Leah 052

Fine, nostalgic posing by Leah in the brown version of the "Maya" glasses, made by Rodenstock in 1965. Here Leah is looking towards the sky to ease the strain in her eyes. The lenses are minus three and this is an awkward difference for a model blessed with almost perfect eyesight. Young eyes are able to focus and bridge the gap of -3.00 but not for long. At minus five and higher, the gap is too much and the brain gives the signal that an attempt to focus is pointless.
Looking at the sky as done here by Leah is an often used trick to relax and obtain better portraits. The brain tells the eyes that there is nothing of interest to focus on. During indoor shoots, I always ask the models to look at the ceiling or a white wall behind me.
These "Maya" glasses were a welcome discovery at the famous Amsterdam flea market "Waterlooplein" in the 1980's. I recognized the glasses straightaway and bought them without bargaining. By coincidence, my next visits to the flea market yielded two more "Maya" glasses. Be it noted, none of these pairs was thrown out by the girl from school. Inez had a very mild prescription and she only used her glasses occasionally. The wear and tear of the "Maya" glasses from the flea market suggests that the glasses were used full time by their owners for several years. In the 1960's, reaching minus three was regarded as the limit where full time wear became necessary.