What's with soft focus for Women? I have been reviewing other photographers "Senior Portraits" to prepare for and get ideas for shooting my sons Senior Portrait. Every single portrait...

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

I have been reviewing other photographers "Senior Portraits" to prepare for and get ideas for shooting my sons Senior Portrait. Every single portrait of a woman is very soft in the face. Personally I don't think it looks very good. But why? I understand teens have blemishes but with the level of pp software today they are easy to take care of without softening the whole face. Do portrait photographers think this is flattering? Asking seriously about this not commenting facetiously.

Jim Bob

Jaackil wrote:

I have been reviewing other photographers "Senior Portraits" to prepare for and get ideas for shooting my sons Senior Portrait. Every single portrait of a woman is very soft in the face. Personally I don't think it looks very good. But why? I understand teens have blemishes but with the level of pp software today they are easy to take care of without softening the whole face. Do portrait photographers think this is flattering? Asking seriously about this not commenting facetiously.

It's not just portrait photographers but their subjects who find the soft touch flattering. Removing skin blemishes is not synonymous with softness. Many are of the opinion that hard sharpness on the face for general portraits, especially of women, is simply less than flattering. Is this a sexist or stereotyped bias? I'll let you make that call.

hankm1 Loc: Mount Prospect IL

There's a wrinkle to this story that hasn't been seen.

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

Jim Bob wrote:

It's not just portrait photographers but their subjects who find the soft touch flattering. Removing skin blemishes is not synonymous with softness. Many are of the opinion that hard sharpness on the face for general portraits, especially of women, is simply less than flattering. Is this a sexist or stereotyped bias? I'll let you make that call.

Yes I do understand that softening a women's face a little is often more flattering. I shot my sons girlfriend also. Because I am not a proffesional and was not charging her I told her she might want to have a proffesional sitting done too icase she didn't like mine. She showed me those results and they were ghastly, they were so soft they looked painted and fake. I almost felt like I should pay the other photographer for making mine look great. This was a photographer that charged $250 for the sitting alone which included 8 poses to choose from for 1 submission to the yearbook. Prints and digital images were all extra. That may or may not be the going rate not sure. But the end result was not good pictures. However, surveying what else is out there the images are inline with what everyone else is doing to the female face. So am I missing something?

Jim Bob

Jaackil wrote:

Yes I do understand that softening a women's face ... (show quote)

Any effect can be overdone.

firtree Loc: Florida, USA

The key to this is balance. I think they apply the 'softness' to make the subject appear more feminine and minimize wrinkles/flaws (and some of us older ladies could use a little help now and then.) Harsh sharpness can accentuate flaws and wrinkles. A youthful face can stand a sharper focus. Proper lighting can go a long way too.

Robert Bailey Loc: Canada

As "Firtree" has mentioned the amount of "softness" applied is usually in direct ratio
to the age of the woman. More wrinkles require more softness.

I did school photography for 11 years. For high school graduating female students
I would do some shots without a softening filter and some with the filter.
The student could then pick the version that they preferred.
(I had a series of filters with different degrees of softening- I only used the
most subtle version, never the stronger versions.)

Robert Bailey Loc: Canada

I have seen student grad photos where the softening filter used is insanely high-
you can barely recognize the person!

Robert Bailey Loc: Canada

Softening filters are also used in TV and movies for older female actors.
I notice this regularly- whenever the ageing female star is the focus of the scene
a softening filter is used to disguise the wrinkles.
In the age of HD (and higher) resolution TVs, this is even more important!

Robert Bailey Loc: Canada

This effect was quite noticeable if you watched an ageing Barbara Walters interview anyone.
The guest would be sharp as a tack. Barbara Walters would be barely visible
through the fog of a heavy diffusion filter.

1Feathercrest Loc: NEPA

Soft focus is kinda like having some drinks alters the perception of a woman's beauty (mostly in her favor). Sober up, man!

Jim Bob

Look guys, women do not like the pockmarked appearance of sharp portraits. Can you blame them? 'Nuff said.

Patw28 Loc: PORT JERVIS, NY

My mother was made of tempered steel but I remember her for her softness.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Jaackil wrote:

I have been reviewing other photographers "Senior Portraits" to prepare for and get ideas for shooting my sons Senior Portrait. Every single portrait of a woman is very soft in the face. Personally I don't think it looks very good. But why? I understand teens have blemishes but with the level of pp software today they are easy to take care of without softening the whole face. Do portrait photographers think this is flattering? Asking seriously about this not commenting facetiously.

Back in B&W film days it was normal to use Tri-X for portraits of women and Panatomic X for men, softer detail from Tri-X and more snap and character for men with Panatomic X, just an aside to help.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

bobmcculloch wrote:

Back in B&W film days it was normal to use Tri-X for portraits of women and Panatomic X for men, softer detail from Tri-X and more snap and character for men with Panatomic X, just an aside to help.

There wer a lot of tricks that were used in the "old days". One was to actually smear a touch of vaseline on a lens to soften a portrait.