Sweet Petzval Swirl… What could be better than creating tintype portraits on a Saturday afternoon in May? We met in Doty Park, Neenah Wisconsin, and did a nice set of plates – this is my favorite.
This 8×10 inch portrait was done with my Wollensak Petzval portrait lens. It is over 100 years old and I purchased it just this year. I am still learning how to optimize this lens but I can say that is the most amazing lens I own. Big, heavy, beautiful patina and the glass is in great condition.
The Petzval lens was designed by Jozef Maximilián Petzval in the 1800’s and really revolutionized photography. Wet plate collodion is not very light sensitive so it needs a lot of light and also can require a very long exposure time. Long exposures for portraits are difficult because any movement will result in a blurry photo. Before Petzval, lenses didn’t let in very much light so that exposure times were often 30 seconds or even several minutes. Petzval figured out a design that let in a lot of light while still having good sharpness. Petzval’s only need 2-4 seconds exposure time making portraits so much easier.
But the best thing about Petzval lenses is that sweet Petzval swirl they produce in the background! This portrait is an excellent example. We did a 4 second exposure on a cloudy day. My client’s faces are in perfect focus and the background trees have a beautiful blur and swirl. The swirl is almost like a halo drawing your eyes to their faces, I so love it!
Of course, the downside of a big old and good condition Petzval is the price! Expensive – but worth it!
Speaking of expensive lenses, you can help me recoup the investment by booking your own swirly Petzval portrait. Contact Me to talk learn more!