maandag 18 juli 2011

Léonne 194

























This superb portrait of Léonne in beautiful Christian Dior
glasses concludes her photo shoot.

My expectations were high when the arrangements for this
photo shoot were made. Léonne is an experienced model
and the photos in her portfolio looked very promising indeed.
I have to confess that I was a bit shy when the door bell rang,
but this was soon forgotten. A raven beauty - but also an easy
going, unassuming, spontaneous and sympathetic young lady.
I felt at ease with her straightaway and now it was up to me
to make her feel at ease in my company too. The photo shoot
followed a chronology and it's presented here in that sequence.
The portraits tell the story.

Léonne, thank you so much for a pleasant afternoon in the garden.
You were good company and the quality of your posing is no less
than superb. This goes especially for the credible, natural way you
posed in strong glasses. I think that you have a brilliant future ahead
of you and I wish you luck in every respect. You deserve it!

If viewers of this weblog are interested in doing a photo shoot with
Léonne, they can contact me and I will check with Léonne if she is
interested.

Léonne 193

























Fine posing by Léonne, suggesting that her view of the
horizon at the other side is more promising.

Léonne 192

























Flower in the forest - Léonne gives the impression that
she is waiting for someone at the horizon and trying to
focus as far as she can....

Léonne 191

























Léonne showing the way the massive Dior frame conceals
the 10 millimeters thickness of the lenses

Léonne 190

























Léonne posing in a pair of Dior glasses that has been in
my collection since the late 1980's. I discovered them at
the "Waterlooplein" flea market in Amsterdam, a great
place for second nose glasses at the time.

Léonne 189

























These Christian Dior glasses were clearly designed with
high myopic ladies in mind. The lenses are one centimeter
thick but this is neatly concealed by the way the frame
folds back. The power rings tell that the lenses just fail to
reach the double digits.

Léonne 188

























A beautiful portrait of Léonne posing in a favourite pair
of Christian Dior glasses. Quiet, natural posing, as if these
are glasses in her own prescription. The Rx of the glasses
is some nine diopters off.... Great!

Léonne 187

























Glasses: Christian Dior 2019, late 1970's / early 1980's
[L: -9.00; c-0.50 v / R: -9.00; c-0.75 v]

Léonne 186




















When I told Léonne that this would be the last picture of her photo
shoot, she reacted so spontaneous that the capture, although slightly
over-exposed, simply can't be left out.

Viewers, stay tuned, this is not the end. You may have seen the preview
which had Léonne posing in a beautiful pair of Dior glasses. The finale
consists of the fruits of that series of Léonne in those Dior glasses....

Léonne 185




















My expectations were high when I suggested to Léonne that she might
give these small oval Zenni glasses a try, but I was not prepared for
a match like this. In my opinion, this is the sweetest portrait in this
entire photo shoot, and I mean "sweet" in a very positive way!

The glasses are equipped with 1.67 high index lenses and as a result,
the lenses hardly stick out of the frame. This can be seen in the reflection
by the mirrors. Great job!

Léonne 184




















Glasses: Zenni 3818 / 8818
[L: -11.00 / R: -12.00]

Léonne 183




















Tired is a word that does not exist in Léonne's vocabulary and she
kept "dripping good looks" right until the very end of her photo shoot
which lasted well over three hours. A young lady with stamina.... She
also clearly enjoyed her photo shoot in glasses. This lovely capture
testifies to that. Great! 

Léonne 182




















Glasses: Zenni 2611
[L: -11.00 / R: -12.00]

Léonne 181




















Another powerful portrait of Léonne in contemporary Zenni glasses.

Léonne 180




















These Zenni glasses are in the style that now dominates the streets
in Holland. The style certainly makes its presence felt on a young
lady's face. A good thing is that at least some big frames have become
fashionable again and I hope that the range will expand to the wide
variation in big frames that was so inspirational in the 1970's and 1980's. 

Léonne 179




















Glasses: Zenni
[L=R: -8.00]

Léonne 178




















Léonne posing great in a pair of Zenni glasses that has always been
popular among my models. Many models now use these glasses in
everyday life - in their own prescription, of course.

Léonne 177




















Glasses: Zenni 3390 (same frame as the myodiscs)
[L=R: -8.00]

Léonne 176




















When I paid Léonne a compliment for her looks in the party glasses
she replied with a lovely smile. Life as a portrait photographer can be
rewarding indeed.

Léonne 175




















I call these the "party glasses" in my Zenni collection. Probably not
chosen by many for everyday use but great for special occasions!

Léonne 174




















Glasses: Zenni 2212
[L=R: -8.00]

Léonne 173




















Léonne - or rather her reflected images in the mirrors - showing the lens
thickness when standard 1.57 lenses are used for a prescription of 12
and 13 diopters: about one millimeter per diopter. The split arms of the
glasses are instrumental in showing the effect of what may be described
as a wall of glass. Note the major "cut in" effect when seen "en face".

Léonne 172




















Glasses: Zenni 3391
[L: -13.00 / R: -12.00]

Léonne 171




















Lens thickness is the determinating factor for the choice when myodiscs
have to be used. The reflected images of Léonne in the mirrors show
the reduced but still considerable lens thickness, even when 1.67 high
index lenses are used. I like the quiet, natural posing here.

Léonne 170




















The minification of the eyes is often discussed between myopic ladies
in glasses. In fact the minification is only about 2% per diopter, but
these myodiscs (Rx -19) produce a significant minification of 40%.
This and the preceding capture shows the size difference between
the naked eyes and their image behind myodisc lenses. 

Léonne 169




















Glasses: Zenni 3310 (myodiscs)
[L: -19.25 / R: -19.75]

Léonne 168




















Léonne liked these varifocals when she saw them on the table so we
used them to give her eyes a bit of relaxation between the posing in
strong glasses. Beautiful glasses for a lovely lady behind crystal veil!

Léonne 167




















Glasses: Jean Louis Scherrer (Thera)
[L=R: +0.75; c+0.25 o / var add 2.25]

Léonne 166




















Slightly over-exposed, this picture shows that a lady can be quite
attractive in glasses, even behind a veritable wall of glass. The power
rings make the lenses look as if they are frozen. Note the minification
of yours truly through the lens in the reflection by the left mirror.

Léonne 165




















Another pleasing, natural portrait of Léonne in 1980's Rodenstock
glasses, Rx -16.

Léonne 164




















Léonne bowing her head slightly, showing the mighty power rings
in 1980's Rodenstock glasses, Rx -16. Whoever the optician was,
he or she did a great job, managing to avoid the use of myodiscs.
Not to be outdone, Léonne produced an amazing natural look, just
as if these are her own glasses. Superb posing!

Léonne 163




















Posing in strong glasses calls for a bit of navigation to obtain the best
captures and this goes especially when mirrors are used. My aim here
was to show the image from behind, in the reflection of the right mirror.
The effect is reminiscent of images that could be seen in the streets of
Amsterdam when I was a child. Contact lenses were not available and
as a result, ladies in very strong glasses were all but rare sightings.

Léonne 162




















After her superb posing for the portraits, Léonne showed remarkable
stamina during the final half hour of her photo shoot. Posing in strong
glasses way beyond one's own prescription and producing credible,
natural looks is an art all by itself. What I admire especially is how the
fun of the experiment comes out in these pictures. Thank you, Léonne,
for your radiant smile!

Léonne 161




















Léonne posing in the same Rodenstock frame as in pictures 158-159
but smaller and equipped with strong lenses. By coincidence, both
pairs were acquired during the same day trip to Germany.

Léonne 160




















Glasses: Rodenstock Exclusiv 524, made in the 1980's
[L: -13.50; c-2.50 o / R: -15.50; c-2.00 o]

Léonne 159




















Léonne posing in Rodenstock glasses with a very mild Rx, just a touch
above her own prescription. The frame was very popular in the 1980's.
Part of the attraction was the elegant shape of the arms. 

Léonne 158




















Glasses: Rodenstock Exclusiv 524, from the 1980's
[L=R: -1.00]

zondag 17 juli 2011

Léonne 157




















This radiant picture of Léonne would give one the impression that
real life behind Lentilux glasses can be bliss - but let's not forget about
the ghostly images seen by wearers of blended myodiscs when their
eyes are not pointed to the rather narrow center of the lens.

Time for a bit of relaxation for Léonne's eyes....

Léonne 156




















The first time I saw a lady in blended myodiscs was in the late 1980's
in Kufstein after a spell of bad weather forced me and my climbing
mates to descend from the famous Wilder Kaiser mountains. Instead
of dizzying heights and abysses I caught a glimpse of a middle aged
lady in what seemed to be an extraordinary pair of glasses. She looked
formidable in them but back then I was too shy to pay her a compliment.
The way the image in the lenses of her glasses changed drastically at
every slight movement of her head was more dazzling than the heights
and abysses of the Wilder Kaiser. The sequence in this series of Léonne
in blended myodiscs (Lentilux) tells all about my sighting in Kufstein.

Léonne 155




















A bonus performance - Léonne showing us the half moon again, not
in concentration but in a great moment of relaxation and spontaneity!

Léonne 154




















Things happened so fast during this series in Lentilux glasses.... After
a week I don't remember exactly what I said to Léonne at this point,
but judging by the way she cracked up, it must have been something
like "The hard work is over, and you did it. Great!" - or more likely,
a wise crack :).

Léonne 153




















The same effect as in the previous capture but now showing the half
moon in the next lens.... Utmost concentration - but not for long!

Léonne 152




















Léonne obligingly showing the characteristic "half moon" image produced
by the bowl and carrier lens in front of her right eye.

Léonne 151




















Intrigued by what I saw, I asked Léonne to move her head just a
fraction. Here is the answer to the question about the blank that was
seen in the previous photo. Yours truly and a part of the side wall of
the house can be seen through the Lentilux lens in the reflection by
the right mirror. Precision work indeed, and most fortunate that the
effect came out so well, given the breakneck speed required.

Léonne 150




















Léonne posing under the same angle as in the previous capture, but
now pointing to the right. Again, the image from behind is produced
through the lens, this time in the right mirror. No minified photographer
here, not even a minified image of the side wall of my house.... It took
me a while to conclude that the blank seen through the "bowl" is the
grey sky!

Léonne 149




















Léonne was most obliging during her posing for this series in Lentilux
glasses over 15 diopters above her own very mild Rx. The navigation
process usually requires a lot of concentration from both model and
photographer, but Léonne managed this entire series within a minute.
Many characteristics of Lentilux can be seen here, like the position of
the highly corrective "bowl" and the surrounding positive carrier lens.
The image in the left mirror has a novelty - I never managed to show
the image produced by a Lentilux lens from behind. There is a first time
for everything and here is the minified image of Léonne's honoured court
photographer. Admittedly, I really felt small when confronted with such
marvelous posing :) but the results were very rewarding. Hat off for Léonne! 

Léonne 148




















A cheerful Léonne in blended myodiscs (Lentilux), Rx -16 and -18,
showing the intricate lenses from their most flattering angle. When seen
"en face" there are no power rings and there is no "cut in" effect. The
"en profil" reflections in the mirrors show no alarming lens thickness
either. Only the change in balance between the lips and the eyes betrays
that there is something going on.
I am still convinced that blended myodiscs would have achieved far more 
popularity if opticians had used pictures like this to show the esthetical
benefits of Lentilux to their clients. Anyway, better late than never....

Léonne 147




















Glasses: nameless 1980's blended myodiscs (Lentilux)
[L: -16.25 / R: -17.25; c-2.00 o]

Léonne 146




















Glasses: Studio Italy (Enjoy), blended myodiscs (Lentilux)
[L: -11.50 / R: -16.50; c-2.00 o]

A new arrival from Köln, dug up by the always reliable Martin.
These are heavy glasses and Léonne had to use both hands to
keep them steady, but she clearly did not mind!

Léonne 145




















Sweet, spontaneous and above all, credible posing by Léonne in oval
retro style glasses from SGS, Rx -15. One of my favourites from this
section of her photo shoot. Thank you, Léonne!