A "glowing" review of the Tony Sweet Soft-Ray
...by Tony himself
As you can see by the name Singh-Ray's given this new diffuser, I fully endorse the Tony Sweet Soft-Ray as the long-awaited answer to my search for a "serious" soft-focus filter.
As a full-time nature photographer, my Singh-Ray Filters are basic tools of the trade--and, now, I finally have the right tool for those scenes when a softly muted, nicely diffused image makes my point better than a razor sharp one.
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PHOTO A --As soon as I entered this "Tolkien Forest, " I wanted to try the Soft-Ray. Taken with the Nikon D2X and Nikkor 35-70mm lens at f/8, this scene was so remarkable that nothing more was really needed , but the mood was fantasy-like and I found that the Soft-Ray filter added a special mystique to the image. It was all done right in the camera, so I could use my normal image processing.
PHOTO B --I shot the closeup of the bluebells with the Nikkor 200mm macro lens at f/11. I found it interesting that the smaller lens aperture had almost no effect on the overall softness and glow of the image. Again, it's all happening in the viewfinder and the camera. |
Click on the top photo to see the scene without Soft-Ray.
PHOTO A -- © 2006 Tony Sweet
PHOTO B -- © 2006 Tony Sweet
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Many of my soft-focus images are previsualized in that I see a scene and know that I want it "softer" than it is. The Soft-Ray helps me to express the image I'm seeing in my imagination.
For me, the Soft-Ray stands alone in the world of soft-focus filters. The soft "glow" created by this filter is outstanding and leads to limitless possibilities. I consider it a neccessary tool for me and for others eager to expand their range of visual expression.
Specifically designed for nature photographer Tony Sweet, the Soft-Ray Diffusion Filter is not at all subtle in its effect. "This new Soft-Ray Filter is the one I've been waiting for," says Tony. "After years of trying different soft-focus filters, this one really meets my needs. For me, a soft-focus filter should be profound in its effect accentuating the softness in the scene as much as the subject, itself. This filter is right on the money!" By spreading the light well beyond normal boundaries, the Soft-Ray imposes a soft, mystical mood on your images--outdoors or indoors, close-up or landscape.
