A Penny For Her Thoughts

[Ceedeem]

My grand daughter caught in a candid moment when I was experimenting with a soft -spot filter

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Very nice image. Feels very great painter.

[Phoenix]

Like the dream like quality in this.

[Lost]

nice timing for a real nice portrait.

soft spot filter?? Do they still make those things? They were handy in film days when more was done in camera or had to be done in camera

a stocking stretched over the lens; then put a cigarette burn in the middle worked well also

so did a bit of misty breath on the lens

vaseline around the the out side of UV filter>>too messy for me.

how about a bit of sticky tape across the middle of the lens (forgotten how that was done)

i have stretched a plastic bag over the lens; worked well too.

Today; I would much prefer to do all that stuff PP. Once it is done in camera the effect can not be undone

[Ceedeem]

I came by the filter in a box of photographic trinkets and titbits in a shoe box at a garage sale. I think that they can still be purchased. This one (Hoya) was still in the original unbroken cellophane wrapper and has another filter glass with it, "The sand filter gives a smoky surround, while the soft screen an uneven soft focus surround"
I am happy with the results, although I am sure that my feelings may not be shared, given that the same effect, as you mention, might be obtained in PP, and thats a fair comment.

[inapickle]

That is a strikingly beautiful portait. It is not good enough to just use the physical filter or the PP filter, you must also compose and take the photo to suit it. Here the girl is lost in her thoughts, so the filter works very well to add to the composition.