Well deserved spotlights on Dana for being the 90th Lady behind Crystal Veil !
A word of thanks will be posted tomorrow.
donderdag 6 december 2018
Dana 117
Well deserved spotlights on Dana for being the 90th Lady behind Crystal Veil !
A word of thanks will be posted tomorrow.
Dana 114
The previous day, the reading experiment did not work because of the model's long eyelashes but Dana pulled it off.
Dana 113
"Three days is way too short to see everything Prague has in store, Mr. Photographer. Do you want me to read this for you?"
Dana 112
Glasses: Rodenstock E 513, circa 1980
[L: -3.50; c-0.50 o / R: -4.00; c-0.25 v / bif add 2.00]
Dana 111
"I'm not hiding in the dark, Mr. Photographer. It's fine with me to wear strong glasses and be seen in them. Well, let's say for a minute or two"
"And what if you would be in need of lined bifocals?"
"The same answer, I suppose"
Dana 110
My photography is not just about beautiful frames. The prescription lenses are just as important. Most of the Zenni glasses in my collection are fitted with 1.57 standard lenses of -8.00. Minus eight is a very photogenic prescription and the 1.57 lenses show their effects better than high index lenses. Girls, don't hide yourself in the dark if you need strong glasses!
Dana 109
You may have wondered about the pink line on the right lens in the previous photos. Here the answer is revealed. The lenses are nine millimeters thick so they stick out at the sides of the airy frame.
Dana 108
A purple version of this delicate but perfectly shaped frame first appeared in the Zenni catalog in 2013. Five models posed in them, including Nel's daughter Mirjam. The frame suited her so well that I soon ordered them for her when she had some trouble driving a car at night. Then a green version appeared in the Zenni catalog. Two models posed in this green pair (Emma 311, Nel 505 / 512). When Zenni put this pink version in their catalog, it was a "must have" for me straightaway. If my memory serves me correctly, Dana is the first model posing in these glasses. In my opinion she looks gorgeous in them. Nothing wrong with seeing the world through pink glasses!
Dana 106
These small but nice pink glasses took my fancy when they appeared in the Zenni catalog six years ago. I ordered them straightaway and the glasses were immediately liked by several models in Ireland (Leah 128, Colleen 133, Simona 140), Sweden (Maria 087, Jennifer 064), England (Jade 084) and at home (daughter Esther 160). Needless to say, all these models were blondes. It made sense to bring these pink glasses to Czechia as well. Nerissa delivered a fine series in them and the next day it was Dana's turn. The frame follows the eyebrow line perfectly and the overall effect is very pleasing.
Dana 105
Zenni ......
[L=R:-8.00]
Technical note: the serial number of these glasses will remain a mystery. The frame disappeared from the Zenni catalog within weeks, never to return. A pity!
Dana 104
Glasses: Zenni 665918
[L=R: -8.00]
Six years ago, the first cat eye frames appeared in the Zenni catalog. Over the next three years some fifty cat eye frames were added. A nice thing about Zenni is that they rarely ever copy a style or trend. They often add a twist of their own to a frame. Here Dana shows a fine example. Cat eye glasses in the style of 1963 or 1964, but with a modern color pattern and decoration. The glasses follow Dana's eyebrow line neatly. Nice!
woensdag 5 december 2018
Dana 102
Excellent posing by beautiful Dana in big, chunky glasses made almost forty years ago.
"Shall we return to the apartment for the final series?"
"Yes, please"
Dana 100
Glasses: Silhouette 68, early 1970's
[L: -3.25; c-1.00 v / R: -3.25; c-1.50 v / bif add 2.50]
My collection hosts over a hundred Silhouette glasses and this is one of the earliest pairs. The frame style is very characteristic for the early 1970's. When star model Sohaila from Ireland discovered these glasses on the selection table, she pointed at them and said "Big and chunky. That's what I want. The chunkier the better". Dana has exactly the opposite taste but she did not mind posing in these remarkable Silhouette glasses. The result is pleasing to the eye.
Sorry Dana, I was of course talking about your wonderful posing!
Dana 099
Problem partially solved.... The distance between model and photographer was about four feet. Translated into prescription terms: -0.75 so Dana could see me almost sharp with her left eye.
Dana 098
Both lenses in these giant half rim Skaga glasses are well below Dana's prescription. It would have been a piece of cake for her to ignore the problem and pose with a natural look. The squinting seen in this photo was done upon my request.
This is how a young woman with a prescription of L: -1.00 / R: -1.75 looks when she tries to study the horizon without her glasses. Or a young woman in glasses but badly in need of an increase. Thank you, Dana!
Dana 096
Essel was a brand with a distinctive style of its own in the 1970's. The mainstream in frame design was large, larger, largest. But the shop windows did not suit every woman's face. Essel cleverly zoomed in on this. My collection hosts half a dozen Essel pairs and the glasses shown here by Dana are the best example of their work. The lens for her left eye is far too weak but Dana was clearly not bothered by the mono vision. We had to work fast as the lenses were quickly changing color. No need for sunglasses that completely hide the eyes!
Dana 094
Another Waterlooplein find from the late 1980's. These glasses were remarkable for their time as they were bought by men and women alike. Unisex frames were rare during the 1970's and the 1980's, The only exception were the John Lennon style round metal glasses preferred by left wing students.
Dana 092
Glasses: Gan Aimh, late 1970's / early 1980's
[L=R: -4.50; c-0.50 h]
These glasses were acquired in Switzerland, not far from the region where I was working when the famous first Christian Dior collection created a pleasant revolution in the streets. The glasses shown here by Dana were clearly designed with the work of Dior in mind but on a lower budget for clients with a lower budget. Even the rather uncomfortable straight arms from the first Dior collection are copied. There is no brand name on the frame, so I always call these the pseudo Dior glasses.
Dana 091
"Go away, Mr. Photographer. That's impossible"
"I will explain it to you when we are back in the apartment. Next pair?"
"Next pair"
Dana 090
"Brilliant, Dana. One more, please.... By the way, you are standing just in front of the piercings that bothered you"
Dana 089
Dana told about her experiences and it was visible that she regained solid ground below her feet.
"Can we do some portraits now before we return to the apartment?"
"Sure. I will tell you when the cold gets too bad. This way?"
"Yes, please. It's only a few steps"
Dana 088
"This is much better, Mr. Photographer. Still a bit shaky but the itching is gone. Shall I now tell you about what I saw? This house was under construction and the school building too"
Dana 086
"Ah, that must be the strong reflections in the lenses"
"Are you sure? It feels as if I just got some piercings"
"Not to worry, I will hand you a different pair of glasses. No more itching. Promise"
Dana 085
Glasses: Flirt, made in 1969 or 1970
[L: -5.50 / R: -5.00]
Dana landed in the present and she was handed a more modern pair of glasses.
"Yes, that is better. The streets and the houses are back. But my right eye is itching. What's going on?"
Dana 084
"Can you describe what you see and hear?"
"Yes, but it's so cold here.... Can I return first and tell you then?"
"Of course you can. Just take off the glasses and you will land in 2018 straightaway"
Dana 083
"This is funny, Mr. Photographer. But also a bit creepy. I can see your silhouette but you are almost transparent"
"Not to worry, Dana. I will return to solid state as soon as you take off the pince-nez"
Dana 082
"Dana, can you hear me?"
"Yes, Mr. Photographer. This is so weird. All the streets and houses are gone. And where are you?"
"I'm here, right before you"
Dana 081
She then turned around, looking in all directions with an expression and a gesture of disbelief.
Dana 079
Glasses: pince-nez, made between 1900 and 1910
[L: -5.25 / R: -6.50]
The photo shoots with Tereza and Nerissa took place on a typical Indian Summer day. Unfortunately for Dana, autumn had set in the next day and temperatures had dropped at least ten degrees. Poor Dana arrived shivering from the cold. High time for a big mug of hot tea. And another one. She was clearly in no condition for an outdoor photo shoot so we made a gentle start in the apartment. The central heating system showed no sign of life when I tried to reanimate it. Small mishap number two. Yet Dana gradually got into her stride and armed with a long coat, she kindly agreed to do the final part of the photo shoot at the edge of the park. Needless to say, we worked as quick as possible. I had told Dana about the experiment with a time machine created by an antique pince-nez made shortly before 1910 when the houses in Kodanska were built. The pince-nez gave her excellent eyesight in the left eye. This photo was taken at the very moment the time machine started to work.
dinsdag 4 december 2018
Dana 078
Almost identical with the previous portrait but this time with the flaming line edited out. Hat off for beautiful Dana!
Dana 077
The fascinating light effects shown here are not the result of some editing trick. Only the central "bowl" in the lenses has the strong prescription needed by the first owner. The bowls are very concave and this gives the impression of mild sunglasses. The bowls are surrounded by a carrier lens that gradually folds back so there is no visible demarcation line. The positive carrier lens catches the light and this gives the impression of burning flames. Far more pleasing to the eye than the massive "cut in" effect produced by ordinary lenses of minus fourteen.
Achieving portraits like this is precision work, calling for much navigation from both sides of the lenses. Dana has a prescription of only minus five so she saw everything in a massive blur. And yet she managed to create the impression that she saw everything crystal clear. The eye contact with her devoted photographer is second to none. Quite natural and above all, credible. Dana clearly saw the fun in our experiment and this made her portraits even more attractive. A lady does not lose any of her natural beauty in strong glasses. All that matters is finding the right frame and the best lenses.
Dana 076
These are arguably the most beautiful glasses in my collection. Their first owner was a high myopic German lady with an excellent taste for frames. High myopia is progressive, it does not stabilize in the early twenties like average myopia. The lady in question had minus eleven in the 1970's. After an increase in the early 1980's, she was among the first to try the newly invented blended myodisc lenses. By 1988 she had another increase to minus thirteen and she opted for another new invention. High index lenses. Apparently these lenses were not entirely to her satisfaction. After yet another increase she switched back to blended myodisc lenses, fitted in this masterpiece by Flair. Minus fourteen is both a technical and an aesthetic challenge but these glasses have a magic quality to them. What sets blended myodisc lenses apart is that they create unique visual effects. Dana obligingly gave the Flair glasses a try and the results were spectacular.
Dana 074
It all culminated with this priceless pose.... What a pity that Dana was not around when these Nina Ricci glasses were made. Beautiful Dana could have graced the promotion material for the brand with ease. Well, there is always a second chance if you are lucky!
Dana 072
No less than seventeen models posed in the Nina Ricci glasses before Dana. Most of the series were good. Some were marvelous. The great Sohaila springs to mind. Total control. Each photo was an authoritative statement. I never expected anyone could equal Sohaila, let alone surpass her. And then there was Dana.... Feel free to come up with suitable adjectives yourself.
Dana 071
Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, Nina Ricci.... A slightly enigmatic raven beauty only deserves the best and the Nina Ricci glasses are near Dana's prescription so why not? This documentary follows the chronology of the photo shoot. In other words, a jump of an entire generation after the previous pair. The burning intensity in Dana's eyes may have been caused by uncertainty about the effect of these giant glasses but whatever the reason, it's second to none.
Dana 069
Glasses were far more expensive in the early 1960's than they are nowadays. As a result, many ladies beyond a certain age postponed buying a new pair as long as possible. Trends were for the young. Why bother? But what if your prescription keeps changing? The first owner of these Tanja bifocals by Rodenstock solved her problem by having new lenses fitted to the original frame several times. The frame dates from 1961 or 1962 but circle shaped lined bifocal lenses were only introduced much later. At least in the Netherlands. My educated guess is early to mid 1970's. The exceptional reading add (+3.50) suggests that the lady in question may have been well in her seventies or even in her eighties. The Tanja glasses gave Dana fairly good eyesight. No need to try the reading segments....
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