Study: Monochrome Glam Portraits
A recent shoot with model Stephanie Lauren provides us with a series of glamour portraits to use as reference images for future similar shoots. Art photography, done right, captures a version of reality that is better and more interesting than reality.
These images were shot in normal interior light at F1.7 and a shutter speed of about 1/90th of a second with a Leica 50mm Noctilux lens. The Noctilux wide open shows some softness that is still present at F1.7; the softness contributes to the overall feel of the portrait, while at the same time providing enough necessary sharpness in detail to support large prints. The softness disappears after stopping down to F2, with the overall quality of the portrait going down--after all, overly sharp portraits are no one's friend.
