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Hack 16 Pantyhose Diffusion Filter for Flattering
Portraits
Razor-sharp optics are great ? unless, that is, you're photographing the love of your
life. In those instances, you might want to borrow her pantyhose .
A flattering portrait is often praised for its soft lighting, good angle, and natural expression.
You'll rarely hear a subject rave about a picture that highlights her pores, wrinkles, and
blemishes. Sometimes, modern camera lenses can be too sharp!
A popular solution used by pros is what's known as a softening or diffusion filter. Simply put,
these accessories attach to the front of the camera lens and downplay the appearance of
texture on the face. The wrinkles don't go away; you simply don't notice them as much.
These specialized filters can cost as much as US$200 and are difficult to find for less than
US$20. Plus, if you use a variety of lenses for your portrait photography, you might have to buy
more than one filter to fit the different lens diameters. That's fine if you shoot portraits for a
living. But what if you just want to take a nice shot of your sweetie?
Ask her for her pantyhose.
That's right, by stretching a piece of light beige pantyhose over the front of your lens and
securing it with a strong rubber band, you can create the same flattering effect achieved in
professional portraits. The more tightly you stretch the material, the milder the effect ? the
looser the material, the softer the image.
You can capture good portraits without filtration, as shown in Figure 2-1 , if you use good
technique. But there will be situations in which you'll want to use a pantyhose filter to add a
little softening effect, as shown in Figure 2-2 . Be sure to keep a knee-high stocking, along with
a couple sturdy rubber bands, in your camera bag for just these occasions.
Figure 2-1. A portrait without a softening filter
Figure 2-2. A portrait using a pantyhose filter
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