Beauty in Bokeh: Portrait Photography by Raluca Arhire with the Petzval 58 Art Lens

One of the reasons why we take photos is because when we see beauty, we can't help but admire and capture it. Romanian photographer Raluca Arhire recognizes beauty when she sees it and she makes sure that she gives it the respect it deserves by fine-tuning her shots before taking them. Raluca has also mastered the dreamy, old-world aesthetic by using the Petzval Art Lens to create her stunning portraits.

Raluca Arhire with the Petzval 58 Art Lens

The Petzval Art Lens lends itself well to Raluca's portrait photography style. She understands what the lens can do and uses that to create gorgeous portraits of her subjects filled with beautiful bokeh and painterly effects. Upon seeing the photos she can take with the lens, Raluca says that she fell in love with its swirly bokeh and an air of poetry it gives to her images. We'll let her photos show you exactly what she means.

When asked about how she discovered her style in fine art portraiture and photography, she shares that she was inspired by films, music, paintings, and the stories she had read. All these things mixed together led to a photographic style that suits the Petzval Art Lens well. Her tip is simple and that is to trust the process.

“I advise them to be patient with this lens and the results will always exceed their expectations. I noticed that sharp focus is easier to obtain when there are better lighting conditions. Also, be careful where you place your subject's hands in the shot as they might appear unflattering. Try photographing with a simpler background in order to obtain a painterly effect for your images.”
Raluca Arhire with the Petzval 58 Art Lens

Raluca isn't a stranger to creating universes of her own and that clearly translates to her photography. She has this innate ability to tell stories through her photographs and the images we see now are just a fraction of what goes on in her creative world. A storyteller through and through, Raluca shares with us what she thinks of before she creates her dream-like images.

“What we choose to photograph speaks more about who we are than anything else. Sometimes you envision a certain image, draw it on a piece of paper and try to put all the elements together. Other times, you construct a concept based on a certain background, building, a piece of garment or prop that inspired you and only then look for a model that would be suitable for the general mood of the image.”
Raluca Arhire with the Petzval 58 Art Lens

She continued to surprise us up until the end of our conversation. As it happens, photography, with all its shapes and forms, also extends to philosophy and life beyond the lens. Here is a short and sweet statement from her when we asked her what she wanted to get across with her photographs:

“I think that, unfortunately, nowadays we are living too little, too fast. I invite viewers to introspection and reconnection with femininity and their inner selves.”

Raluca Arhire is a conceptual and fine arts photographer and portraitist based in Romania. You may see more of her beautiful work on her Instagram and Facebook page.

written by cheeo on 2018-12-13 #gear #people #bokeh #portraits #petzval-art-lens #raluca-arhire

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