Beth Soft Imagon Test

I can't help you with the imagon best light, but I know you need to clean your scanner or get a new one. Those ugly vertical lines are simply dust on the scanning block (I had the same problem lately).

Side lighting works well with an Imagon

Directional light works well.

Aha! Thanks, I'll clean it. I don't use it very often (as you can tell.)

df - thanks for the info. I'll have to set up some hotlights and see what I can get.

A few suggestions, late but possibly helpful:

1) The diffusion of light by the lens means that the light from the highlights has to go somewhere; where you notice it is the shadows (which reduces overall contrast) and the borders between light and dark (in this case, where her shoulders are silhouetted against the background). Increasing contrast by extending development helps with both of these.

2) The Imagon softens the image with radial symmetry; if you compose a portrait "normally" with the eyes in the upper third of the frame, the sharpest area will be down around the chin or shirt collar. The answer is to focus with the eyes on the lens axis (i.e, centered on the frame) and then use lens shift to compose. Less tightly framed images, like the one shown, are not affected by this as much as close head shots.

and

3) Soft light and soft focus do not seem to go well together; harder lighting, particularly in high-key images, is usually rather nice. The Imagon's job is to diffuse the highlights, so the highlights have to be there to begin with. (This is actually one of the great things about soft-focus lenses; a lady lit by Fresnel spots and photographed can end up looking like an angel rather than a witch!)

Standard "Rembrandt" lighting will work very well, you can controll lighting ratio by moving your fill light closer or further away from the subject. The Imagon works very well with specular or focused highlights.

Charlie.............................

Many thanks for the information all! The idea of using shift to compose after focusing is very interesting to say the least, but it makes sense. I get to shoot my wife's 86 year grandmother soon. I prefer her face very sharp, but she complains about her wrinkles constantly, so we'll she what she says about the "Imagon" effect. I hope when I'm 86 I'm not using it on myself!