What focal length lens for Bailey's birthday portrait of the Queen?

Austerby

Austerby

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David Bailey has produced this rather upfront portrait of our dear Queen. It's startlingly direct in a classic Bailey style and I think it captures that sometimes mischevious intelligence of the person, with those lovely sparkly eyes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27093369

But, what focal length do you think was used? To my eyes it looks like a wide-ish angle lens (28mm) relatively close, rather than a classic portrait lens.

The Bailey portait is so very different from the magnificent, very regal Annie Liebovitz portrait from a couple of years ago, or Julian Calder's berobed Queen in all her majesty in the Scottish highlands.
 
I would agree with WIDE.... Though wasn't Bailey a big MF user
there is a sense of distortion that seems a tad unflattering
yet the Queen's smile and smooth candor makes the Portrait quite Attractive

I have mixed feelings about it....though in the end I do like it !
It has a Modern youthful 'feel' for the 'Birthday' Queen
 
I would say at least a 28mm.

I find this a very good photo with a happy (it's her birthday people) flair. Nicely done.

The black and white gives it some reserve.
 
errrrrr....

it's done on a 'blad.

I doubt it's particularly wide - might just be a stock 80mm planar or something a tad longer.
 
Whatever he used, my opinion is that he has created a wonderful and endearing portrait of the Queen. Having said that, I'd be inclined to agree with starless about the 80mm/extension tube, although Frozen In Time might equally be right about it being a 60mm.

And to the "gear is irrelevant" crowd, I think there's a place to speculate about gear sometimes, especially when presented with a major work like this, because understanding how someone, in this case Bailey, went about taking an outstanding photograph such as this helps one better to understand the artist's thought process which in turn can only help to inform one's own creative decisions.
 
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141878

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141878

A wide angle of some sort.
It's nice but truthfully distorted,which for me is unacceptable.
Of course it could be worse..
A high speed f0.95 with only the Queen's ear in focus.
As an official portrait, what was everyone thinking?
 
From 2008:

While taking a portrait of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently, Bailey was reportedly asked if he ever uses digital.

“Nah” he quipped in front of the Labour Party leader. “Digital’s like socialism – it flattens everything out and makes everything the same.”
 
Seems like the consensus is aligning towards:

a) it's a good portrait
b) it has a wide angle look to it - but evidently an MF shot

Someone elsewhere suggested it reminded them of Richard Nixon....
 
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