When I made the decision to downsize my entire darkroom life, I parted with a lot of tools. Cameras, printing gear, trays, chemistry—all the machinery of a life spent mastering nearly every analog process from the 19th century. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made as a photographer, but I knew I needed clarity, freedom, and simplicity to move forward.
I make photographs slowly—with light, paper, and chemistry—using large and ultra large format cameras, handmade calotype paper negatives, and historic printing methods like salt and platinum/palladium.
And while I let go of much, I held on to what matters most.
I kept some of my most important soft focus lenses.
More specifically, I kept three lenses that continue to shape my vision in powerful, irreplaceable ways: the Verito, the Spencer Port-Land, and the Hermagis Ediscope. Each one has its own soul. Its own signature. Its own way of seeing the world.
And none of them can be replaced—technically or emotionally.
Every print I make begins with light, paper, and chemistry—no shortcuts, no automation. I work slowly and intentionally, using large and ultra large format cameras and 19th-century processes to create salt and platinum prints by hand. The Printmaker’s Journal is where I share the quiet stories behind this work—from the first spark of inspiration to the final print.
Verito: Whispered Light and Gentle Chaos
The Verito lens, first made by Wollensak in the early 1900s, is known for its ability to render glowing highlights, smooth transitions, and a veil of softness that wraps the subject in atmosphere. Wide open, it imparts a luminous, dreamlike quality that can’t be replicated. Stopped down, it tightens up just enough to bring detail and structure without losing character. Based on the formats that I work with now (4×5 up to 8×10), I kept the 8 3/4, 11 1/2 Verito lenses.
I reach for the Verito when I want the image to feel like a memory.
It doesn’t describe. It suggests.
In my simplified workflow, where every composition matters and every exposure is intentional, the Verito helps me create images that lean into emotion and form—something that’s become the heart of my new work.
Spencer Port-Land: Grace in the Midtones
The Spencer Port-Land is a lesser-known but equally magical soft focus lens. Originally made for portrait work, it offers subtle diffusion and a creamy rendering in the midtones. It has a painterly quality that’s especially visible in skin, flowers, and natural textures.
What I love most about the Port-Land is its restraint. It doesn’t overwhelm the scene with glow. Instead, it introduces just enough softness to guide the eye gently—like a brushstroke rather than a floodlight.
This lens is a perfect companion for my hybrid paper negative workflow, helping me create images that feel more like charcoal drawings or lithographs than modern photographs.
I kept the 6-inch and 9-inch versions of the Port-Land lenses.
Hermagis Ediscope: Wild and Unapologetic
The Hermagis Ediscope is the most untamed of the three. It offers wild bokeh, aggressive diffusion, and a swirling, unmistakable character. It can be hard to control—and that’s part of the joy. It has the softness of the Verito with the swirly bokeh of the Petzval.
This is the lens I use when I want to break rules.
When I want to blur the line between subject and background.
When I want the light to feel as much as it looks.
Some might call this kind of lens “flawed,” but I see it as expressive. It doesn’t ask for permission. It just tells the truth in its own strange language. And sometimes, that’s exactly what the photograph needs.
I kept the 275mm and 375mm F4.5 versions of the Hermagis Ediscope lens.
Why These Lenses Matter More Than Ever
In today’s digital world, there are countless filters, plugins, and AI algorithms that attempt to mimic soft focus lenses. But let me say this clearly:
They can’t replicate the optical signature of these historic lenses.
And even if they could… the experience still wouldn’t be the same.
For me, the magic of these lenses isn’t just in how they render light. It’s in the experience of using them.
Something shifts when I slide one onto the front of my large format camera and look at the ground glass. The world becomes quieter. The subject takes on shape and glow. The image starts to form not just on the glass, but in my mind. In my heart.
These lenses change how I see.
They slow me down, invite me to look deeper, and encourage me to feel my way through the frame. They remind me that photography isn’t about sharpness or resolution. It’s about presence, emotional resonance, and mystery.
In letting go of the excess, I’ve made space for what really matters.
These lenses are part of that.
And always will be.
— Tim
Art Collector Resources
- Collector and Student Testimonials [read]
- Collector’s Guide [read]
- Why Analog Photography is Essential to Fine Art Creation [read]
- Why I Create [read]
- Aura – What is it, and why does it matter? [read]
- Why Analog Photography Is a Smart Investment [read]
- Analog photography in the Digital Age: Examining transformation, alienation and authenticity in modern photographic practice. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijads.v2i3.11019
