Soft Focus
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In old money a soft focus effect shot would be created by using a gentle diffusing filter but it's very easy to replicate the technique in photoshop.
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Aternatively Canon did/do a soft focus lens (135 as I recall).
Dont confuse soft focus with out of focus though, many band the phrases about as if they are the same thing. A lens can be soft i.e. produce a slightly un-sharp image but be perfectly in focus (indeded it should be, or it will be out of focus).
Matt
Dont confuse soft focus with out of focus though, many band the phrases about as if they are the same thing. A lens can be soft i.e. produce a slightly un-sharp image but be perfectly in focus (indeded it should be, or it will be out of focus).
Matt
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A thin layer of Vaseline on a filter does the job too. That, or just using Photoshop.
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Soft focus is a core of sharpness surrounded by a less sharp halo. Most obvious where highlights 'glow' and merge into shadow areas.
Good for female portraits, but not as popular as it used to be. I like it, and had that Canon 135/2.8 SF lens. It's very limiting though and unless you're around f/4 or f/2.8 the effect is hardly noticeable. I now use a Hoya Pro-1 Softon-A filter that seems to work just as well and is much more versatile.
Good for female portraits, but not as popular as it used to be. I like it, and had that Canon 135/2.8 SF lens. It's very limiting though and unless you're around f/4 or f/2.8 the effect is hardly noticeable. I now use a Hoya Pro-1 Softon-A filter that seems to work just as well and is much more versatile.
OP
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Thanks for your replies.I should have also put that the photographer's were using Nikon camera's.
Tried to see what model but never foud out.
I see FruitFlakes suggest you can do it in photoshop, I use Aperture so is it possible to carry it out in this ?.
Tried to see what model but never foud out.
I see FruitFlakes suggest you can do it in photoshop, I use Aperture so is it possible to carry it out in this ?.
loads of examples here
http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...3l19261l0l21006l10l10l0l3l3l0l122l665l6j1l7l0.
http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...3l19261l0l21006l10l10l0l3l3l0l122l665l6j1l7l0.
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The camera itself wouldn't create the soft focus effect (unless it's been added to the retouch menu of the latest models). It'll either be a filter that looks like it has very slight rings or a spiral on it, or - more likely as you can set it up to be done with one click - done in software.
Bit of an extreme example, but you can actually see how there's a blurred version of the image overlaid on a sharp version.
Bit of an extreme example, but you can actually see how there's a blurred version of the image overlaid on a sharp version.
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Umm but can only find Photoshop and not Aperture.
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Okay, easy way to get a soft focus effect, and should work with any program that uses layers.
1) Get your image looking all lovely.
2) Flatten it.
3) Duplicate layer.
4) Reduce opacity of the top layer to between 20-40%, depending on whether you want it subtle, or Holy-crap-it's-the-80s-again.
5) Apply Gaussian Blur. The amount will depend on the size of the image, but for a typical web sized picture, I find a radius of about 45 pixels works nicely.
Optional extra
6) Use layer mask to remove the effect around areas that you want to keep sharp, such as eyes, hair or textured fabrics.
1) Get your image looking all lovely.
2) Flatten it.
3) Duplicate layer.
4) Reduce opacity of the top layer to between 20-40%, depending on whether you want it subtle, or Holy-crap-it's-the-80s-again.
5) Apply Gaussian Blur. The amount will depend on the size of the image, but for a typical web sized picture, I find a radius of about 45 pixels works nicely.
Optional extra
6) Use layer mask to remove the effect around areas that you want to keep sharp, such as eyes, hair or textured fabrics.
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only if you go to far with the DC - you can do it using the DC lenses, but it would be a really expensive option. Used well the DC produces a far more subtle and very different effect to the classic soft focus look
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Yes, the photoshopped example above is very meh, the DC produces a more refined output
Didn't soft focus go out with the 80's though?
Was this cruise ship from Turkey or somewhere similarly timelagged?
it did.................
I've always thought Nikon's marketing department dropped a boob (thats unusual then) calling them DC at all, cause the 105 is the best (and sharpest) portrait lens I've ever owned, all the DC really does (until you go to far) is control the way the photo looks as it transitions into out of focus areas
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Yes, the photoshopped example above is very meh, the DC produces a more refined output
Didn't soft focus go out with the 80's though?
Was this cruise ship from Turkey or somewhere similarly timelagged?
Photographers were doing a roaring trade (not with me) LOL.
The ship was actually PO Ventura
Thanks for all the replies, interesting reading.
