weekend (even people
who didn't reply <g>).
--
Tigger - http://TITAN.SFASU.EDU/~z_woodarddg/
RICK5347
movie lights. One of the key elements (simply) is that many small lights were
used for accents. To duplicate this technique today I would start with an
overall "fill" from a softbox and add accents using grids or spot projectors.
Or get some hot lights and work with them.
The use of the 8x10 negative gave the photographer (actually the movie studio's
production department) the ability to retouch extensively on the negative with
pencils. Highlights were often retouched in that way. It is rumored that
Karsh does that in his work as well. After retouching the studio contact
printed the "glossies" for distribution.
Best regards,
Rick Rosen
Newport Beach, CA
www.rickrosen.com
TheYankeeSnapper
>From: Tigger wood...@hotmail.com
See if a friend or a local library have a copy of the "Hollywood Birthday
Book", by John Lynch. Turner Publishing. Lot's of great 1940's pictures.
Bob Mc.
TheYanke...@aol.com
Carl Wegerer, III
review the video, "Legends in Light" again and create new ones for
distribution shortly.
For information on the video, visit:
http://www.hurrellphotography.com/Hurrell/legends.html
Carl Wegerer, III
weg...@flash.net
Jerry Hammond
sent to the cited author.]
In article <Mq0Y3.5599$B_1.2...@typhoon01.swbell.net>,
coli...@swbell.net says...
Thanks for link info, Carl. :)
Jerry
Stephane
wrote on 12/11/99 01:21:
> I have a customer who wants me to shoot her for her boyfriends
> Christmas present. I am going to shoot B&W and sepia tone it. I don't
> have a problem with the toning, but the posing and backdrop ideas are
> giving me fits. She wants something done in the style of the 1940s
> portraits, but I am having a hard time finding anything to look at for
> refence and am not real familiar with this era. I agreed to the shoot
> before I realized that this would be a problem and is too late to back
> out. I told her that I was not familiar with this era and would try, but
> would understand if she wanted to go with another photog. She doesn't
> want to try to find someone else on this short of notice, the shoot will
> be in a little over a week, so it's up to me. Could anyone suggest a
> website or some other source where I could look over some portraits from
> this era or done in the 40s style? TIA
> --
> David - http://TITAN.SFASU.EDU/~z_woodarddg/
>
>
>
Just rent a Hitchcok movie, and you'll find everything you're looking for
!!!
Or also as an exemple, you can see 2 of my picture at
http://members.xoom.com/photo_najman/Publications/Joy_mail_1.htm
http://members.xoom.com/photo_najman/Publications/Joy_mail_2.htm
--
Stéphane NAJMAN
- PHOTOGRAPHE (Fashion, Portrait, Art, Photoshop)-
step...@najman.com
http://members.xoom.com/photo_najman
Carl Wegerer, III
I will review the video, "Legends in Light" again and create new ones for
distribution shortly. For information on the video, visit:
http://www.hurrellphotography.com/Hurrell/legends.html"
I have loaded up the tape this morning and will be drawing diagrams shortly.
If anyone is interested in having a set faxed to them, please send a message
to me using the subject "Hurrell diagrams". These will go out tomorrow.
Carl Wegerer, III
weg...@flash.net