The Practical Photographer - Forgotten Books

THE PRACTICAL

PHOTOGRAPHER.

American Library Series.

VOL. 1 . AUGUST. 1904. NO . 5 .

The Pictorial Work of

Frank M. Sutcliffe.

Dy flu: t urret .

R. FRANK M. SUTCLIFFE is a nativeof that English county which standsfirst in point of size If nothing else.

He is an amateur in the best senseof the word, loving nature and herbeauties, with every changing season ,though an unkind fate has made himal photographer, earning his living in

an out-of-the-way seaside town , principa lly bycopying the poor work of tenth-rate amateurs andphotographing restless babies.

”

Coming of an artistic fam ily—for his fatherand grandfather were painter-artists he hasevidently inherited the ictorial tendency. H ismother, who had some ench blood in her veins,thinking that there were art ists enough in thefam ily, discountenanced an school art teachingfor oun Frank. Neverthe ess, she could not verywe hin er the boy watching his father draw anddesign, etch and paint in every conceivable medium ,

not even excluding the working of enamels.

Before he was six years old this youth was criticalenough to express disapproval of the then some

what rough and coarse illustrations appearing insuch papers as the Illustrated LondonNews, thou hJohn Beach

'

s drawings in Punch. and others gy

“ I! PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

Birket Foster are still remembered as havigiven genuine leasure. Music of the best kinwas a feature 0 this art -lovin household.Now it so chanced that on t e bookshelves wasthat once famous book by Lake Price on Photoaphy. It was this volume which determ ined the

uture career of the subject of these jottings.

Mr. Sutclifie has the rare art of writing a letterin the same attractive and breezy way that hetalks, and in one such letter to the present writerhe says, M father suggested my trying photography. I o jected strongly and pointed out thatno one of our acqua intance either made picturesor money by photograph My father said thatwas their fault and not t at of photography, and,that theym ightmake money too if they had betterstudios, ke

pt them clean and went the right

way to wor Then we went to live near Ripon,where I borrowed The British Journal of Photography from the be inning and wrote out in an

indexed book everyt ing which I thought wouldbe useful.

”

The above quotation aptl shows us somethin

of the far-seemg powers o father and son, an

also tells us of the sturdy mental grip of those whoset themselves to do thoroughly what they undertake.

W ith such inherited art feeling one is not sur

rised to find Mr. Sutclifi'

e writing, Of painters,believe that J. F. Millet has shown me more thanany others. Frank Bran I consider the greatest livin painter. H is (lesi and colour are bothand. avid Murray an Alfred East seem to

ow what to say and how to say it better thanmost men.

”Amon the poets his favourites are

Tennyson especi y the earlier and simplerwriting—Shakespeare, Burns and Byron. Wordsworth also has a warm corner in his afiection .

But for those who have to enga e in the battle oflife he doubts the worldly W cm of too muchpoetry, for it tends to make them too sensitive.Here again is another extract which photographers of all kinds should lay well to heart, fori t conta ins teaching which is sadly needed. “ Photography is the lazy man

’

s pencil, or perhaps I should2

THE PIOTORIAL WORK 0? FRANK M. SUTCLIPPE.

say the busyman’

s noil. It enables him to makerepresentations of t ings in next to no time. Theweak point of photo raphy is that except in thehands of one who has n trained from infanc to

see, it draws too much, and the eye is vex athaving to reject so much. I would say that anyone can in half an hour, with pencil or brush, getmore of the spirit of a scene than one could in a

month with a camera. The work of the artist is tout down what he sees for the benefit of those whove not been endowed with his ifts. Even as a

record of facts a few hurried penc lines are oftenbette r than a perfect photograph.”Turning now to technical matters, we may let

our readers into one of Mr. Sutclifie’

s secrets. He

nearly always uses a long-focus lens and largeaperture, so etting the space feelin and quietsup ression 0 much that is not wante Thus ona w ole late his favourite tool is a 14 inch R.R.

lens wor‘

ng at f/8 or f/l l .

His favourite printing medium is platinotthough he is a past master in carbon and s'

ver

printing in various forms. He was one of the

eaders in the movement towards close fram ing,i.s., omitting the conventional and tasteless mounts

of a quarter of a century ago. Like most otherreally fine craftsmen he has 9 uarely faced andrecognised the limitations of p otography as an

art process, in not being able to make anythingmore beautiful than it is. It is no use to call in

retouching and sunning down, for it will not alteran ugly angular line into one of grace and beauty.Following previous custom , we jot down a few

note s on the selected examples of our artist, takingthem approximately in the chronological sequenceof their production .

Man goeth forth to hisLabour until theEveninIn this composition we are greatly indebted to t estriking character of the sky. The man andhorses are stron ly relieved in silhouette againstthe partin day

°

ght.”Our artist was brought in

contact wit the eat art teacher, Ruskin , someyears ago, a fact w ich calls to mind that teacher’

s

9

1 45449

Tll l PRAOTIOAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

insistence on the dignity of human work . It isfrom the land that man has wrested the vastwealth of the world. The agriculturalist is thereal Atlas u on whose human shoulders rests theexistence o mankind. The student should notethe wise om ission of any objects likely to detractfrom the theme of the picture. Simplicity andstrength are closely alhed in the making of

pictures.

“

Confidences.—Here again we have yet another

lesson in the value of a 51m ls composition . Thebackground of weed-clad roc is wisely put out offocus just enough to revent it enga ing toomuch attention . The b ance of light an shade isadmirable, and the chief contrasts kept towardsthe centre of the picture. The soft sunl ight is wellsu

ggested by the shadows about the faces, arms,

an aprons.

In the Sunshine Time of Life.-A delightful

scene of child-life, bathed in b right, warm , mellowsunshine, typical of the careless light lau hterlovin joyousness of youth . The student 8 ouldwell y to heart the technica l qualities of thispicture, which teach him that bn ght light efiectsare not rendered by under-exposure, with itssequent hardness in the high-lights and blacknessin the shadows : but that It is transparency andwarm reflected light in the shadow ortion, with asubtle and delicate gradation in t e high-lightsthat gives the true atmospheric su

ggestion of this

efiect. The background of distant ndscape aga inis kept quiet, and gives a broad mass of hght andshade leaving all our interest for the figures.

Peace.-This title will naturally reca ll a quite

difierent class of subject published in a recentnumber of this series. This only goes to showhow many and various are the ways that humanfeelin s and sentiments may present themselves tous. e artist says, “Would that all of us had thisold lady’s secret for looking so contented.” The

pose of the whole figure is quite charming, and thequietmystery of the raduated natural backgroundleaves nothing to be saired. This is an adm irableexample of distribution of light and shade,

4

m PIOTORIAI. WORK 0? ” ARR I . CUTOLIPRI .

together with icturesque arrangement of line.The stren est hts and shadows are properlyarranged a ut t e head.

The End of the Furrow.-Here we have avaluable object lesson in grouping. Note how the

plgugh seems to link together the horses and men.

e gradual fallin away of the distance, or

difl’erentiation of p nes is instructively shown .

The horse bearing the rider is perhaps a li

unfortunate in its position relative to the s ta ter.

The student may here learn the difierence tweenbalance and symmetry of arrangement.The Young Orthographer and his Grandfather.

-A happily caught group of fisher folkwho for themost part were content to make their own 3 llinguntil such new fangled things as school ardscame to disturb their contentment. The threemen near the centre are a little too much in a rowfor best effect, thou h natural enou h in pose withhands in kete. he woman ha unconsciouslyseems to wishing that she too had a couple of

pockets for her hands. The reproduction does not

adequately convey the harmome us distribution ofli ht and shade m bread masses without flatnessw ich is so well presented in the original.

In Puris Naturalihus.

"-It is not given to eve

one to have the courage to attempt the dime ttask of rendering flesh tones in pla n d in—and tostill fewer comes success. The exam le before us

is particularly valuable in showing e falsity ofother renderings, which more often than notconvey the impression that we are looking uponstatues of bronze rather than flesh. The stones inthe right lower corner are ver valuable in givingspace to the foreground, an serving as a tone

note in relation to the darker portions of thecobble. The posing of each figure is excellent,though one could wxsh that the spaces between thethree figures had not been quite so nearly equal.

The Snow-clad Uplands takes us by a skipand a jum to a scene vastlyi

difi'

erent from all theothers. he author as s aken a few years agowhen we had a real bfim rd

'

It only shows how5

THE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

tame the wildest scene comes out in the camera.

”

And yet the bleak desolation of this windswe tupland in that art of the world where t eLondoner sa id, a 1 their hedges are stone walls,"is ve suggestively rendered to those who knowthese onely fells.

Bold and bleak and bare ,Sloping towards the sea ;

The an sky

.

portendsthe coming storm ,

W ith 8 ivering winds and drifting snow.

Whitby Harbour.—A delightful group of

fishing craft, behind and beyond which hangs a

sem i-translucent veil of luminous light. The nearervessel towards the left lower corner is the keystoneof the com position , as may readil be seen if wecover it over for a moment. his picture wellillustrates balance without symmetry or formality,and breadth of light and shade without monotonyor flatness.

Day Dreams.- A happily chosen title for a

happil caught pose and expression in apt harmonywith t e dream pictures of the sea monsters in thebackground. The decorative quality of this workcannot fail to teach the observant student theof flowing lines and broad masses of light andshade. It is perhaps a little unfortunate that thedark object just above the head should fall so

nearl in the centre of the top margin . The

mode ing of hands and face is particularl leasing.The flowing lines of the ha ir and poise o t e headare also especially graceful and pleasing.We cannot fa il to notice how wide are Mr.

Sutclifl’e ’

s artistic sympathies, and with what innate and unconventional judgment he treats eachsubject. In viewing these several examples, wemust not forget that they range over a considerable period and carry us back to the days when a

good many of the recent artistic discoveries had

already been made b himself , Gale, Robinson ,

Rejlander, Hill, Mrs. ameron , and a few otherswhose photographic work laid the foundationstones of present day pictorial photography.

0

Preliminary Note by the Editor.

HE beginner may perhaps be disap ointedfor amoment on findin that this oekletis not a complete gui e to developing,fixing, print in ton ing, mounting, framin ,etc .,like e t er hand-camera manuals.

e therefore hasten to expla in thatbrom ide and P .O .P . printing have beenalready full dea ltwith in Nos. 1 and 3; and developin in No. of this series. Platinotype printingwx be exhaustively treated in our next number.

No. 7 dea ls with intensification , reduction and all

the other processes of after-treatm en t of the negative. Mounting, titling and fram in are embracedin No. 4. It W l ll now appear to tfie reader that,having dealt with these topics in separate volum es,

we are here enabled to give far more 8 s ee and

attention to hand-cam era work pure an simplethan would have been possible had we attemptedto make this book a genera l guide or introductionto photography.

Introduction to the Use of the

Hand Camera.

By ssv. a. mum: Du n n.

T is quite a m istake to imagine thatbecause it is easy to use a hand camera ,therefore it is ass to take successful

photographs. Han -camera work , to be

satisfactory, demands considerable skilland knowledge.

Hand cameras may be classed asfollows Magazine cameras.

(2) Roll film cameras. (3) Cameras

fitted with dark slides.Magazine cameras are so fitted and arranged thatthey will contain a number of plates, W t h b a

mechanica l contrivance are removed to anot erpart of the camera when exposed, a fresh platecoming in to position when one has thus been storedaway.


t advantage of such a camera is that asoslatesmay be carried within the camera,

and expo one after another with a m inimum oftrouble, the disadvantages bein that sometimes

plates refuse to change, somet ing having gonewrong with the mechanism. There is also a habilityof scratchin the lates when the changing operation takes p ace, a though both these disadvantagesm tflbe m inimised with care.

11 film cameras are fitted with two rollersturned by a key from the outs ide. The film beinwrapped on one, is unwound from this and wounupon the other roller, after exposure has beenmade, a fl ure a peering through a little redwindow at t e bac of the camera showing whenthe fresh portion of film is in correct position .

Of all the methods of changing films or platesthis is the simplest. It is certain in its action,

and the films taking u but little room thecamera can conse uentl

gmade much smaller

and more portah e. y the use of a roll ofblack paper which forms a kind of support to thefilm , a spool of films which has been exposedmay be removed from the camera in daylight anda new s 00 1 inserted without recourse to the darkroom . he chief disadvanta e is that developmentof roll films is a much more imcult operation thanthe development of plates.Many hand cameras are fitted with dark slides inwhich the lates or cut films are carried. They area little b y to carry, and the changing cannot bedone so expeditiously as by the above methods, butthey are e n to none of the objections describedabove, an plates of varying speeds may be carriedto suit the exigencies of the case.Magazine and roll film cameras are not usuallyfitted with a ground-glass screen at the back. Somemethod is therefore necessary to ascertain the position of the picture on the plate. This is done bythe use of view finders fitted in the front of thecamera. They are usually about an inch square,and

'

ve on a small scale a picture of the view upon

the p to. In some cameras a focussing screen isso fitted that a full-sized image me be seen rightup to the moment of exposure. y an ingenious

O

INTRODUCTION TO THE ( ICE OP THE HAND CAMERA.

mechanism the focussing screen closes up when theshutter is released.Some hand cameras have a fixed focus,” i s , all

images beyond a certain distance are in focus.

In others a focussing arrangement is attached,distances being indicated by a scale and ointerfixed on the outside of the camera . 0 dis

advantage of the former is that no objectnearer than the fixed distance can be photo raphed,

the disadvantage of the latter is the iflicultyof judging distances correctly. Both these dis

advanta es are eliminated by the use of a camera

with full-sized finder as above described.The at advents e of usin films

Films Plates.is te

glbo

efound ingtheir lig tness

and portability. Four dozen films weigh less thana dozen plates, and take u no more room . More

over they can be printed om either side, a greatadvantage in carbon work . They are, however,much more expensive than plates, and are not so

eas to develop.

li e chief disadvanta e of lates is their wei ht,but they require less sk i in evelepment , there ore

the percentage of successful photographs is muchlarger if they be employed.

The cheaper handcameras arefittedTl “ Lens. with single lenses, those more ex

pensive with R.R. lenses. A single lens is no usewhere buildin are to be taken , as it does notrender strai h lines correctly. A single lens is tobe preferre for landscape and portraiture. Spendyour money on the lens and get the best lens yourpocket can afiord. It is quite easy to be misled bya showy instrument got up for sa le, conta ining a

very indifierent lens. Test the lens before purchasing a camera . To do this, open the shutter,take out the

plate carr iers, and insert a piece of

ound lass t 0 same size as plate. Cover our

and an back of camera with focussing cloth. our

picture will then be projected on the ground glass,and the definition and covering power of lens seenat a glance. Note at the same time if the view inthe finder is identical with the view on

glass.


(1) See if the focussing scale betrue ; this is often faulty withcheap cameras fitted with a focuss

ing scale . Theway to test this is to mark ofi alongthe pavement distances from the camera as givenon focussing sca le. Insert the ground glass in thecamera, as above described ; set the sca le to thenearest distance, and note if the objects at a sim ilardista nce on the pavement are in focus ; do thiswithall distances marked. If all are in focus, the scale iscorrect ; if not it needs to be re-marked.(2 Carefully test late-changing arrangement

if t 0 camera be of t e magazine variety. It isannoying to get a late jammed when far awayfrom a dark-room. i ced up the camera with usedslates of right size, then carefun chan

ge each one ;

0 this several times and see if t e mec anism actsrightly. One plate at a time should drop and nomore. (Advisable to do this occasionally beforeus

ilng

)camera to test if the mechanism 18 still in

or or

(3) Plates are often fogged because the camera

is not li ht -tight. To test—close the lens, open theback, ta e out platesand carriers. Throw the focussing cloth over the head and camera ; hold the camera

up to strong light for some seconds. If any straylight is com ing in it will be apparent.F

'

tt'

t (l ) Shutter.—Usually hand-camera

H! ‘

336 shutters are too fast, hence under

an amera.

exposed1Plates ; 955th of a second

is quite fast enough for a ordinary work. If platesa

ge under-exposed take means of slowing the

s utter.

(2) Level.—Sometimes one and sometim% twolevels are supplied. These are very convenientadjuncts to hand cameras. (Annoyin to find ondevelopment that the picture is spoil because thecamera was not held level) .(3) Some of the better class of hand cameras are

fitted with a rising front. This is a greatadvantage,as it enables one to get in the tops of buildingswithout tilting the camera, which is fatal to r

pendicularity, unless a swing back be provi ed,which is rare in hand cameras.

INTRODUCTION TO THE USE Ol‘

THE HAND CAMERA .

Never attempt to take a time exposure with thecamera held in the hand. The result is nearlyalways failure.

There blty master all the workings of your in

strument ere you take it out to photo ph. Tryall theworking parts and make yourseltga

l

j'

bselutelyfam iliar with them before you expose a plate . Anhour spent indoors with your camera will savemuch time and trouble afterwards.

Loading—If yours be a ma azine camera, thisoperation is most im rtant . lates ‘

amming are

more often caused t rough careless oading thanthrough defect in mechanism . Put in each plateseparately,“

and carefully notice if the first is m itscorrect position . D ust a ll plates before uttingthem into the camera ; dust also back and rent ofcarriers, and occasionally dust out the in terior ofcamera. Carry the camera carefully, avoid swinging it about, and avoid jare, or dust will settle on

the plates, and a plentiful crop of pinholes on thenegatives will be the result.

(1) Never int the camera directlh the h en" towards t e sun, or the resultbe thatyou will get a “ flare spot” on your negative,and it will be spoiled. The image of the sun shouldnever be seen in the view finder ; if this beremembered, pleasin

gjefi

’ects ma often be obta inedby working a ainst t 9 li ht. est of the se-called

moonlight 9 sets”are e tained in this way.

(2) It is not often advisable to have the sundirectly at the back, so often recomm ended to handcamera workers, the result will be a flat picturelacking light and shade.

(3) The best osition for all-round work is tohave the sun sit or on the ri ht hand or the left,then light and shade will be elineated, and thesego so much towards making a successful picture.

The amateur will probably discovergelding the for himself how best he can aecom

plish this. The usua l method is topress the camera against the chest, and do not

reathe wh.le the shutter is bein epened. I some

times tuck the camera under my eft arm .

l l

PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

(1) It must be held rfectly steady, the slightestjar will be fatal. Alt ough on can take a snapshot of an express train at f speed without showing any movement, yet the slightest movement ofthe camera will spoil the photograph.it?

The height at which the camera should behe will vary with the object you are about toportray. A good he for most subjects is fromfeet to 4 feet from ground. If too high, an

undue proportion will be given to the fore und ;if too low nothing but foreground will be e tained.

(3)Press the button , pull the string, or move

the ever of the shutter gently. Don'

t strain it orjerk it, or you will blur the image. This isespecially to be remembered when the shutter isworking at a slow speed.(4) Hold the camera u

psight and level, the

“ level” will help you to do t °

s. On some findersvertical and horizontal lines are ruled, and are

useful . See that buildings, etc are upright.Nothing looksworse than a lopsided building. Donot tilt the camera unless it be provided with aswing back. If tilted u

pwards, bu ildings, etc will

wear to be falling bac wards, if downwards theyappear to be toppling forwards. This fault is

often seen in hand camera photographs.

The laws of composition are not to

be despised even by hand cameraworkers. Aim at making pictures,and not mere reproductions of scenes. Even if youmerely take photographs as mementees this shouldapply. The majority of hand-camera workers one

sees at holiday resorts know nothing of composition,hence the unsat isfacte ry nature of their prints.

Remember that most pee 10 are

endowed with feelings. notuse. therefore give offence to anyonewithoH

our camera . There are a lot of blackguardsarm with hand cameras who have brought photography into disre ute by snap-abetting in ople

'

s

aces, much to t eir annoyance, and muc to thedetriment of serious workers.

Composing the

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Fix. 6 .

Fig. 7

AN EIGHT FEET JUMP.

LOOPING THE LOOP.

R. C . Ryan .

R. C . Ryan.

Hints on Hand-Camera Work.

s, was a. anm .

HILE it is undoubtedly possible for a

really inte lligent person accustomedto accurate and careful work in otherdirections to take a camera, and,remembering perhaps half a dozendefinite rules, to reduce, with theassistance of t e development, a

reasonable proportion of satisfactory negatives, thebestwork can only be donewhen the worker understands the various hotegraphic o rations, and isable to adjust such actors as speed

0

of plate, aperture of lens, speed of shutter and strength of htSome study of the direction and qu

°

tyis necessa The light at noon is veryfrom the ight at seven in the morning

even in summer. The direction from which thelight reaches the subject is also important—themore shadow the more exposure required. A

of the variations in the actinic power of theht is of firstof

For this a table of light values isvery useful, and perha smore satisL'a“Values.

factory than an actiiiometer. A

plate rapidity should be used and kept to,so that one factor at least may be constant. The

%rinciple of the steps of the lens must be grasped .

ith modern lenses the only function of the stopis to increase de th of defin ition . A good anastigmat will cover sEarpl at open aperture, but distantand near objects wifinot be defined with equal

If the object to be focussed sharplyis only five yards away, it is most

probable that shar focus will on]exist in objects five yards to eig t or ten ya s

away, and, of course, as the distance beyond thefive yards increases the defin ition will gradua llydeteriorate in quality. But the shorter the fecus


of the lens the greater depth of definition it

possesses. Hence i t must be understood that, asnearer objects are focussed the distance will become

indistinct unless the aperture of the lens is reduced.A little practice will enable the necessary steps tobe determined.

Eff t fAs a rule, in English lenses each

Stcc

succeeding smaller aperture necesops.

sitates the exposure being doubled,hence the speed of the shutter must be slowed asthe lens is stepped down. Thus

dla sec. at f/8 must

be reduced to fly sec. at fi l l an to 11, sec. at f /lfi.Below f /lfi it is not necessax

gate

go in ordiwork, and it will be found t t and fi l l w

'

be the steps most generally emp eyed.By this I mean a practical uaiu

A Knowledge °f tance with the camera emAn expert photographer may bequite at sea with a strange instru

ment until he has grasped its special features. Inhand-camera work the alterations have to bemadeoften at a moment’s notice and with great promptuses, or the opportunity of securing the picture isgone. If the worker forgets to slow the shutterwhen he puts in a smaller sto or if he cannot findthe speed adjustment instant y, failure ensues. The

man who knows his apparatus well can work italmost without looking at it.

Doing the ri ht thi at the rightSelf-control. moment de gnds al

l

igost as muchon knowing yourself as on owing our camera.

Any vacillation is fatal. Success in nd-camera

work depends on be in able to see the subject, toalmost automatically acids on the stop necessaryand the exposure required, and to be ready tomakethe exposure exactly at the right moment, whilebeing all the while prepared to say No to the everpresent question , Is i t worth a plate A subjectmay alter material] for the worse or the betterafter It has caught t 9 eye. The plate-spoilermakeshis exposure and, after spending time in development, throws the negative away ; the worker whocan control himself stays his hand and saves hisplate if the subject is not worth it .

14

HINTS ON HAND-CAMERA WORK.

A tusThe work the hand camera does is

ppsrs so varied that the instrument ismore or less a comprom ise. For general work therequirements are few and simple. The lens shouldbe a good rectilinear or aplanat, or, better, a modernanastigmat8h tt

The shutter should be simple, soer.

not to readily get out of order or

be affected by changes of temperature, and themore readily the speeds can be set and read thebetter. The roller blind” and the “ between-lens

”

shutters are the two best -known types. The former

gives grea ter efi ciency, and the speeds are more

ikely to remain fairly accurate ; the latter isadapted to give slower speeds, which are very

use I, and 18 rather easier to mana 0 whenchanging speeds, but is apt to be deran

g‘c

is

1

by dustor grit getting into the mechanism . 0 s eds ,too, are not always accurate , and when the s utteris set for $53 see. i t may be working at {a sec.

The emciency is not great—that is,Efficiency. when set for an speed, say1?

sec.,

the shutter is not fully open or quite ha thattime, so that the exposure is shorter in reality thanit is sup osed to be. All shutters (except the focalplane ta 0 an a

ggreciable time to open and close,

ut t e “roller ind

”allows more light to passduring exposure than the other t 0 . There are

cameras on the market with specia shutters fittedwith speed adjustments consisting of pneumaticbrakes. These adjustments are rapidly set andvery reliable ; but , of course, such cameras are notthe cheapest.

The focal-plane shutter, of course ,gives the greatest efi ciency, and,practically speaking, twice the li ht

reaches the plate for a given exposure when t istype is used. There is no reason why it should notbe fitted on cameras for ordinary work. It can bemade to work as slowly as 15, sec., but to avoid distortion slow speeds must be obtained by wideningthe slit, rather than by moving a narrower slitmore slowly across the plate.

Focal-Plane

A camera may be with or without"iii:

Focus focussing adjustment. If the lens

d‘

ta eis set for infinit or, more usually,

vana trifle further rem the plate than

the infinity focus, objects will be in focus with a

0-inch lens at [0 from 50 feet distant and end,at f /8,30feet tent and beyond, and at f /l 1, feetand beyond. If a 5-inch lens is employed (thoughthis is rather too short a focus for satisfactory

per

spective), then the distances become 35 feet, M est

and 19 feet respectively. It will thus be seen thatif a camera has no focussin arran ement, objectsnearer than 19 feet (with a inch ens cannot beobtained sharply defined, even when /11 is used.

In order to get sharp pictures of nearer objectsthree coursesmay be adopted.

The lens may have a su lamenMagnifiers. tary lens fitted in front l

’t which

will slightly shorten and so give a sharpimage of any near object . These suppl

ementarylenses are in reality eyeglasses for t e camera ,

and are usually known as mafifi

ers. The ruledeterm ining their selection is, t t if an object 10feet away is required sharp, the magnifier usedmust have a focal length of 10 feet, and so on.

Three magnifiers are usually sufi‘icient, enabling

objects at say, 14 feet, 10 feet and 0 feet, to befocussed sharply. If copying or flower studies aredone, then perhaps others may be needed. It maybe well to observe that this rule for deciding thefocal length of magnifiers is only correct whenthe lens of the camera is set for infinity,” but theslight difierence in position, vie , for an object, say,50 feet away, will not make any serious difiereto the use of the magnifiers in every-day work.

The lens itself may provide the

£33261, focussing adjustment. That is, thein the Lens.

may be 5° °°n9tm °t0d thatby varym the se tion of theglasses its focal length is a tered. e Cooke lensand the Ross

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Homocentric may be so made, andwill then focus from three yards to infinity by arotating adjustment of the front glass.

Fig 9 . L. H . West

CARRY ING A CAMERA .

CYCLE AND CAMERA .


ensure horizontal horizons. Note the difierencebetween inclusion of buildings and serious architec

Pl tThe m ethod of plate changing

C l:e demands careful consideration .

anp ng.

Plates may be used in a magazinechanger, in which the exposed plate is dro ped into

a we 1, or they may be carried in shee t 8 and a

D Chbag changer, or dark slides may be

2‘ anger.

used. For serious work the automatic changer is rather risky as the plates are more

or less loose and liable to stir u dust. The greatmerit is that changing is re i occupying on]

about a second, and another p to is at once avaiable. Bag

Ichanging takes longer, say 5 to 10

seconds. t is more compact and plates do not

rattle about. Dark slides are most bulky of alland take longest to change, but they aremore sure.

It has been sug ested that if workd C

are bought a ocal-plane shutteran amera

and a lens, fixing the shutter at oneand of a box and the lens at the

iciency.

focal distance at the other end, andusing dark slides in the grooveswith which the R P.

shutter is provided, all the essentials of a handcamera would be available. There is no doubt thelens and shutter are the most important matters,and such a su gestien is useful , but onlyas the germof an idea . would modify it by saying, have theshutter s uare so as to turn like a reversing back,have the one either with focussing front glass orin focussing jacket, and have a u sing front oneway, i .s., verti cally. Such a camera would be com

pact, and with one level and one finder wouldanswer for all general hand-camera work and fora

sped deal of special work as well. It is, in fact,

di cult to say what it would not do except that itcould not be used with lenses of long focus. Thelens m ight be outside on the actual front of thecamera but it would be better to have an innerfront and a circular hole in the actual front so thatthe lens is protected from damage.

Specialised Work—It is quite ossible that forcertain kinds of work special satures may berequired in a camera . The inclusion of these will

18

A Home-made

HINTS ON HAND-CAHERA WORK.

render it more eEective for that articular type ofwork, but in all probability less 9 active for otherworl

t

c

z

.

s

I will briefly indica te some special requiremen

PictorialWork—Largerfinders are an advantage,enabling the view to be better soon and com sod.

A camera of the reflex type , showin a -sizedimage, is good from this point 0 view. Thecamera may have long extenswn , so that long-focuslenses, or a single combination of a convertibleanasti t or a telephoto lens ma be used. Allthese satures tend to increase bu and weight.D ark slides ma be used so that a variet of platesmaybe carri - for instance , both 0 ry and

ort ocromatic. If a lens of fa irly wide aperture,say ffi, be used, exposures of 1

16 of a second may

aleadily be given with ortho plates and a lightter.

Figure Studies de aperture lens is necessaryfor work in narrow streets or courts and forworking in a poor light. The camera generallymustbe unobtrusive. Rapid changing is an advantage,as grou ings of figures are constant] varying.The Ge dis mirror , fitted in front of t e lens sothat the camera is pointing in another direction ,tends to prevent figures appearing self-conscious, asthey do not know they are bein photographed.Waves and Seaside Work. camera such as Ihave su gested, with E R shutter at one end and

lens at t e other, but the dark slide must be closedin with a door and a piece of patent plate glassover the hole on the front, and the whole coveredin waterproof materia l to exclude (if possible) , thesea water.

Architectural Work—In hand camera proper,lens of fairly short focus and ample rise to front.Better to use hand-stand type on a stand, and havethe advanta es of a stand camera. A hand camera

is only a ma eshift for serious architectural work.Special High Speed Work. Such as sports,

animals, express trains, yachts, etc., etc. A wideaperture anastigmat f is essential, so as to be

prepared for emer encies, oor light, or extreme]short exposures. focal-p ane shutter is essentiaand the most rapid pla tes obtainable. For some

19


work, such as ex ress trains, the place the trainwill occupy may focussed for, and the plateinserted, the exposure being made when the tra inreaches the position . For sports, animals, and so on,

it is an advantage to have a camera of the reflectortype (fitted of course with focal-plane shutter),so that the moving object may be followed, the exposure being made when it is in a suitable position .

St dFor development in batches,“ stand”

D t’ development may be adopted, em

eve opmenploying a very dilute develo r in

a grooved tank, development taking several ours,

the plates bein covered up and examined fromtime to time. r 6 or 8 plates may be developed inaflat dish in the ordinary way, having in readinesstwo smaller dishes contaimn in one case adeveloper with a maximum 0 alkali, and in theother case very little alkali, but a preponderanceof bromide and pyro or any other developingagent which is being employed. Any late laggingbehind is promptly placed in the dis containingthe developer strong in alka li. A plate a pearingover-exposed may be placed in the other dis and inthe stronger developerwillmorereadilygain density.Developing

For developing abnormally shortexposures, a powerful developer

grief

such as metol is desirable, if not

essential. The develo r should bemad up thout bromide. D eve epment wille

robably take some time, I have spent nearly anhour developing very brief exposures. If the detailappears to be well out it may be useful to add eitherpyro or h drokinone to a id in the buildin up of

printing ensit and the develo r shoul be so

made up that t is addition may readily made,the metol being in one solution and the pyro orhydrokinone being in another.

It must not be assumed, however, tha t a rapid

exposure , such as say sec., will of necessitydemand special treatment. W ith best June light,most rapuzufilate, lens at f/5

’6 and fairlygp

en

subject a y exposed plate may be obta in in

sec.

V ida The Pmcttcal Photographer, No. 6 , DevelopingandDevelopers,

”

p. 00.

so

High Speed Shutter Photography.

Dy R. CHAPPELL RYAN.

HE hand camera is essentially the instrument for this class of work. Beforeattem tin such work the beginnershoul be airly proficient in the use of

a hand camera for the average subjectwith the ordinary shutter working at

to of a second. The photography of rapidly moving ob ‘

ects must be regardedas one of its extreme uses, ut to the ambitious itwill afi’ord a fascinating and absorbing branch,will develop faculties for observation, and bringout every bi t of originality the worker possesses.

The Shutter.—A hand camera to which is fitted

a focal-plane shutter with speeds rangin from

newto of a second is a sine qua non . fer

ence should be iven to the type giving slow speedsin addition ; so one that will open to the fullwidth of the plate for time exposures. The lens

mustbe of good quality and have an intensity, orworking aperture of not less than F/fi'5, and prefer

ably a lens of F/4, or F/5, should be se lected.The Plate.

—The plate must be of the highestdegree of sensitiveness coupled th good quality,fresh from the makers, and of the same brand theworker is in the habit of using.The Camera.

—The beginner will doubtless choose

the -

plate size. Consi ering its initial cost, Ii htweig t, and the possibilities of some failures, t issize is to be recommended. The writer, however,prefers a larger plate for the followin reasons

a wider angle may be utilised to aifo more scope

for the after-treatment of the icture, as one doesnot always succeed in getting t e principal objectin exactly the desired position ; the la er size also

give

:athe option of making presents le contact

prm21

rut rescu e“ rsoroeu rsn .

Development.—Where negatives are made withthe idea of onlar ing the smaller lates may beemployed, a soft t in negative she (1 be aimed atan a developer used that will produce a negativeof a neutral black colour, such as metol, rodinal,motel and hydroquinone. A ll of these are suitablefor developing plates that have received very

_

shortexposures. For the larger plates use the followmg

A .—Pyro, 60 mete], 45

5-8 potass. metablsulphlte, 12)

grs. pa 8 . brom ide, grs. water, 2) 023.B.

-Seda carbonate, 4ozs. ; water, 16 ozs.Use ual parts of A . and B.

This is ve energce

a

‘

tic and will bringout all possibledetail wit plenty of contrast, t s colour of the

negative , however, is not so suitable for enlargingby artificial light unless of exceptional brilliancy.All developers should be diluted with an equalvolume of water and used at a temperature of 65

de ees Fahr., winter and summer .

xposure .—The distance at which an object istaken should be based upon its size , rate of move

ment, and due regard to the safety of the operator.

It is never advisable to try and cover the wholeof the plate with a single figure, or group of twofigures. The nearer the object and the shorter theexposure required. This increases the risk of movement showmg and also of under-exposure. Themiddle distance on the focussing scale of therincipal object is always easy to judge, will beound convenient for nearly all subjects andis a useful standard for the be inner, with theadditional advantage that the bac ground is nearlyalways out of focus, giving more value to the

rincipal object. It is obvious that a brilliantght is essen tial to obtaining a fully exposed negative with such brief exposures of 1 250,

up to part of a second, an the tyre ma

accept the speed indicator of a ll first-class foca

Blane shutters as bein

ga

pproximate] correct.

0 not be discoura ed y t e sudden uctuation

of the light, especial y in the summer time. Thereis a wide range of subjects from which one can

choose , e.g., children at play, girls skipping, etcare nearly always to be found. There is littlelikelihood of the charge of imitation on account ofthe variation in the models.


Hints to Hand-Camera Workers.

By S. 0 . "AW.

OLD the camera firmly in the left hand,and, if a long exposure is to be given,

press it aga inst the body, or rest it onthe knee, while the right hand is used”as an addi tional support, so placedL.the thumb or first finger is in a con

venient position to “

press the button}?Avoid Shaking the Camera.and never risk giving

more than «3» sec. exposure without setting up thetripod or steadying the camera on some equallyconven ient ob '

ect, as n ine times out of ten thecamera would 9 shaken and the picture spoilt.Simplicity. Simplicit should be one

’

s aim inmaking a truly pictoria landscape . The introduction of figures is seldom an improvement, though,if it is desired to suggest life and movement, a fewvilla e children will add much to the charm of a

rura landscape ; but even then avoid overcrowding,which leads to scattered interest, confusion andweakness.

Backgrounds.—Always take care that the background for a figure is not a blank sky , in which casethe tone-rendering of the face will be unnaturallydark, even though the sun be behind the camera .

Place your figure a short distance from some darkobject ; choose a quiet, unobtrusive background.If it is wished to give the figure greater prominencethe form er may be sli htly out of focus. A figuredscreen or a s eck ly, owering shrub would be theworst possible ack rounds to choose , as they wouldannoy the eye am?detract very much from the

importance of the face .

Position of Figures—If the subject is posed withbent head or takes a stoopin attitude , be sure

space is allowed in the picture or head or figure toraise themselves erect m one

’

s imagination , otherwise, however elefgant the pose , the beholder will

surely compla in o stifi"neck or back-ache after a

few moments’ gaze !

Some Optical Matters concerning

Hand-Camera Work.

By 0 . WELBORNE PIPER.

EN an object plane at a certain distance from the camera is in sharpfocus all lanes at other distancesare , strict y speaking, out of focus ;but, practica lly, that fact will not beapparent in the case of ob

'

ectsSituated within certa in lim its 0 the

one plane in true focus. These lim its bound whatis called depth of field the nearest plane inapparent focus bein the lim it of near depth andthe farthest plane t t appears to be sharp beingthe lim it of far depth.D th

The shorter the focal length of theep lens and the smaller its aperture

the greater its depth, and as a hand-camera lens is

of necessit of large aperture it must be of shortfoca l lengt to secure much depth.W ith cameras that have no focussing adjustment(fixed focus cameras it is important to secure a

maximum amount 0 depth, and to do this the lensmust be fixed so as to bring into sharp focus adistance equal to one hund red times the square ofthe foca l le t

fifh of the lens divided by the f number of

the stop . is is called the hyperfocal distance(or depth constan t) of the lens for that particularstop, and when we focus upon this distance all

objects beyond half the distance are in focus. Thus,with a 5 in . lens and f/8, the hyperfocal distance isins. divided by 8, or 26 ft ., and by focussing

sharply on 26 ft . all objects beyond 13 ft . arebrought into focus. If we focus on a eaterdistance the nearest point in focus will be artherfrom the camera , and if we focus on a nearerdistance very distant objects will be out of focus.

Knowing the de th constant we can easilycalculate near an far lim its of depth whenfocussing on any particular near distance with thesame aperture .

To find the distance of the nearest object in focus25


mul ti y the distance in sharp focus by the constantand ivide by the sum of distanceand constan t.

To find the distance of the farthest object infocus mu l

tiplythe distance in sharp focus by the

iconstan t a°

vide by the dif'

erence between distanceand constan t.

For example : The constant for a 5 in. lens withstop f/8 is 26 ft., therefore , when focussin on 10 ft .

the near limit of depth is 260 ft . divid by 36 , orabout 7 ft., while the far lim it is 260ft . diwded by16 , or 1 ft . All objects from 7Qft . to 161 ft . fromthe camera are therefore in focus.

Excepting with very perfectly corrected lensesthe rules given only apply to objects represented inor near the centre of the late. All distances aresupposed to be mea sured om the front principalfocus of the lens.

A focussin sca le can be marked bytrial in t 0 camera for certainshort distances, or for infinity, butgenerally the marks for long distances have to be

calculated. The following two rules are mosteasily ap lied.The re tive distances mm the infinity mark to

any two other marks on t e sca le are always inverselyproportiona l to the distances represented by those twomarks. Thus if one mark on the scale is known torepresent IOft ., another mark twice as far fromthe infinity mark represents 5 ft., and onehalf as far from the infin ity mark representsWhen the infinity mark and one other mark havebeen found by trial, other marks can be set out bythe above rule. It is sometimes more conven ient,however, to directly mark the sca le for a particulardistance ,and this is easily done by the followin rule.

The scale distance between the infin ity mar andany other mark represen ting a particular distance isalways equal to the squa re of the foca l length dividedby the dista nce of the obj ect in inches. Thuswith a 5 in.

lens the space between the infinity mark and one

re resenting 5 ft . is 25 in . divided by 60, or is in.

e distances shown should not be selectedhaphazard, and the best series is the following.The first mark from the infinit

ylmark should show

the hyperfocal distance with t e stop most often

OPTICAL NATTERO CONCERNING HAND-CANERA WORK.

used (see D epth), and the succeeding marks shouldin turn be etc., of the hyperfocaldistance . Thus, with a 5 in . lens and /8 stop thecomplete series should be Infinity, l 8' 6

'

5'

These marks will all be equa l distancesapart, their separation being always equal to$Uin .

multiplied by the f number of the stop, or to in.

in the example.

This series of distances represents consecutivedepths ; which means that if we focus on any one

distancewith the stop allowed for , the two adjoiningmarks show the respective distances of the nearestand farthest ob '

ects in focus. In the assumed caseif we focus wit 178 on 13 ft . depth extends from8'-8 " to If we halve the aperture depth is

shown two divisions away from the distance in5 focus, so that when focussing with i /16 on

13ft. depth extends from 6 '-6"to infinity.

LeAlthough the fine quality lenses

noes.

now obta inable have been for themost part designed especially for hand camerawork i t does not follow that the most ra id and

expensive types are always desirable. ey are

really only necessary for very special work, and nota few photographers waste money on lenses thatare far too good and even unsuitable for theirrequirements. With any of the ordinary types ofshutterworkin at the lens, an aperture larger than

sel om required, and, excepting whenhas a rising front, the lens need not

sharply cover a space larger than a quarter -

plate .Hence moderate priced lenses of the rectilinear oraplanat type will often fulfil all uirements verysatisfactorily. An anastigmat give criticallyfiner definition over a larger plate , and is thereforea very desirable lens when a rising front is used,but it is not necessary for its aperture to be over{B

for ordinary work. W ith ex ures under oneundredth of a second on rapi y moving objects

an aperture of f/6 or 176 5 is desirable, and lenseswith this rapidity may be obtained of the rectilinear, aplanat, or euryscope types. Few of thoselenses wxll, however, cover a quarter-

pla te to theins with such large apertures and it is much

better to procure an anastigmat. Even with a

,27


focal-plane shutter it is not necessary to use largerapertures than f/6 , excepting in very special circumstances, and lenses of about f/4 are only requiredfor extremely rapid motion in a bad light and forindoor work. Such lenses are useful sometimes,

but it is generally best to reserve them for specialoccasions, as they have no advantageswhen stoppeddown to ordinarily useful apertures.

The excessive coveringpower or width of angle

possessed by some of the ighest quality lenses isundesirable for pure hand-camera work, as the small

plate on] utili ses a portion of the light and therest is re coted from the sides of the camera andfo 8 the plate.

ingle lenses are often used in cheap handcameras and if of good quality they will do veryuseful work, though they can never be rapidenough for very brief exposures. As a general rulethey will not cover a quarte r-

plate well at an

aperture over 1711 , and it may be as well to warnhotographers that not a few of the f/8 sin loenses fitted in cheap cameras are really f 11 ,the number having been altered to deceive the

purchaser.

The telephoto lens of ordin type is not

generally fast enough for ve quic exposures andthe special t 0 known as t e Adon is practicallythe only kin suitable.

Sh ttA good shutter should be of high

ere.

efi ciency, by which we mean thatthe full aperture of the lens should be wide openduring the greater part of the time of exposure.

The highest efi ciency is ossessed by the focalplane shutter, which is a b ind with a narrow slitmovin across and close to the plate . This isthe o y type of shutter suitable for very briefexposures from to sec. The speed isadjusted in two ways, by a terin the width of theslit and modifying the speed of t e movement. As

difi erent parts of the ima e are exposed in succes

sion a certain amount of '

stortion is introduced ifthe object is in ra id motion , and to avoid theefiect of this as mucKas possible you should not atany time use a smaller slit than is absolutely

OPTICAL HATTERS CONCERNING HAND-CANERA WORK.

Shutters fitted to the lens are of much lowerefi ciency than focal-plane shutters, but the mostefi cient types are those that open first and closelast in the centre of the lens aperture.

With any t

gye of shutter that works close to thediaphragm e ciency is

{Les ter with a small stopthan with a big one, so t t halving the aperture

sometimes only reduces the exposure to am steadof 1. W ith shutters fixed behind or in front of thelens efficiency does not vary with the step, but inthe former position a shutte r is, as a rule, rathermore efi cient than in the latter one.

When the ex sure is made by an a rture in ablind or metal p te crossing the lens t e efiiciencyis lowest when a circular aperture is used. Theedges of the aperture should be straight if theshutter is fitted outside the lens and convex if it isat the diaphra slot. In all cases the shutteraperture shou] be at least as large as the space ithas to uncover. If smaller, their efii cienc isseriously impaired,while the image will very likelyshow uneven illumination.

The Rising Front

in Hand-Camera Photography.

By C . J. DAVIES.

W that many hand cameras gfronts, difi culty is often experienced inguessing towhat extent this ad ‘

ustmentshould be empl

gged. The ollowing

method has prov useful in practicePrecure a circular plumb indicator

(Fig.32 and graduate the edge in eighthsAttac it correctly to

the side of the camera, and focus

on some high building. The

camera must now be tiltedthe plumb indicator has swungthrough one division, and the

amount of view noted on the

focussing screen . Level thecamera

and obtain the same amount ofN


view by use of the riein front, and make a markindicating the amount 0 rise employed. A similarmark on the front may be made for each divisionon the plumb indicator , and the latter may hegraduated to show either rise or fall.To use the indicator, point the camera at the

object and tilt until the amount reqon the finder, then note the position of the plumbindicator and set the rising front in accordancewith it . The camera must now be held level andthe exposure made.

This indicator is indispensable on an ordinaryroll-film camera, andwill be found a useful adjunctto any camera when used from the hand.

The Hand Camera amid

Sports and Pastimes.

Dy LEONARD H. WEST. LL.D.

HOUGH the photography of sports and

pastimes may not be a veryranch of photo

gaphy, it nevertheless

has a double in rest—(l ) in the pertypical British amusements,the actual participants in thegame or sport and to their

It is, however, subject to certainspecial difi culties : (a ) We cannot

choose our own time for securing the photoit is often a case of now or never, and at

To make a photograph efiective as a rtrayalof a sport or pastinm it must catch some c ter

istic or point of interest. A pho ph of a tennismatch, showing four la ers stan ‘

ng inactive inthe four courts, we (1 ve no point. It

show the striker in the act of

so

THE HAND CANERA ANID SPORTS AND PASTIHES.

(b Again, rap idly moving objects willmaybr ity of cases have to be dea lt with, e.g., horsesor hounds in hunting, racing, shooting, a cast orlanding the fish, the running or jumping athlete,the bowler and batsman in cricket, etc.

c In many cases defective light will be a grea t

di lty. Two of the most attract ivehuntin and shooting

, are in season when tis the east actinic uring the year, and the same

a plies to football, hockey and other pastimes.

ese difiicult ies may be best met bThe camera should one which is

I Suitablequickl avaflable and readil o ra

Apparatus. ted. Tli’

isalmostnecessarilygxclifdesanything but a hand camera. The box t withfixed focus has advantages. If not fix focusthere should be a readily adjusta ble scale. Whereone has to act in the field, and on the spur of themoment, it will probably be found by most handcamera users that it is much easier to correctlyjudge one distance from your object rhaps 18

feet, of course readily ascertainable) wit in whichyou must never trespass, than to correctly jud

gevarying distances from 5 to 50 feet and adjust t e

pointer onyour scale accordingly.

A ain t e shutter must be ca able of beingquic y set and quickly released. or some sportsbulb and tube would be ver

gemuch in the way.

A oed view-finder must relied on, preferablythe -sized view of the Reflex type, if cost ofcamera is not a consideration .

2. Rap idity of pla tes or films. One wouldna turall

éselect a rapid rather than an ordinary

plate. other objections do not overcome the

gin in rapidity and fine definition, plates are to

preferred to fiéms.

f f sedut or some purposes, e.g., i 11Shooting. in the shooting field by one who isalso carrying a gun , and must not on any accountkeep his companions waiting, a roll film cangenerally be more quickly chan

ged than plates.Moreover, for the rough an tumble of some

emu, e.g., fox-hunting in the Lake D istrict, thec cos are that plates may snfier seriously frombreakage.

31


3) A third means of assistance against theculties above referred to will be a lens working

a t a la rge a are, as F 6 5 and the most ef ectiveshutter, (w ich is, 0 course, the focal plane) ifavailable, with the camera selected.

The modes of can y i the camera .

Hunting.

If hunting and on orseback , a

camera of the folding pocket t can be carriedin the pocket, or may be strapped om the shoulder.

Any other form may mean injury to the rider incase of a fall. If huntin on feet, a box camera

slung by strap over the smoulder, will be carriedeasily and safel

ty.

This mode 0 carrying will also best serve theshooting man , who wishes to obta in photographsof actual incidents of the field and at the sametime participate in the sport himself. One of theaccompanyin illustrations, (Fig 9) shows a boxcamera at tac ed by a strap passing over the leftshoulder, and restin on the hip. In this way thecamera never inte eres with the use of the gun ,

is ready for use at a moment's notice , the photographs taken, and the film changed without keepingthe other guns waitin A cover can easily beimprovised to protect t e camera against injuryfrom showers.

is a pastime, towhich Photo phyCycling is an excellent supplemexgti,

1 1

andhere , of course, somethin beyond and camerawork alone ma be read ' y undertaken . With acarrier attache to the rear of the bicycle, thephotographer can secure for himself a very complete outfit—the accompanying figure 10 showsa box conta ining a combined 4 x 5 hand and standcamera , and four dark slides, focussing cloth, andcase of supplementary lenses, while the small boxbehind it is a box camera for snap-shot work, wherethere is no time for the ad

'

ustment which thela or camera would involve. The tripod is attachedto t e tOp bar of the frame, and the bicycle lampwith the circular face makes an excellent darkroom lam for chan °

ng plates and film whentouring, i a piece 0 red fabric which you can

carry in a pocket-book, is trapped into the face.82


moving across the line of si ht ; as, for instance,a train seen broadside on rem a field, or streettraffic as seen from the pavement when lookingstraight across the street, or water falling down a

cascade, etc. Of course, it seldom happens that wehave to dealwith objectswhich move exactly alongthe line of sight, but generally we can say whetherthe direction is nearer the first or second class of

movement. The difierence is important, as theaccompanying diagrams will show. Take the case

of a train , and suppose the heavy line A to repro

sent the face of the engine moving across the lineof sight. Fix attention on , sa one of the buffers,represented by the sma ll circ e at A , Fig. 33. Onthe ground lass or late of the camera A would berepresented y a. ow sup 0 96 that in one secondof time A moves to B. T is on the plate corre

s ends to a movement of the image from a to b

ofa b be more than 1 -100th

inch on the negativeshow as a blur on the print.

Now let us change our position , so that we see

the en'

ne front com ing straight towards us, i .s.,along t 9 line of sight, as in Fig. 34. Here 0 repre

sents the buffer, which in one second of time movesto D , and during this time the image moves fromc to d on the late . It is very easy to see that themovement c is much less than the movement a b,so that the shutter speeds required in the two cases

are obviously difierent .

Instead of C movin to D , we may ima’

ne it

moving to F or to G,

°

g. 35, for instance ; ut so

long as D , F and G are m a straight line with thelens the position of the image in all three cases

84

HOVING OBJECTS: A NOTE FOR H.-C . WORKERS.

would be the same, via , d. But there is also the sizeof the movin objects to consider, for objectsmoving towa the lens, as from C to D , give usan increasing size of image as well as a change ofposition . Similarly objects moving away from us,

as from C to G, give a reducing size of image. It

is only when they kee the same distance from thelens, as when moving rem

C to F, that they retain the 96

same size on the plate ,

Figs. 35, 36 .

One other matter must be noticed, via , the distance betwen the lens and ground glass or plate .

This in turn depends upon two things, via , the focallength of the lens and the distance of the object.Increasing the foca l len h of the lens increases

the distance between the ens and plate, Fig. 36 , increases the size of the object, and increases thedisplacement of the ima e . Thus the displacement c d with a short ocus lens becomes efwith a longer-focus lens. Roughly we may saythat the dis lacement is proportiona l to the focallength emp eyed. Suppose we are using a 5-inchlens and c d is just 1- 100th inch. (This is the practicallimit of movement allowable.) Changing this lensfor an 8-inch lens our displacement , e. Fig. 36 ,would be 8-5ths x 1-100th, or say 1

-63r inch—e uamoz

m t that would show a blurred image in the

pun f

Fig. 36 .

Again , if we go nearer to our object we have toincrease the distance between the lens and plate ,which brin 9 us to the same state of afiairs asthough we ad reta ined the same standpoint andused a longerfpewer lens.

3


Clearly there is no time to make elaborate calculations just before a shutter exposure is to be given.

We must therefore be prepared beforehand withsome such table of moving objects as that givenbelow, and take it as our guide until the fruits ofexperiment or experience show that it can bedispensed with.A Table showing the Slowest Shutter Speeds available so that

the image of a moving object may not be displaced morethan inch with a lens of 5-inch equivalent focus

Examp (see below) .

LoiteringStrollingChildren walk ingAdultswalk ingChildren playinFootball, cricke etc.

The figures are to be taken as convenient approximations.

Loiteringcrowds ; people standing about amarketplace, etc., cattle grazing, etc. Strolling, i.s.,slowly walking, dawdlin about, cows walkingslowly, sheep grazing. ildren walking quietly,horses or oxen ploughing. Adults walk m at an

ordinary speed of three miles an hour, c ildren

playing such games as marbles, rounders. Adultsplaying cricket, tennis, footba ll, rackets, etc. Trotting horse , cycling, slow train , waves. Gallopinghorse, men raem motor cars, trains, waves.

Express train at speed.It will, of course , be understood that the above

shutter-times are the m inima or slowest available speeds for normal conditions ; but there are

obviousl many conditions which have wide variations. onsider a game of cricket. We may have36

NOVING OBJECTS : A NOTE FOR H.-C . WORKERS.

the moment of changing an over, men strolling,or a return after a blank stroke, or the playersrushing for a tight fit .” Again , we may havemen running at a comparatively slow speed in a

mile race , or sprinting for 100 yards.

Turning aga in toFigs.33-36 ,a moment’s consideration will show us that when the direction of themoving object is such that it does not change size,i .s., keeps the same distance from the lens, it hasthe greatest displacement on the ground lass.

Thus had C moved in the direction of F or adistance equal to CD or CG, than F would be con

siderably beyond the line DFG. This is shown inFig. 33, where the image displacement CD isconsiderabl greater than in Fig. 34.

In the 8. vs table the calculations have beenbased on the assumption that the ima e is movingacross the line of sight, i .e., as in Fig. This maybe taken as practica lly equivalent to the maximumdisplacement, except when the object is near thecamera.

It almost goes without saying that where negmtives are being made for the p ese of enlargmwe must take extra care about a justing the spof the shutter, so that when the w

iggled image is

made the enlarged blur may not ex say 1-5oth

inch. The reason why we may allow a greaterblur in an e sment is simply that small contactrinte are usua y examined at a normal distanceom the eye, say 12 inches, while sular ements,

e.g., 20x 16 or more, are generall view at sa

3 feet or so, and at this greater ‘

stance a 1-50tinch blue would not be more noticeable than1-100th inch blur seen at 10 or 12 inches fromthe eye.

Similarly, if the negatives are for lantern slidemaking, we must bear in m ind the size of the

picture on the screen and the average distance ofthe s ectators, then make allowance for the permissi lo blur, bearing in m ind the nature of thesubject. For instance, a greater amount of blurwould be permitted in the case of splashing wavesthan in the case of a sk i ping rope. In the former

case we look for gener movement ; in the latterwe only look for movement of one thing.

37


The Manipulation of Films.

By A. i t . ou r“ .

EEING that so many films are now-a-daysused by hand-camera workers, it has beensuggested to the present writer that achapter of ractical hints on the manipulation of would be acceptable tothoseworkers who have hitherto confinedtheir attention to glass plates. This

chapter, then , is for those who have had no previousexperience with films.

First They take up vs much lessm9” room. In travelling this is a very

material advanta e. A dozen flatfilms do not occupy more space t an two or threeglass plates. Second They are much li hter in

wlfig

ht ; another great gain to the trave er, es e

c'

if a cyclist or pedestrian . To the climber t isis a eature of special advantage. Third They areEzactically unbreakable. A package of films maytossed from one end of the room to the otherwith little risk of dama c . This can hardly be said

to be the case with a x of glass plates. Films

may thus be sent through the post If rolled on a

s 001 or pack ed between a couple of sheets of card.

ourth They can easily be retouched on eitherside. This

’

ves them an advantage in the handsof the ca a lo ictorialist. Fifth Being so muchthinner than g ass, there is corres ondmgly lessli ht scattering by reflection , i.s., ess halation.

wth Al so this thinness enables them to be printedeither wa round with practically no less of definitien . is is a gain in the matter of cloudprinting ; also in the carbon single-transfer process,which requires a reversed negative to give a non

reversed positive. Seventh In the majority ofcameras arranged to take roll films the used s 001

may be removed and a new one put in wit out

recourse to a dark-room for chan '

ng. In the caseof certain cut film s this system 0 daylight changing is also applicable. It is only fair to say that


certain porcelain bridge-e arrangements may bebought. The film easily slides under the brid e,

and ma be moved to and fro without fear, as t eback 0 the film only touches the bridge. Thisstrip method of developing a dozen negatives at atime seldom finds favour with the careful worker,who naturallyprefers to trea t each negative on itsindividual meri ts or interests, and be free tomodifyits treatment without sim ilarlymanipulating otherex osures. In short, the strip method may beca ed the lazy man

’

s process.

is to cut up the film and develo

All:Oht

t

inous

each exposure separate ly. Thil;rna ve brings us to the starting pointwith cut orflat films, except for the difference that

roll films when out up are troublesomely curly. Tomeet this we may emplo some of the variousforms of film -holders, or, w at is by some regardedas

preferable, viz., give a

good long preliminary

sea ing in cold water to t e cut-up pieces.

When cutting up films the beginnerO' Nh‘m '

is advised to use a pair of scissorswith long narrow blades. If they are long enoughto reach right across the width of the roll, so muchthe better. Frequent] one or both the end piecesof the film are semew at longer than those in the

middle. Care must be taken to cut the film exactlyOpposite the markings on the black paper. It is agoodElan when cutting up a s 01 to have at hand

a goo deep card-box, or a c ip-bex such as thehatter uses for sending out tall silk hats. The

and black paper are cut through from side to sideat one operation , the paper and film together falling into the box. It 18 then easy to sort out thepapers. For soaking use a large deep vessel, e.an earthenware foot-bath, large basin or disW ith one hand take a film from the box and withthe other hand put it in the water and turn it overand over two or three times, removin any clingingair-bells. D o not let the film res against thebottom or sides of the vessel for at least a minute

on, and then only let the non-filmside touch the vessel. Do not let two films be incontact. If the vessel be deep enough and the films

40

THE MANIPULATION OP PILNS.

put in carefully, they may be made to stand oned 0 all the way round the vessel if it has uprightsi es. For small-size films up to quarter-

plate wemay use a row of glass or earthen jam jars.

De I tThere is only need for two matters

vs opmen of caution to be given to theworkerwho hitherto has confined his attention to lass

In some cases ammonia , caustic alka i, oracetone may not be used. Therefore, if the makergives noword of caution on this oint, it will be wellto make one or two trials with t ese reagents upontest exposures before running any risk with exposures which may be difi cult or impossible to

repeat in case of harm done by the developer.

Again, the glass-

plate worker who has been accustemed to employ erhaps 1} oz. of solution for aquarter-

plate had tter begin with a t least 4ass.

and a deep dish. A few trials will probably showhim that, in order to keep all the film well coveredwith solution , he will want it to a depth of an inchor more.

Lay the previously soaked film

2°

face up in the dish. Pour on theor y m. developer to a depth of, say, 1}

inches, give a swirl round, then turn the film facedown so that it rests on its edges, form in an archor bridge. The fin

ger or a glass rod touc ing theback wi ll revent t is arch rising out of the fluid,

if only t e dish and uantity of developer bereasonably adjusted to t e case.

Avoid holding a warm finger a ainet the filmback or front, as the loca lly appli heat will probably accelerate development and cause a patch.Some workers prefer to employ slow developmentwith single film s. Half a dozen common twopenntumblers with straight upstandin edges are us

In each tumbler is put a cut fl (uncoated sideagainst th

qrglass), and is herein given a half-hour’

s

soakin e water is then poured away and adilute eveloper poured in to a depth to well coverthe film standing on the edge . One well-knownworker so adjusts the strength of his developerthat each film takes half an hour to develop.

Each film is started five minutes after the last,so that in an hour twelve exposures are developed.

41


These five minutes intervals give time to transferfrom the developer and rinse under the tap for a

couple of m inutes the developed sections, andtransfer them to the fixing bath, while others are

slowly developing. An occasional swirl roundduring development is all that is needed. A shadeis fixed over the dark -room lam so that thefilm s developing are almost in dar ese.

8 t h' It must not be forgotten that we

cra c ing.

are dealing with a elatine surface,which is easily scratched or torn . herefore some

care must be taken to avoid the sharp corner of onefilm from scratching or injuring the gelatine coat

ing of another film . This caution , of course , appliesto all the operators of developing, fixing, etc.

in a sim ilar way may be started bya m‘ one film edge rubbin another filmedge, —or may be induced by hand in the film swith hot , warm fingers. It may also broughtabout by transferring a film from a solution at one

tem erature,eig tepid developer , to another at a

mar edly di erent temperature, e.g., recentlymixed, and icy cold fix in bath, etc. A developertoo strong in alkali may a o induce frilling.F

’ Here, again , the same precautionsin ns. must be taken to ensure the whole

of the film beingbewell covered by the fixing bath.

The film must moved about, and turned overfrequently. Care must be taken to prevent themfrom overlapping each other .

W h' of course, must be thorough. It ising, better to wash in half a dozen

changes of five m inutes’ duration in each bath, than}t

l

o soak in slowly changing water for two or threeours.

The tumbler or jampot method ma?r be applied

to fixing and washing, '

ust as in deve oping. Buta more convenient method for washing 18 to use a

couple of wooden buckets. The strips of film are

cut up sin ly or into lengths not (ii ite so long as thebucket is eep. Two strips are ta en and put backto-back, a pin is passed through the corner of a ir

of strips and then into the edge of a small bloc ofwood. Another pair is simflarly attached to the

42

THE MANIPIJLATION OF FILMS .

opposite end of the block of wood. Sim ilarly thetwo sides. We have then eight stri s han ingmore or less vertically downwards an uphel in

the water, by the floating block. While the film s

are thus soaking in one bucket, the other one isbeing filled with clean water . The wood block isthen carefully lifted out of one bucket, and equa llycarefully lowered into the clean wa ter , —the secondbucket. The first is now emptied, and clean waterput in , ready to receive the washing film s at the

end of five m inutes. Between each transfer it iswell to let the film strips drip and drain for a

m inute or so.

DThe tyre m ust not attempt to use

ryi ng.

alcohol or methylated spirit tohasten drying, in the way often done with glasslates, or he will probably find that the celluloidis of his film has been more or less dissolved by

the spirit, and the filmb

irregl

l

'

iegab

tyruined.

may e'

1e y pinn ing oneCut Fl“ Fm“

corner to the edge of a woodenshelf. Cut roll films are best dried by pinning allfour corners down to a piece of thin board overwhich has been previous] laid a sheet of blottingpaper. The boards are t en set up on edge in a

ust-free, airy place . The films should be placedon the board so that one corner is lower than theothers. If an edge of a film be horizontal whenset up to dry the water will collect along this edge,dry very slowly, and may leave a drying mark.If a film he wanted quickly it may be surface-driedby momentarily pressing it between two sheetsof fiufi less blotting paper and then dried byfanning.

It has been fre uently sug ostedthat the last washing water 8 ouldcontain one part glycerine in twentywater . This plan is epen to the objection

a trace of glycerine is left in the gelatinefilm , and as glycer ine is a h groscOpic or moistureattracting substance the fl is never really dry .

This may induce stains and spots with silver paperor platinotype,may brin about silver spots in the

negative itself, and I tend to encourage thegrowth of fungi and micro-organisms generally.43


If the film is held in such a positiongo

as to catch the reflection or linte e.

of the dark-room li ht, it benoticed that the coated side looks all and

‘

ves

a burr’

d light, while the non -coated side is s inyand gives a much brighter, sharper reflection.Moreover withflat cut films there isa slight tendency to curl inwardsside, as this side is slightly concave . This is more

noticeable at the edges.

Dm norsas res FILMS .

l . A . Wgtg

, soozs. soda sulphite, 2 ozs. pyroms.

B. Water, 2) ozs. ; soda carbonate, 1 os. ;

potass. carbonate, 3 drms. ; soda sul

phite

‘

,

ll

hoz. For use take equa l parts of

an

2. Water, 2) ozs. ; soda su] hitch;oz. ; potass.

bromide, 3 grs a h rate (caustic),25 pyrocatechin , gm.

3. Water, ozs. soda sulpLi ite, 1 oz. ;

bonate, 1 oz. kach 80grs.

The above are m three favourite formulas forfilm development. t is convenient to note thatall three have a factor of 10. The reader is referredto No. 6 of the Practical Photogra her for completeand practical instructions as to actoria] development, which certainly is very convenient for filmmanipulation.

Developing Roll Films.

By C . J. DAVIES.

ROCURE a round baking tin five inchesdeep by seven in diamete r, and coat theinside with black varnish.Developer. —E ll this tank with a verydilute developer to a depth sl

ightly ex

ceedii‘igthe breadth of the film . sui table

form a is :Water, 10 oz. ; mete], 2 grs. ;

soda carbonate, 13 grs.; soda sulphite, 22 grs.; potassium bromide,Remove the fi m from the backing paper, and

after dividing it at the perforations into two lengthsof six exposures each, place one of these len he inwater until flaccid, and then transfer the

44

Fig. 2 2

Fig 23 .

THE ONION SELLER

IN THE MARKET .

I? C . L.

DEVELOPING ROLL PILHS.

film rests on its ed e in a

The outer end of t e filmthe side of the tank b

y)a

a wooden clip, and a round glass bottle suita lyweigflzned may now be revolved along the face of

the until it has reached the centre of the helix,when a reverse motion is given to it.If the film is removed, cut up, and placed inwater as soon as the divisions between the various

negatives are visible, the tank should be capable ofdealing with three rolls of one dozen exposureseach before exhaustion .

Development is, of course, completed in a flatdish with an

gsdeveloper of normal strength. This

method avoi streaks of extra density and minuteatria , which are so often resent in films that havebeen drawn through the eveloper.

By squeezin a strip of lazier

’

s lead on to one

ed 9 o a re film , it may e coiled into a regularhe

'

x, and will then develop evenly without furtherattention. The develo r must in this case be welldiluted and one not he Is to staining.Miscellaneous Hand-Camera Hints.

s: r. c . “ use" .

TALKING, in the hand camera man’

svocabulary, means just neither more nor

less than avoidin observation of himselfb his victims. are can be no questiona at it being of the first importance todo this if natural, realistic, and nu

conscious expressions,poses and groupingsare to be obtained.First of all the worker must keep cool and quiet.Must not be fussy about forcing his way amon a

crowd to get to the best place or front row. ah

can get there just as soon by a little quiet patience.

Nexthemust not be seen to be “ fiddling about”withhis camera, changin the late , trying the shutter ,altering the stop. on t ese things are necessathe worker should do them without looking at h iscamera, or should sli aside under cover of adoorway or side street, hind a boat or rock or tree.

45


It is most essential that he knows his instrumentso well that he can manipulate any part or movement without looking at the camera , and indeedsometimes this must be done while the camera isheld behind one’

s back, or under one’

s coat.A good stalker must learn to make up his mindquickly, and as quickly carry out a pro

-arrangedintention. For example, you espy a group ofchildren

playing in the street. D o not stop and

look at t em and then see how they come in thefinder, or they will surely espy you , cease pla ing,

and begin to take the keenest interest in the “

p otography man , and ask him to “ take my picture ,mister.

” Better to walk slowly on—and pass thegroup, making up one’

s m ind the {point of viewwhere the shot will be taken , size of stop, speedof shutter, etc. D irectly you have passed yourgroup, your arrangements should be made, thenturn round, bring the camera into osition , andtake your picture before they have ad time to

know they are being operated upon . Havingpassed them they are li ttle likely to take an

interest in a back view of yourself. A second shotma be taken by reversing the direction of yourwplassing them a ain and making the exposure

from t e side which rst caught our attention .

At another time you ma be oitering about in ,

say, a market lace, qua si s , or street corner, andhave observe a good it of composition whichonly needs a figure at a certain point to givebalance, contrast, relief, em hasis, interest, etc.

In that case you may make a your arrangementsand just stroll about looking at the beats, theclouds, your watch, read a newspaper, take a

feigned interest in a group that you are not goingto include in your posi tion , but all the timekeeping half an eye on the place where the desiredfigure i s to occup

y. It may happen that everyone

around you has iscovered you have a camera and

are waiting for an opportunit This will perhapsinterest them so much that w at you look at theyat once fix attention on. In that case a little guile

come in useful. Having selected your realVi ew point and subject, then pretend your interestis in a direction at right angles, or perhaps just

46

MISCELLANEOUS HAND-CAMERA HINTS.

to to the real direction of your subject.that peculiar instinct which makes peopledesire to be included in a picture (which i t is a

million to one that they W ill never see), you willthus be able to draw away undesirables from yourselected scene. (This dodge is especially usefulwith children and women folk.) Then , when theyare as the think nicely placed in your picture, youcan quick y turn your camera round, and et yoursubject before they have realised that t ey are

not the chief object of your pictorial desires.

Sometimes one can dodge a group of figures byturning one’

s back upon them , and hold the

reversed camera under one’

s arm , and rely entirelyon the finder. A com anion is often useful instalk in as he can stro up and talk to one groupin whio you can pretend to take an interest, unti la happy moment arrives when you make theexposure on some other group that you havequietly been watching all the time. The beginnerwill wisely rely a good deal on the finder to tellhim how much subject is included, and also when itis correctly included on the plate . But withobservation and practice one may learn to knowhow much subject is included, and also learn toknow byfled , not sight, when the camera is beingcorrectly old so as to include this amount of view.

Successful stalk ing means patience and practice.

It means good humour to take and give inoffensivechafl’. It means tact in knowing what to say toone

’

s subject so as to disarm suspicion . It means

a measure of self control not to get excited or

flustered because the right fi re will not come

along, or because the wrong elk will persist inhanging about where they are not wanted.

Judgin Distances.—This is an art which may be

acquired y practice . When out walking select anab; ect—pause and guess howmany yards it is fromou—then pace it and verify your guess. Butfore doing this measure out a 10-yard distance

and test yourpaces. Few seple step quite the

full yard. Pro ably you find then that a true10 yards len th takes 11 of your full strides. Thenbear in min that yourme

s are about 10 r cent.short of true distance . tise g uessing tances

47


under various conditions, e.g., along and across thestreet. D istances alonga narrow street look longerthan tbs

pdo along a W ide one. Similarly a 10-yard

length a ong a grass field or lawn or other evenground does not look so far as the same distancecut up by shrubs, beds, etc., in a arden. D istancesover water look shorte r than t e same distancesover land.It is well to fix upon some standard distance(corresponding to your lens and usua l stop) withinwhich you must not trespass unless you re-adjustyour stop and focussing scale. For instance, anthat you chiefly devote yourself to landsee e worwith a 5}-inch focus lens and stop f /11 . yourfocussin scale be set at 23 feet then all ob

'

ectsfrom 11 feet to infinit will be sufi ciently s arpfor practical purposes. us 12 feet isyour trespassdistance for thi s stop at this focus. If you are

using f [8 with the same lens then our focussingsca le should be set at 32 feet, and halfthis distance,via , 16 feet, is your trespass distance within whichyou must not go without re-adjusting the scale or

stompi

or perhaps both.e beginner is advised to set his scale to 20

feet, and use f /8 as his standard. This gives him a

range of focus for objects not nearer than 11 feet,and not beyond 87 feet with lens of 5—in . focus.

Another very useful aid in learning to judgedistances is to get an adult friend of averagehei ht, to stand at 4 ards, 6 yards, 8 yards, etcan to note how tall ow large be ap on the

finder at those distances. This bit 0 knowledgenot only enables one to verif one

’

s guesses atdistance, but has the additional sip of keeping thesizes of figures in suitable preportions to the picturespace.

Verifying the Limits of the Finder.- It is im

portant to see that the amount of view shown on

the finder fair] closely corresponds with thattaken on the p ts . To compare these two, firstremove all sheaths or plate holders, and substitutea piece of fine ground lass, takin care that itoccupies the position of t 0 film or p to when an

exposure is made. New set the camera on a tableopposite an open window showing some distant

48


Hence we find painters sit rather than stand totheir work. But to every rule an axe tion, and attimes the hand-camera man has to e up exceptional positions. For example, in a crowd it ma

be necessary to hold the camera well up over one 9head, turning the camera upside down so that thefinder is on the lower side. Again , one may haveto look over a hedge or wall, or some other objector obstruction , when the camera may be held levelwith the face and a sighting shot taken b lookingalong the edge of the camera itself if of x form .

Or it may be held just under the chin with its loweredge resting on the chest. In this case a wireframe finder is desirable. This may easily be fittedto a box form of camera by any one who can use a

°

r of pliers. This is diagrammatically shown ing. 37, where A is a rectangular piece of wire

corresponding in shape and proportions to those ofthe plate in use. Two smallflat pieces of brass screwed tothe top of the camera enable

this wire rectangle to3 be folded down flatwhen not

i n u s e .

Similarly ,Fig. 87. a hingedwire 100p

at B i s so arranged that the s ' hting hole is o positsthe centre of the rectangle. is ismarkedby twofine black threads joining opposite com ers andcrossing each other. The eye placed opposite thesighting hole of B is directed towards the crossingofthe threads,when the wire frame outlines the view.

To determ ine the proper size of A proceed asfollows : Suppose the camera is for late sa

4x3) with a 5-inch lens, and it is desirbd)

to useZwire frame of 3 inches for longer side. D rawCDEF (Fi 38) the size of the plate in use. Join CE,

mark ofl‘ CK equal to the long side of the wire framedesired. D raw EH rallel to DE, and HG parallelThen G C is the actual size of wire

frame required. Next, to determine how far thisframe must be from the

Ii

‘

i

ightin hole to give the

proper viewangle. Draw (Fig. the focal lengthso

Fig. 38. Fig. 30.

of the lens. Draw LM equal to the short side of thepilzte , i.s., DE, and rpendicular to LN. Join MN.

rk of LP eq to D raw PQ rallel toLN, and QR parallel to ML . Then is the

idirztanc

gbetween the sighting hole A and the

me

The next position to hold the camera is at thelength of one

’

s arms when the rest againstthe bod

é;when the finder can then conveniently

seen. me workers prefer to pass the ri ht armround the camera , and have the left han underneath the camera . The ex sing trig

gzr may then

be touched by either han as may meet convenient. If a lower position is desired then bendthe knees, resting the body on the front half of thefeet and rest the camera on one knee. A still lowerposition—somet imes useful when workin on theedge of a quay side—may be got b ho]

'

ng thecamera between the knees—using t e two hands,one on each side of the camera.

Some cameras are provided with buttons or studs'

n holes in a leather strap whichneck of the worker, and suspendsconvenient height for operations.

Opinions are practicall unanimous in sayingthat the moment to fire 0 the shutter is either atthe beginning or end .of a respiration , i.s.,

when thelungs or inflated or deflated, full or empty.” Nota few failures due to moving the camera duringexposure are the result of suddenl pushing thecamera when the exposing button is singreleased.

5]


What is wanted is not a sudden ush, but a gentleand uick squeeze. Thus, if the t finger is usedfor t e trigger, then the second finger should bebelow the camera and the thumb at the side, andthese two should grasp the camera firmly so thatthe first finger is qui te free to move while the othertwo are helping to hold the camera steady. It is agreat he] to lean the body against any solidobject, suc as a lamp post, ra iling, tree , gat 3,wall,rock, boat, etc., at the moment of exposure. Toacquire a steady hand the beginner should practisereleasing the shutter, t °

ng to see how gently, nothow uickly, he can 0 i t. The beginner willrobab y not be able to hold the camera ui te stillor an exposure lon er than second. ut withpractice it can be he (1 quite still for second whenthe conditions are favourable.

On a windy day it is desirable to have one’

s coattightli

buttoned up, or the wind ma easily getenoug grip to give a movement to t e body. Aflap ing overcoat or cape is a great nuisance inwin y weather on this account.Some workers stoutly afiirm that it is easier tohold the camera still b holding it free of, i .e., nottouching any part of t 9 body except the hands.

Their method is usually to firm lyp

lant the feetsam e 12 or 15 inches apart, and o d the camerawith one hand at each side of it with the arms

stimy held a few inches away from the body.In a rough and ready sort of way one may saythat the further we are from our subject the higher

the camera may be held. Thus, for objects, fi es,groups, 10 or 15 feet away, the camera shou (1 beabout level with one’

s waist—for 15 to 30 feet chesthigh, and for distant eb'

ects chin height willgenerally be acceptable. his is, however, only avery vague generalization.

Plates Stickin in Magazine Changers. Thistrouble is gener ly due to carelessness in char ingthe camera. It is important to see that each p ate

is truly placed in its sheath, and not projecting ateither side and allowing sharp edges or corners to

02


catch or jamb. Again , the sheaths may be put inthe camera wrong way round or upside down .

W ith most cameras of this kind there is only oner i

ght way of loading, and every care should be

ta on to see that this is the way i t is done .

De th of Focus.—It is of first importance that

the d-Camera worker should have clear ideason this subject. We therefore invite his very care

ful attention to the following resumeof the matter.First let the reader clear his m ind of the common

notion that depth of focus is a special property ofcertain lenses. This is a misleading way of regardings

he subject and should be dism issed from themin

It is desirable that the reader will not be contentwith merely reading the following notes, but thathe should verify the statements by a few person

ally - conducted experiments and observations.

These may be made in any room , in the evening.We only need three lighted candles, which mayvery convenient] be fixed in the necks of threeemptywine or ot or bottles of one un iform hei ht.

We a so need a lens and bit of ground glass. %79can convenient] use a hand camera with thesheaths remove and a piece of fine ground glassput in position of the front plate.Firstput one of your lighted candlesof the room , at A . New focus its ima

camera than , and just so far in front of A , that its

flame is sufi cient y s ly defined for a wellshaped image. Sim ilarly t 9 third candle, F, is putbeyond A , and at such a distance that it is in as

sharp focus as N. Of course , N and F will not bequite as sharp as A .

We may now call A the foca l point , N the near

int ,”and F the “ far oint.” Thus objects between

and F will he s ciently shar ly defined forpractica l p oses. Then our epth of focusranges from to F, or N F is the depth of thefocal field.”


Next we change our f/8 etc to fi l l , and nowfind we can shift F a little fur er awa andbringN a little nearer to us and yet keep A , and Fall in nearly and practically equally good definition .

0 (mi)Thus a smaller step has given us

of focal field. Aga in changing thewe find a still greater and similar

c ans) N r .

Hence we may say that other things rema iningthe same , the smaller the stop the greater thedepth of focal field, i.s., greater distance betweenN and F.Our next observation is that F is alwa 8 further

away from A than is N, in other wor s, A F isalways reater than A N. Again , this is more

neticeab s with a sma ll than Wi th a lat-g?that while A N is only a few inches, A

many feet. (To confirm this one shouldfew observations out of doors, where distantobgzcts may be included) .far we have retained C and A in the same

position and observed the effect of a chan e of stop.

Now let us begin again with 178, an with Aabout the m iddle of the room , thus

N . A F

If now we bring A nearer to C, we shall also haveto move both N and F nearer to A , thus :

N . A . P .

On the other hand, if we move A further away wesoon find that F is up against the wall of the roomand N also is further away from A, thus

N . . A .

Hence we see that the depth ofon two things : First, on the fuse, and second] on the distance of

A , or ob'

ect in sharpest focus .

It now be easy to by moving Afurther and further away we shall arrive at sucha state of affairs that F is at an infinite distance,so that everythin further away from us than N issumciently sharp y defined for practical purposes.

I


Table showing the distance (in feet) beyond which objectsare (pract ically) in focus, i .e., assuming the disc ofconfusion does not exceed r}, inch

Equivalent Focus of Lens (in inches) .

4 1 4;

Example—“men usin a 5-inch lens our nearest ob'

ect is

about 25 feet dis nt , required to know what a

pto

use U nder 5-inch lens and opposite 178 we find set.Thus if we adjust our focussing scale for 25 feet and use

f18. then all our picture will be in sharp focus .

The hand camera worker usually is onlyinterested in one lens, and so can easily comm it tomemory the focus and near point for his severalsteps, when the far point is at infinitBut it often ha pens that our subject does not

include any very i stant object, indeed it ma all

lie within a range of a few feet. Clearly, the a vetable does not aliply. Nevertheless, if the reader

has gras the oregoing notes as to focal field,near an far points and so on , he will properlyconclude that a table of near and far points wouldbe of use when he is anx ious to know the largeststop available for such distances. For example,he may be dealing with a roup of boats in theharbour, the nearest one is 1 feet and the furthermost 50 feet. They are in gentle motion owing tothe incom ing tide. The uestion is—which stop touse and where to set the ocussing scale so that theshortest possible exposure may be given To meet

such cases we have worked out a table for a lens

of 5—inch equivalent focus. Fractions have beenapproximated to the nearest foot.

56

Fig. 2 8 .

311 work minister.

P. O . P. COMPETIT ION. CERTIFICATE.

W. G . Hill.

Fig. 29. P . C . L.

WINTER MIST .

Fig. 30 . F. C . L.

A SPLASHY CORNER.


Table chewin the practical depth“Sin feet) of focal field

wit a lens of b in. equiv ent focus.

4—6—8 4—6—1] 3—5—116—8—11 6—8—11 6—8—13 5—8—21 4—1—328—10—14 7—10—16 6—10—43 5—9h—Inf .10—15—28 9—18—35 8—15—71 7- 13 - Inf.

1 1—20—87 10—19—Inf.13 26—Inf

Note—The figures in heavy type are the focus into, andthose to right and left the far and h e

ir

lpqifits. Thus

under 178, if the focussin scale be set a set, ob ects

between 9 and 35 feet istanos from camera wi besufficiently sharp.

In the example just quoted our near and far

points are 15 and 50 feet. Under step(16 5we findthat if we focus on 25 feet our near an far poin ts

are 14 and 114 feet. This embraces the distancer uired.gain , suppose we are dealing with a bit of

carved stonework ; the nearest pomt is 6 feet andmost distant part 12 feet away. Under f /11 we finda ran e of 6 to 13 feet when the focus is adjustedfor 8 set on the scale, and so on .

One more example. We wish to take a distantwith objects as near as 10 feet. Underd that when the focus is set for 19 feetwe have a range from 10 feet (really half 19 feet,or 95feet) to infinity. This meets our case.

Just one more example. We are dealing withtrees swaying in the wind, and on account ofmovement we must use a stop not smaller thanfi l l . The nearest part of our subject is 9 feet andmost distant 60feet away. Looking at the rangesunder f/l l we find 8—15—71 . This meets our case ,

so that we can use f 1 1 with safety if the focussingscale be set at 15 feet.

57


Pictorial Pointers for

Hand-Camera Workers.

By THE EDITOR.

NE need hardly say that the same pictorialprinciples a ply to picture making by acamera hel in the hand, or supportedby a tripod. But the fact remains thatcertain faults are more likely to hap n

in the one case rather than in the ot or.

It is now our chief intention to call

attention to, and in certain cases exemplify, thesemore frequent mistakes.

On another go somethin has been said aboutthe efiect p used by a hig or a low view int .

Let that now be taken for granted and remem redin conjunction with the notes here below set forth.Focal Length of Lens.—In general the lens of ahand camera is of somewhat short focus for oedictori al efiects. Thus on a 4 x 3 picture the coal

ength generally used is 5 or perhaps 5} inches.

Now it is not always fully recogn ised by thebeginner that a short focus lens includes a comratively wide angle of view, consequentlyminishes the size and scale of the object, and at

the same time makes near objects appea r to berelatively too la

ggle when compared W ith similar

distant objects. is‘

ves an unnatural or exaggerated perspective s set .

In Fi 14 we have an old White horse and ayoung onkey. This latter is much nearer to usthan is the former. But in the illustration the twoanimals a

ppear to be more or less the same size.

The fault due to the donkey being too near thelens. Street scenes with figures too near thecamera are familiar exam les of the same efiect .In Fig. 15 the same e ect or defect is shown

under somewhat different conditions. In this casewe are concerned with the relative apparent sizeof the near houses to our ri ht and left ascompared with the more distant, ut really larger,house at the bottom of the street. The horse andcarriage which are only a few yards distant seem

PICTORIAL POINTERS FOR HAND-CAMERA WORKERS.

quite a long way ed , and insignificantly smallcompared with the cottage window to our

silglht . In the same way the W idth of this littleage street is here made to appear greater than

it is.

Down-hillEffect—Note that the down -hill cfiectis here obtained by keeping the camera

quite level,

and bringing into prom inence the secondingvanishing lines of the cottages to our right and left.Tilting the Camera.

—The next very commonfault is that of tiltin the camera when dealinwith architectural eu jeeta. The efiects of th 8

may be seen in Figs. 19 85 20. In the case of 19, theupright lamp post seems tilted over towards our

left , while most of the vertical columns of thebuilding

are tilted to the right. Thus—verticalparalle lines which in nature are thus—lI. are bytilting the camera upwards made to convergethus—A.

A sti ll more marked example is shown in Fig. 20,where the camera was inted upwards at a veryconsiderable angle. If t is picture be held vertically,and opposite the level of the e es, it conveys theimpression that the tower is alling backwards.But it may serve to illustrate the effect of therelative position of head and icture. Let thereader lean back in his chair an throw the headwell back as though looking up towards the top ofa near high building. New raise the picture wellufllabove the head, but holding it in the vertical

p°

n . In a certain position it will assume a

tilfitekdngly realistic sifect, and appear no longer

Similar efiects may be observed and producedby look ing

' down upon buildin or street scenes

from an e evated View point. ese pictures can

only appear at all natural if viewed by lookiggdown upon them. These two exam les, 19

may serve to show the importance 0 holding thecamera level when dealing with architecturalsubjects.Distortion.

—However, should it be desirable totilt the camera for special reasons, the fallingbackwards eflsct can be removed by making atransparency and a new negative in the manner

Ti ll PRAG‘

I‘

lOAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

is not very pictorial. Haddescribed in No. 3 of Theon page 15, sub D istortion.

Figure Studies—We now pass to one or two of

the more common faults in connectreatment of figures. In Fig. 22, we first noticethat the buildings are all lean ing towards one side.

This tells us that thou h the camera was heldlevel—yet it was not hel hor izon ta l, z

'

a , one edgewas lower than the other . Fortunately this defectof the print can be got over by careful trimm ing,but the defect is here left apparent to point themoral and serve as a caution . Now with regard tothe figures, we find them showin us variouspictorial faults. First, they are too rge for the

picture space. Second, they come too

centre and are too sim ilar in pose and toosymmetrically placed. Third, there is too muchspace in the picture below their feet, and not

enough above their heads, i.e., they are too hi hu

pon the picture plane. Of course , most of the

a ove faults can be more or less overcome byenlarging and trimming, but the negative is printedjust as it is to convey the above hints. In Pi 23we have another set of faults, while some of t osein Fig. 22 are avoided. The figures are relativelybetter placed, but in this case some are staring atthe camera . The background is too black andWhi te, and not at all suitable. The walking figureto our right is a disturbing element, though not inquite so otesque a position as one sometimes sees

portra e in hand-camera work. The group is toocontra and the plate should have been the otherway round, i.s., for a vertical picture.

Street Scenes.—We now pass to a couple of

street scenes, Figs. 26 85 27. In the former, twoladies Out shopping, are caught as they asbeneath a shad tree. This exam lo shows none may carefu y measure one

’

s istanos from a

certain object or position , make all adjustmen ts,and then wait unti l some happ groupin presentsitself. In this instance, the res we eu gestmotion , but for the chequered ight and sha e on

60

PICTORIAL POINTI RS FOR HAND-GAflERA WORKERS.

them. Had they taken just one step further forward,a far better result would have been secured. Thehand-camera man must not be in too much hurryon the one hand, and on the other hand must notmiss an o

pportun ity

21ebeing too slow and let it

slip by. om Fig. we may take the warningnot to cut our picture in half b a hard linerunn ing from side to side. Again , t ore is rathertoo much foreground space.

Moving 0 h em—Figs. 29 85 30 illustrate objectsin motion. om 29 it will easily be inferred thatthe ne ative was taken one foggy winter ’

smorningwhen 510 streets were slushy with snow, and thehorses’ breathmade steam clouds about their noses.

Except the near art of the snow, no port ion ofthis picture is in s arp focus, yet quite sufficientlyso for a suggestion of movement. It is a greatmistake to suppose that objects in motion must besnapped at such a speed that they seem deadsharp all over .

”Indeed, if they appear dead shthen the suggestion of motion is real] destroysthou h we may infer movement from t e positions.

In5alg. 30we have another example of suggestedmotion in a wave splashing up aga inst a stonework structure. Little or no art of this splash issuite sharp , i.e., free from lur ; but the slightisplacement better conveys to the eye the generalimpression of such a scene than a picture whereinall the movement was eliminated, and the waterappearing more like an immovable block of ice,rather than movin splashing water.

So far for the ew illustrations that we havebeen able to include. These however are only atithe of what one would desire to give in order toshow the common faults.

Size of Fiann a—The smaller the finder the more

difi cult it 18 to quickly realize the precise prortions of the various parts of our icture.

once , figures in the near foreground, whio seemuite tiny in the finder, often come out too large int 0 print. Similarly sma ll but undesirable obj ects,i .e., patches of black or white , ugly bits of line or

form , and unpicturesque objects generally, if smallor distant in nature, are so very much smaller on

the finder that one is apt to overlook them .

01

Till : PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

Unsuitable Subjects.—It is not wise to attempt

subjects showing strong light and shade contrastsunless the light 18 good, and an ample exposure can

be given . Indeed with such subjects it would bebetter to err sli htly on the side of over-exposure ,so as to somew t subdue strong chiaroscuro : for

under-exposure in such cases is practica ll fatal so

far as pictorial rendering is concerned. y strongcontrast sub '

ects one means—a snow-clad landscapewith near rk tree trunks, rocks, etc . ; narrowstreets one side in strong sunlight, the other insharply defined shadows ; dark boats and black orred sails in the near part of the scene withbrightlylighted landorwaterscape beyond ; brightllighted landscape or architecture as seen throngan open door, archway, etc ; figures in black or redand white costumes, and so on. In consideringlight and shade, one must not fo

zget that reds,

dark na, browns, etc., are equiv ent to blacksin suc cases.

Unnatural Effects Due to Toe Rapid Exposure.

These are by no means uncommon in the case of

rapidly-movmg objects, e.g., people running, horsesjumping, etc. The human eye, when viewmg suchsubjects, does not see so many separate motions orparts of a motion, but takes in a combination of

many positions, and so acquires the impression of

movement. But a very rapid shutter may isolateone of a series of positionswhich the eye has neverseen as a separate position. Hencewe see gallopixéghorses sometimes presented with the legs stretchout fore and aft in a way only familiar to us in thewooden rocking horse of the nursery or merry-goround. A

gfii

a

n , take one very simple and commoncase, 0. of a man seen side-face walkingacross 0 line of si ht. We may catch him at the

moment when one eg is passingSuch a position , of course, exists as one of manypositions in those making up the movement. Butthis one position gives a doubly false impression .

It shows us a one-legged man and a man stannot movin Again, a man walking may be can htwith the orward foot at its hi

ghost point. fine

again conveys the impression o a man trying to62

PICTORIAL POINTERS FOR HAND-GAl ERA WORKERS.

having kicked an invisiblets motion backwards rather

Moving Objecta.- In general with moving objectsthere is a period or phrase in the series of move

ments which is especial] characteristic and significant of the motion . t is this which obviouslyshould be striven for . Let us take a homely illustration , viz , that of a swinging pendulum . If ourview shows the pendulum sharpl defined at thelowest point of the swing,we shoul rightly say thatthis suggests the position of rest—mot motion -forwe know that this is its position of greatest velocitywhen ewin g. Again , if we sharply define theextreme en of the swing,we should fromknowledgesay at thi s point also we know that the oscillatingndulum is at its point of rest when chan g

rom the upward to the downward swing. a tbetween the point of rest and of greatest velocitywe should infer that it was moving, providedalways that other conditions were favourable tothis position. Sim ilarly we should avoid showinga jumping horse or man at the moment of springing from or arrivin upon the ground. And so on

Wi th the batsman , bowler, oarsman , runner, tennislayer. Pictoria lly, we should be more likely tointerested in the trees swa in in the wind, thegentle roll of the flowin ti e, t e ploughman at

the turn of the furrow, t e haymaker loading thecart, the harvester swinging his scythe, and so on.

Fortunately for the picture-maker, the characteristic phase is usual ly not that of greatest movement, but either just before or just after—the oneshowin a gathering efi

’ort , the other a recovery

after 0 ort .

Pictorial v. Scientific Truth.- Reverting to our

swmging pendulum example, this may be can htat the moment of greatest velocity, i .e., with obat the lowest point, and so sharply defined as togive the same photographic efi’ect as a pendulumtaken at rest. Scientifica lly, such a presenta tion istrue, in so far as it shows somethingwhich existedin fact. Pictorially, it is untrue , m as much as


it does not correspond to the visual impressionnormally and generally apprehended. This simplegrinciple is of general ap ication , and should note lost sight of either by t e scientific or pictorialworker, who so often m i sunderstand each other onthese matters. The hand-camera would-be icturemaker must not fo et that a sharply efinedrapidly-moving objectgoes not and cannot conveya pictorially true impression . Artists from earlytimes have recognised this, and have sacrificeddefinition (or deta il as the photographer oftenconfusingly calls it) to a suggestion of movement.Detail v. Definition - D etail may be absent or

present in the object itself. If present, it may belargely obscured, if not lost, by inadequate con

trast of light and shade. Thus, low relief in a

carving may be obscured by a soft front light, anderr

‘

l

lphasized by a strong oblique light. Again ,

fa t exposure or development may obscuredeta '

Aerial perspective maymodify detail.D efinition is a matter of o tics so far as the hand

camera man is concerned. 9 object may be out

of focus, or the exposure so long that ap reciableblur is the result. Halation may obscure etail.

BlurredForeground.sometimes 8 oil hand-camera

pictures. Thus the worker may 9“shootin at

some object over the top of a hedge an not

observe a leaf in front of the lens WhICh does not

show on the finder, either because it is too small,or because it does not come in front of the finderlens. Similar m istakes may arise with railings,rigging, etc. Again , some near object may be so

near as to be quite out of focus. (See depth ofProportion of Figures to Picture Space.

—Thispoint calls for great care, as the finder does not

always convey a truthful impression . Bear in

m ind that the finder lens and camera lens are looking at the subject from a slightly difi’erent position .

Again , a finder that is correct for distant view willnot be quite correct as regards lim its of subject fora near object. One must therefore be on one

’

sguard not to get figures too large for the picturespace, or cut them ofi’ across the top of the head orat the ankle.

TEE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

No t e s a n d N e w s .

HAND CAMERA Exposuans. .The average hand camera is

fitted with a lens of fairly short focus, and in consequence thefigures in an ord inary snapshot are comparatively small. This

allows of a moderately slow exposure, say, about fi th or {5th of

a second, being given on moving objects, without the negative

showing any signs of the figure having moved. D irectly, how

ever, that the focal length of the lens is increased, the figures

become relatively larger on the plate , and there is,of course, a

far greater risk of movement with such exposures as these. In

many cases the movement is not apparent until the negat ive is

enlarged ; but when it is , the defect becomes aggravated , and the

picture is in all probab ility spoilt. As this is the first year that

telephotographic hand-camera work has been at all popular, this

need of increased speed should be remembered, for with a lens

shutter it is pract ically impossible to get a really clean outline

under about a fortieth Of a second, if the image of the movingfigure is over two and a half inches in height. To obviate this

d ifliculty the focal-plane shutter should be employed , remembering always that, with its high efficiency, an exposure of, say, ,

‘sth

of a second is equivalent to 115th on a shutter that is fitted to the

lens in the ord inary way. Another thing to be remembered wi th

telephotographic hand -camera work is that to secure a good

illumination a considerable depth of focus is sacrificed and a far

greater accuracy must be observed when focusing or setting the

scale. Ama teur P hotographer

AMONG all the hand cameras of American make , the CenturyCameras, of Rochester, N .Y are eas ily the best. The variety of

work done by them is almost unlimited , as they possess, in smal l

compact shape, features h itherto found only in the larger and

more bulky professional outfits. A ll the improvements known to

high grade cameras : a brilliant finder with hood , rack and pinion

for fine focusing, a reversible back , rapid work ing shutters, high

class lenses, film packs, adapters, adaptable for ei ther plates or

films at will,make them the finest hand cameras on the

American market to-day. Tun: PRA CT ICA L PHOTOGRA PHER is

glad to publish this well-merited encomium on the Century

Cameras, which is even less than their general excellence warrants.

J' J' J'

Tm: annual meeting of the Texas State A ssociat ion will be

held at Galveston. The dates set are August 15, 16 , 17, and 18 .

The members of the commi ttee are : A . L . Blanchard ,H illsboro

,

president ; C. E. Hillyer, Belton,vice-

president ; Bert Williams,

D enton,treasurer ; and P . H . Naschke, Galveston, secretary.

68

NOTES AND NEWS .

WHAT is said to be the finest demonstration of photographs in

natural colors ever made in St. Louis is given in the German

pavilion at the World ’s Fair, where a representative of the Royal

Polytechnical School of Charlottenburg gives an exhibit ion daily

in the organ loft. The demonstration is the same as that given

before Emperor William, of Germany. By the combination of

the three primary colors, red, green, and yellow, as many difierent

shades can be secured as desired . By changing the intensity of

the lamps projecting the lights and concentrating the colors, the

required shades are thrown through the photographic slide on a

large white screen. Scenes in Germany and other European

countries, as well as groups of flowers , dawn efiects, the varying

seasons of the year and other Objects, are portrayed in a wonder

fully realist ic manner.

J et

AT the call of the Metropolitan Camera Club of New York

representatives Of the principal photographic societies of the

countrymet in the large assembly room of the Metropolitan Club ,

102-104 West IOIst Street, on Tuesday evening, July 5. P lans

for the federation were conceived and executed by Mr. Curtis

Bell, president of the local club. Representatives were sent by

the Boston, Washington, Toronto, Philadelphia, Chicago, New

York , and Brook lyn societies, and also the Salon Club of America,which is devoted to pictorial photography, with members from

all over the country. It was decided to name the new organiza

t ion the American Federation Of Photographic Societ ies. After

the adoption of a const itut ion, the following ofiicerswere elected :

Curt is Bell, New York , president ; Walter Zimmerman, Phila

delphia, first vice-

president ; Charles E. Fairman, Washington,

second vice-

president ; F. Dundas Todd , Chicago, th ird vice

president ; S. C. Bullenkamp, New York , secretary ; John H .

Thurston, Boston, treasurer ; Rudolph Eickemeyer, Jr New

York, salon director ; Daniel Baker, Philadelphia, historian ; and

F. C. Beach ,Toronto, chairman salon committee.

J J' J'

WE are in receipt of a most beauti fully illustrated catalogue

from the Optical firm of C. A . Steinheil Sohne, Mun ich, Germany,detailing the merits of their well-known lenses. The firm makes

a most complete line of lenses of all classes and prices, includingteleobjective. The catalogue will be sent on request to any of

our readers to their American representatives, Fidelity Inter

national Agency, 621 Broadway, New York .

69


L IKE Tennyson’s brook , the Illinois College of Photography

goes on forever. D uring the summer the faculty and the depart

ments are kept in full operation. Both the photograph ic and

photo-engraving courses are well attended, and one can enroll at.

any t ime by addressing them at Efi ngham,Ill.

$ 8 43

AT a recent meeting of the Troy , N. Y ., Camera Club , Presi

dent Callison appointed the house committee as follows : D . W.

Master, George F. Olmer, Jr. , and W. Burton Myers. The

finance committee appointed by the president was: 8 . B. John

son, J . J. Kehoe, and R. Rosemon. The entertainment com

m ittee appointed consisted of the names of C. B. Conant, J . A .

Pefier, and Miss AmeliaWaterman. The meeting of the board

of directors was held at the ofi ce of D r. Sigel Roush, where the

financial condition was found to be in a gratifying condition.

Themembership now consists of about a hundred active members.

J J J

WE have recently had the pleasure of mak ing a number of

experiments with a new paper manufactured by the American

Aristotype Company, of Jamestown , N. Y . , and named by them

Aristo Self-toningMatt. The paper has all thewell-known qualities of keeping and permanency which belong to Aristo Plat ino,and possesses the same beautiful surface. It is perfectly simple to

work , merely requiring fixing after printing, and then giving a

beautiful brown print . Amateurs look ing for a paper capable of

producing carbon efiectswill like it. Prints made on paper three

months old are absolutely ind istinguishable from those made on

paper fresh from the factory—a fact which will be apprec iated

by those who can only print at intervals, and hence do not always

have absolutely fresh paper.

I J J

ROTOGRAPH , B. Russegger sales agent , has gone out of ex

istence, and the Rotograph Company has taken its place. The

new company is incorporated under the laws of New York with a

capital of The ofiicers are Arthur Schwarz, president ;

Ludwig Knackstedt, vice-president, and Frederick Schang, treas

urer and general manager. The address of the new company is

771—773 East l04th Street. They intend to manufacture all their

products in this country at the above address, and in addition to

print their line of art pictures, and a most beautiful line of postal

cards, embracing all the prom inent cities, resorts, and points of

interest throughout the Uni ted States. We feel sure that the

American public will appreciate this new departure, and bespeak

for the new company a vastly increased business.

70

THE PRACTICAL

PHOTOGRAPHER.

American Library Series.

VOL. I. SEPTEMBER, ID“ . NO . 0.

The Pictorial Work Of

Charles Job.By THE ED ITOR.

R. CHARLES JOB’

S position amongpresent-day pictorial photographers18 indeed an enviable one. Havin

gselected a certa in class of subject anmanner of treatment, he has madefor himself a position which at oncecommands the admiration of therealist and impressionist. But whileboth claim him as a member of their ranks, yet

ne ither can say that he does not possess the qualities of the other schoolAnswering for himsc

'

f, he would disclaim anyhard-and-fast demarca tion and simply ask to beallowed to follow his own impulse both as to choiceOf sub 'eet and manner of presentation. Nor wouldhe ma 0 any pretentious c la ims on his own behalfas to craftsmanship, although his works amplyprocla im him to be a worker of quite exceptionaltechnical skill. It is not saying too much to adviseevery one of our less experienced readers to paythe most careful at tention to each of the n inereproductions ; for there is not one of them thatwill not convey most valuable lessons both inart istry and craftsmanshi

Let us not for at that r. Job is an old hand,”having started p ot

ggra hy in 1870with a 5 x 4wet

plate outfit. It is o y one of us who have goneI


throu h the wet-plate treadmill of landscape workwho now the physical fatigue and constantanxieties attendant upon out-dodr photography inthose early days. Like man other

, early workers,he presentl

yla id hotograp y aside in favour of

another ho by. at after a ten years’ interval hereturned to photo aph a ain , now ado

pgin a

7l xs size . Soon ter t is e joined the nsonCamera Club, a t that time humbly dom iciled in

Bedford Street, and during the intercourse W i ththe members a further stimulus tos pictorialwork was received. Mr. Job generously acknowledges the encourugement and prom tin hereceived by exam in ing the work of his sllowclub-members. About that time also he joinedacertain well-know p ostal club, and continued hismembership until uite recently. These two clubsare here mention as showing that the way tolearn something about the true worth of one’

s ownwork is to compare it with thework of others, andalso to pa thoughtful attention to the honesto

pin ions 0 other workers. Mr. Job freely adm ite

t t the postal club has proved both interestingand helpful to him in h is work.For some little time past he has been using aquarter plate hand and stand camera, which

accom anies him on his frequent little cycle tripearoun the district of his soaside home. He usesa rapid late , referably a Lacked colour-sensitiveone, wi h, 0 course, a suitable light filter.Mr. Job’

s usual exhibition work is about 15 x 12 ;but this for the most part is from enlargednegatives from quarter-

pla te originals. The en

larged negative is on a moderately slow landscape

plate made by means of the oil lantern . Those w o

are fam iliar with the fine ua lity of Job's work,seen year by year on the alon walls, may thuslearn to respect a uartcr-

plate negative, at anyrate when it is in the ands of such a skilful worker.

As to art matters, we cannot do better thanuote Mr. Job’

s Own words in a friendly letter tot e.

resent writer : “ If all our coming hotOé

rap as could have an art educatioii too

sta with,t 0 resulting,

work would be better than an thingthat has been done up to now. To do artis ic an


mu d and wri from it his daily bread. andlly to be bimse sown in God's acre,

”as our

forefathers called the churchyard. The simpliand directness of the composition is an eloquentlesson in the greatest art of all, via , the art of

leaving out.The Return of the Flock—In this instance wehave a picture where the artistic sentiment is

strongly pronounced. The fine evening sk a t once

suggestslglowingyellows, reds and urp es. The

homewa tren ing flock tells us of eclining day.

The shadows are lengthening, and Sol is casting asheaf of golden arrows in our face ere he gathersround him the cloud curta ins of the n i ht. Thetree com ing against the strong lit sky e orces the

light value of the higher tones. No human beingsare in sight, but we n iss them not for the bloatingflock recalls the thought of the shepherd not faraway. The leading lines of the composition drawour attention along the road and on to the chieflight of the picture.

Snow and Sunshine.—Hero we h ave an example

of the fine craftsmanship as well as artisticjudgment of our artist. Perhaps there is nothingmore crucial,more trying to the hotographer thanthe rendering of sunlit snow. The temptation tounder-expose and then over-develop seems almostuniversal whereas it were wiser to err both on theside of over exposure and under developmentrather than produce the usual snow scene of

gradationless white paper. Here again is a lesson

m sim licity and the art of leaving out what is notwan Be it noted that in winter the sky is oftendarker near the horizon as here shown , while insummer the horizon is

‘

often the lightest part.Netc also how the leading lines draw our attentionto the chief hi h-light, i .a., the sun-lit bank of snowcontrasted wit the tree beyond.Evening Calm is an entirely charming picture

full of the poetry of suggested colour. Just the kindof subject that one can imagine would appeal tothe great Turner. Once aga in we note the concentre tien of interest in the sa il-clad vessel giving usour chief high-light and the other dark objects

4

BORDER PRINTING .

F. C . L.


photography. It is indeed so hard to say which ofhe two schools deserves most eu port thatwe leanto the Opin ion of the learned ju 0 who said thebest judgment was always that w ich is withheld."When both give us so much artistic enjoymentwhy adjudic ate at all? If the violet is sweetsmelling may not the rose also find favour Thispicture irresistibly rem inds one of a mezzotint inquite the best style of that charming art method,and there seems an especial fitness between thisold-world bit of near London and its style oftrea tment. Note once aga in the broad arrangement of light and shade, and how the dark treeshelp the light falling on the face of the houses.The trimm ing of this picture shows excellent taste.

The rendering of the water and suggestion of cloudsare also quite delightful.AWoodland Path—Le t the reader mentally contrast this with the usual thin “

f 64, andevery leaf sharply defined.

”

Suc a thong t givesone cold shudders, and suggests trees bearing castiron leaves—or things made of wire. Here wehave not a single leaf sharply cut , but instead ofseeing a leaf we have foliage—leaf-clad trees in allthe beauty of their varied lights and shadows.Broad masses of invitin leafy shade. The path atour feet suggests a strol beneath their umbrageousrotect ion while we look beyond upon the glowingight of summer sun. The broad treatment of thesetrees should be carefully studied b every landscape c amera man. Let him note t e absence of

sharp outline, of solid dark, of glittering light. It

is

lnot a presentation of separate leaves, but of

o ne e.

AIFtoo soon do we find ourselves at the end ofour enjoyable wanderin in pastoral scenes andleafy lanes under Mr. ob

’

s sympathet ic guidance.

Not only ma wegather pleasure and instruction

from them, ut w at is rha even yet morevaluable , via , a new eye to ook or beauty hithertopassed over. Perhaps it is not overstating mattersto ea that the education of the eye is the true

foun ation of all graphic arts, and without this wem ow bmldms on s tonnds tien ef esnd

C

Introduction to

Platinotype Printing.

By E. T . Holding.

LATINOTYPE printing is one of thesimplest and most satisfactory processesin the whole practice of photo

graphy.

The process itself efi’ers so few ifficulties, and the results obta inable so manyadvantages over most other printingmethods, that it is surprising it has notbeen more widely used by the amateur worker.

Compared with carbon printing, certa in ly we havenot such a range of colour, and compared withbromide printin those of lim ited leisure have notthe advanta e 0 being able to carry through thewhole opera ion by artificial light. But when thisis said, what process can compare with platinotypefor absolute

permanence of result, for beaut oftone, and for he simplicity and speed with w ichthese results may be obta inedis ensured by the fact that aplatinotype rint consists of a

film de sit of platinum, wit a pure p aper eu

port. he first is a metal which is, of all meta s,

the least liable to deterioration by any kndwurea ent , whilst the paper upon which it is depositedis, of the right quality, not likely to perish underordinary circumstances in less than some hundredsof years. Here, then,

we have a means of handingdown to posterity our choicest

Eroductions, with a

full assurance that, whether t ey are worthy of

such a measure of immortality or not, they W i ll atany rate survive the ravages of time. Permanence

alone would not ensure popularity to any photographic printing process. But, as hinted above,the tones we may command in the simplerbranchesof platinotype printingare enough in themselves to make an enthusiastic. They range froma rich and vivid black to the most delica te pearlymy and from a deep,

se

fiia to a golden brown.

rtlier than this, as wi be demonstrated byother writers in this number of The B e chtel

‘l

PRACT ICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

Photo pher, other colours may be obtained, butI sp only of the simpler operations of ordinarydevelopment, and of tones the reach of thebeginner.

Th h ed t'

e paper i s pure as in ms.

1c,

" e °f the which are sealed in order to protect their contents from atmos

pheric action . A small lump of chloride of ca lciumi s included in each t in , to absorb any moisture thatma be in the air enclosed in the t in when it issea ed, or which may penetrate after the t in isopened.The paper should be transferred from the pack

ing tin to a properly constructed tube , from whichpiecesma be removed as required. This is knownas a ca ciam tube ,” and may be purchased invarious forms . It consists of a metal cylinder,capped at each end, and divided into two compartments by a perforated partition. The smallercompartment conta ins pieces of ca lcium chloride.

This will be found to be a hard substance which, so

long as it rema ins hard, indica tes that the air inthe tube is perfectly dry. Should it become soft,proving that it has absorbed moisture, it should beried on a shovel over the fire, or in an oven . The

supply in the storage tube may be renewed fromtime to time b inserting the pieces removed fromthe tin in w . ic the paper is purchased.The larger compartment holds the paper , which

is protected from contact with the calcium by thedivision . The edges of the lids, which fi t closelyto the cylinder, are covered with rubber bandswhich make the joints a ir- tight , and preserve thepaper from damp and contact with the atmos

phere. In this way the pa or will keep good for aconsiderable t ime. It has been known to keep ingood condition for years, but a t any rate may berelied upon for some months.The paper, in all operations preceding develop

ment, shou ld be handled with care, and in subdueddayli ht or artificial light. The fingers should notbe alfiiwed to come in contact, more than is necessary, with the sensitive face of the pa r, which iseasily distinguished by its lemon ye low colour.

It W ill be found that the paper is rolled with the

INTRODUCTION TO PLATINOTYPE PRINTING.

sensitive side convex. This method should beobserved when rolling the paper to re-

place it in

the tin , as the curl thus made will be useful indevelopment.V ti f

There are some half-dozen makersPM “ es

of platinotype paper now sellingtheir productions in Great Britain.

It does not come within the scope of my remarksto mention these in detail, nor i s there , so far as Ihave experienced, much to choose between themfor quality. The paper can be obtained in a varietyof surfaces, ranging from smooth to very rough.There are alsopapers specially prepared to producesepia prints, and there are some papers in whichthe image prints out , and which do not need, asthe ordinary a er does, development before thepicture is finis ed

)

. These I shall deal with later,and speak first of the manipulaton of the ordinarypaper for black tones.Th N t

' Little need be said as to the beste ega "e ' kind of negative for this process.

In these days of individuality in photographicwork, it verges on the impertinent to suggest to aworker that this or that kind of ne ative suits thisor that method of printing. The p atinetype printwill do as full justice to a given negative as

other process. If the negative is vi creus itw

'

yield a vigorous print. The process W1 1 renderdetai l as well as it will render breadth. It printsquicker than the ordinary rinting out silver paper,so that results are obtaina ls from dense negativesin less time than by that method. Vigour can beinfused into rinte from weak and toneless negaPtives by methods which will be described.9 t

' Stress has been laid on the necessitym m" for keeping the paper dry . Thi scare must also extend to the printing frame andwhich should be perfectly free from damp

re using with lat inotg

'

pe aper. In case ofdoubt they should 0 drie be ore the fire or indirect sunshine before use.

Place the paper with its sensitive (yellow sidenext to the negative ; and between it an theback of the printing frame place a sheet of some


damp-proof material, such as thin sheet rubber, orthe oiled paper used in letter-copying books, or usean old film. Print in a good ight (even directsunshine may he sometimes used) until all but themost delica te deta il is observable in the print, whichmay be examined from time to time in a subduedlight. The imagewill appear in a fa intpurple colour ,and the rinting will have been carried far enou hwhen it has reached the appearance of Fig. 19. Ti e

paper should then be removed from the pr intingrams. If it is not convenient to develop at once ,replace the printed paper in the storage tube, whereit may remain for any reasonable time before it isdevelo ed, as no further action a pears to takeplace etween rintih and deveFopment if the

aper is roper y care for. Some workers willevelop t e accumulated prints of a week or longer

at one operation , while others prefer putting theprint direct from the frame into the developer.

D 1 tThe object of development is to

eve onn en turn the faint purple ima 0 intoone of the strength and colour desired. repare

as a stock solution the following2 oz.

Potassium phosphate 5oz.

W ater 14 oz

In m ixin this stock solution hot water may be

used for issolving the crystals, as with cold waterit is a lengthy operation . Let the solution coolbefore use. If blue-black tones are r uired, the

solution should receive the addition 0 sufficientoxa lic acid to make it slightly acid, say from 40 to

60 ains.

or use dilute a portion of the stock solutionwith an equal quantit of water, and use it at atemperature of 65°F . f colder than this granularprints will result. This diluted solution ma be

used re eatedly, so long as it operates success ully.It shou (1 be kept separate from the stock solution,

and as it becomes used up, additions madefrom the stock solution in the above proportions.

To develo the print, place the develo er in a

porcela in ish, letting t e developing so ut ion be

at least one inch deep, and the d ish largeenough to allow the print to be freely handled

10


a less degree. The final acid bathshould remain perfectly clear and colourless afterthe print is removed, otherwise yet another bathis necessary. The same bath can be used for more

than one print at a time . A good plan is to fillthree dishes with the bath, so that rinte may betransferred from bath No. I. to bath 0 . II ., and so

on . When bathNo. I .becomesvery yellow it shouldbe thrown awa

Iv, the dish re-filled and used as bath

No. III No. I becom ing No. I always keepingthe final bath quite clear.

Af ter this clearing, the prints must be washed inrunn ing water for ten or fifteen m inutes, or in a

few changes of water , to remove the hydrochloricacid. Should thiswashingbe insufficient to entirelyremove the acid, the pr int would not snfier, butthe acid remain ing might possibly cause the paperto decay prematurely.The print may now be dried between sheets ofblotting paper, or by hanging up. If necessary,heat may be used to accelerate the drying process,

after which the print is ready for mounting, or itmay be mounted while still damp. It will be seenthat the whole operation is extremely simple andexwitious. By the use of heat for drying purposesa and moun ted platinotype print can be produced in about l

ialf-nu-

imili

f.

l 11 ht is, e ieve, practice y t eg“

I" C“? universal custom now to produce

eve opmen black tone prints b the cold development process above described. ome workers,however, prefer the hot bath method, although itis difficult to say why. The only difi'

erence in the

process is that the developer is used at the strengthof the stock solution , and is heated to a temperatureof 100—150°F. In this ba th the development isalmost instantaneous, the image com ing up to

about full strength immediate ly the print comes

in contact with the bath. For those who ‘havelarge quantities of prints to develop, this of courseis an advantage, as the working is carr ied throughmuch more quickly than by the cold bath rocess.

But for him who works in photography or the

love of it, i.e., for the amateur, the cold bath hasdistinct advantages. It enables one to watch the12


under-time the prints and raise the tem craturs ofthe developer. And on the other han if by anychance the print has been removed from therinting frame before being fully pr inted, the heatedeveloper will save what otherwise would be a

fa int and toneless picture . The last pointmentionedwill doubtless be of more use to the beginner thanto the practised worker , as it is not quite easy a tfirst to jud

ge when the printing has gone far

enou h. I s ould advise the beginner to cut off a

b it 0 the print if there is any portion tha t hepurposes tr imm ing off before mounting, and tryingthis little p iece in the norma l developer beforeimmersing the entire print. If it does not reach thedesired strength of colour , the warmer developerwill bring it up to the necessary strength.Over-ex osed

Should a print have become overP t

p exposed, i .e., over-

pr inted, we mustrm

not develop it in the normal bath.

The developer should in this case be diluted withwater to half its strength, and the prin t removedto the clear ing bath on atta ining the right stage ofdevelopment. Or the prin t may be developed inthe usual developer, and a dark, over-done printresult,which may be toned by the Packham formula

mentioned on page 63, which requires an overtimed print for its best result. Or glgcerine may

be introduced into the developer as escribed onpages 15, 56 .

S P The brown ish tones mentionedepia apers.

above are in reality onl a shadeor so removed from black. For the pro action ofgenuine sepia tones, e ither the special papers pre

ared for that colour may be used, or the developersSescribed by other writers in this number may be

adopted .

There are one or two se in papers which may be

purchased requiring hot evelopment ; others for

cold development. Spec ial development salts are

recommended for use in each case, and althoughmore or less sa t isfactory results may be obta inedby the use of the developers given above, thespecial developers are strongly to be recommended.

l l

INTRODUCTION TO PLATINOTYPE PRINTING .

The sepia papersare more sensitive to light)than the black, and will not keep as well. I havefound that the hot bath

paper ives a darker and

richer colour if kept in t e 8 ed tins for a fewmonths after manufacture, the new paper be ingrather inclined to be “ hot

”in tone. The developer

should be heated to 150° F. for the hot developmentpaper. The subsequent operations are the same asthose already described for black papers. Specialcare should be exercised in keeping the paper fromdirect dayli

glht dur ing the development and first

clearing batPri t

'

-outThere are one or twomakes of this

Pn “ 3

paper to be had, though it has buta very lim ited vogue . As its name

implies, it difi'

ers from the ordinary platinotypepaper in that the image is clearly seen , and re

uires no development. The chief objection tot is paper is its extreme slowness in printing, evenin direct sunshine. The print in should be carriedfurther than is desired in the nished picture, asthe strength is reduced in the clearing bath.D epth of tone may be obta ined by holding theprint, before fixin over the steam from boilingwater . Fixin is gone in a bath slightly weakerthan that use for ordinary plat inotype prints

H drochloric acid .

ater

which bath should be repeated until all trace of theyellow s ta in has disappeared. Prints fixed w ithoutsteam ing will be found to have a delicate pearlygrey tone , very well adapted for broad and simpleeffects.

6 1 cer'

eThe operations I have hitherto

M{h j“

attempted to describe have beene o

concerned simply with the production of a stra ightforward print from the negative—a print that will give an exact positive of all thequalities of the negat ives used. The most fascinat in branch of pla t inoty e prin ting, however, isnu oubtedly that in w ich, with the use ofglycer ine, the worker is enabled to introduce suchchanges and modifications into his print that itshall represent what he in tended, rather thanmerely what the lens recorded.

15


C trolIt has been found that a develo r

onto which glycerine has been ad ed

acts much more slowly upon the paper than in itsnormal state. In other words, the glycerine proteets the image from the developer. The greaterthe proport ion of gl cerine, the slower thedevelopment. If, there ore , we have a print, oneportion of which we wish to develop more comlately than another, the part to be retarded shoulde develo

gied with a glycerine-diluted developer , the

normal eveloper being used on the other part.In the application of this principle lies boundlessscope for artistic, or at any rate individualistic,interpretation of the subject depicted, and it maybe uti lized in the following ways

(a ) For the slow development of over-timed prints, in

preference to using a weak developer.(b) For retarding those portions of the picture that would

otherwise develo too strongly.

(c) For retarding port one of the picture with a view toem hasising other parts.

d ) For t e purpose of viguetting.

a) For the purpose of completely obliterating portionsof the print.

In the hands of a master, then, an undevelo dplatinotype print ma become almost as comp ete

an expression of his i eas as though he had himselfwholly created it. Emphasising here, retardingthere, and in places entirely obliterating, he workswith almost as free a hand as does a creativeartist. So much, indeed, depends upon the worker’

s

individuality, his ap reciat ion of the possibilities ofthe subject prints and upon his man ipulativecapacity, that more failures than successes maybe expected with this branch of the work. Noinstruction can be given in it , and all that can bedone is to suggest the simplest methods of work,leaving each individual worker to face alone theartistic problems involved. Figs. 13 and 14.Re arding

’fic

l

fint (a ), add 1 oz. of glycerine to 4oz.deve oper. is will be sufiicient to retard thedevelopment of an over-tim ed print. Pass thedeveloper over the face of the print with a tuft ofcotton wool, or with a broad fiat brush, taking caretha t it is even ly laid on and that it gets into thepores of the per. For this purpose It is a goodplan to lay t e print facs up on a piece of glass, or

10

INTRODUCTION TO PLATINOTYPE PRINTIHO.

on a board covered with American oil-cloth. Afew dro of glycerine under the print will keep itflat, an prevent it sliding about as the developeris applied. As soon as the desired tone is reachedlace the print in the clearing bath, wi ing it careully over while in the bath with a tu t of cottonwool ; otherwise the development may continueunder the glycerine until the acid bath has dissolvedthe glycerine and got to the print.Points (b) and (c) Coat the portions to be retardedwith the above lycerined developer, and immerse

in the norma l eveloping bath. If the reta rdedparts do not come up quickly enough, brush themover while in the bath. This will remove some ofthe glycer ine, and allow the normal developer toget to work. If the retarded parts are not sumciently retarded, remove the print from the bath,blot it carefully with the blotting paper specia ll

prepared for photographic use , coat the parts witpure glycerine, and place again in the bath.Point (d) : For vignetting, run a few drops of

pure lycerine on the face of the print, spreadingi t wit a clean fia t brush evenly over the entireface of the print. After waiting a few minutes tolet this soak well in , blot ofi any superfluous glycerine. Now brush the glycerine develo r over theportions to be developed. Shou ld the evelopment

proceed too slowly, use a stronger develo r withess glycerine in it . Proceed until the ll tonedesired is obta ined before placing in the clearingba th. Use cotton wool as above to remove the

glycerine. The portions of the print protected bSure glycerine , and not reached by developer, wi lisappear in the clearing bath, leaving pure whitepa er.

oint (e) : A much wider subject than vignettinMuch depends on the character of result desireThose portions to be retained in the print may bedeveloped either with the brush charged with thenormal developer or with the glycerine-diluteddeveloper. It may or may not be necessary to coatthe paper first with

Fl

fiycerine. After the foregoing

notes this must be e t to the worker’

s discretion ,

eve hing depending upon the character of theres t aimed at .

17

THE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPI'IRR.

Notes on Platinotype.

sy usua? w. sw am .

T is impossible to over-estimate the importance of eliminat in as perfectly as possiblea ll the iron sa lts rom a platinum print.The image itself is stable, but the presenceof iron in the finished print will inevitablylead to a degradation of the paper basis.This discolouration will, in extreme cases,

extend to the lighter parts of the image ; and adamp or impure atmosphere will intensify thisdeterioration and also make it occur much morera idly.

n order that platinotype prints may be leastliable to any change or deterioration , careful attention must be given to the operation of clearing. Itshould be re arded in the same li ht as fixing ane ative , an considered to be ua y important.

are hydro chloric acid shou (1 be used. Thisshould be as colourless as possible. The strengthof the clearing bath should be one part of acid tofifty or sixty of water ; under no circum stances

should it be weaker, andwith a stronger bath thereis too great a tendenc to soften the paper.

The acid solution s ould be used very liberally,and care taken that prints are well so ted. Fouror five separate changes of solution s ould be used,the prints not rema in i in any one for more thanfour or five m inutes. his is most important inre ard to the first two baths.

11 using a given quantit of solution it will befound far more effective if ivided into five partsthan if used in three chan

fis only , the total time

of immersion of the prints ing the same in eachA simple test for the completion of the work of

the acid bath is to take some of the solution inwhich the rinte have rema ined for at least fourm inutes an exam ine it in a clea r glass, so that theli ht is transmitted through two inches of solution.

This should appear as colourless as water ; thefaintest trace of yellowness indicates that iron salts

18

t i lt. ru bric“ . momen t s“ .

The rusty brown appearance of the solarisedparts is much less pronounced, and the warmertone of the print assists in rendering it lessapparent.A! f P

The ageing or maturing of thec aper.

paper, after first open ing the

origina l tube, has a considerable influence on thecharacter or qua lity of the prints. They are softerin their contras ts and less brilliant, and, as the age

of the paper increases, distinctly warmer in tone.

Paper that has been kept two or three eeksshould always be used for prints from very strongor harsh ne

agiatives wherever practicable. It pos

sesses the ditional advantage that it does not

solarise so readily. It is assumed, of course, thatthe paper has been stored carefully in a calciumtube.

Prints not developed soon after exposure are

similar in character to those on paper that has '

been kept. A greater efl’ect of age is produced ina given time, however, probably on account of theunavoidable exposure to atmospheric influenceduring printin inducing a chan e which continuesmore rapidly t an the very elig t efi'

ect of age in

paper carefully stored.

Maxims about Mercury-Toned

Platinum Prints.

sy wm . A . can“ .

T is well to remember that a little mercurywill often turn what would have been adirty grey-looking print into a pleasant lywarm sepia picture. If the contrast in a

ative is too stron mercury in the bathno

he ps to reduce it . e hotter the bath themore efiectual the toning efl

’ect.

The mount 'fg pap

ers that su it black platinumprints, will be oun absolute ly unsuitable for thosetoned with mercury. As one seldom has exactlythe same proportion of mercury in the bath, thetones of the prints are likely to vary considerably,consequently,mounting becomes a most important

‘

I‘

I‘IE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

But probably the paper that is most stronglyrepi m uted in the exhibitions is that known as

rough. I t is a power for ood in artistic hands,having a rough wit out coarseness, and a

de th and lum inosity in the shadows that is, Ibe iove, unsurpassable . It is essentially the paperto use for large portra it and landscape work.I have purposely only mentioned the hot ba th

papers, as I find they are much better adapted formercury toning during developm ent than the coldbath papers, the latter often showing under thistreatment a double toning.Pictorial Notesfor Platinotype Workers.

By CARINE CADEY.

HEN to use black pla tinotype andwhensepia seem s entirely a personal question , as each of us has his own ideaswhether a subject should be represented warm or cold.For insta nce, one m i ht think there

glack M “!

could be no question about '

theepia . ma tter when winter landscapeswith snow were the subjects . If snow is not cold,what is The luminous blacks and gre s thatblackplatinotypegivesseems tosuggest the s adowsin the snow so satisfactorily, and such a pure whitecan be obta ined. Yet such well-known workers asDemachy and Eickmeyer have chosen to rendersnow landscapes in a warm brown , and this Warmtoned snow has not looked as peculiar as one m ighteu pose .till , for the not very advanced worker one feelsinclined to advise black platinotype being used forwin ter and snow subjects, for m ists of a ll kinds,and for most seascapes. But sepia for those sub

jects in which one wishes to express warm th ; forexample, an old tree, an autumn landscape (or anlandscape in which one wishes to suggest suncornfields, sandhills, etc. Most figure studies, too,will be more pleasingly rendered in sepia than inblack platinotype.

22

PICTORIAL NOTES FOR PLATINOTYPE WORKERS.

With portra its it is still more dimcult to lay downany hard-and—fast rule, for here the individualityof the worker cries out for a free hand.Ste ichen, when working in Paris, once refused to

show a print of a sitter because it was prin ted intoowarm a tone. It must not be seen until a blackprint of the portra it had been obta ined ; and not

rom any pictorial exi ency, but for the purelypersona l reason that t e sitter happened to be

possessed of a very dign ified reserve, which he feltcould on ly be correctly suggested by very coldtones.

It must be remembered that sepia platinoty is

compliments to most portra its, so many aces

are im proved y the su gestion of warmth ; and itis onl the few, and t ese generally portraits ofmen , t at black will suit best.With flower studies I have found black best for

rendering white and blue flowers, like the lily,snowdrop, hairbell, etc. ; but for those of warmertints sepia will be found more satisfactory.D h

Brush development of platinotype,Dru

l tbywhich Imean using the developereve opmen with ha lf its quantity of glycerine

and working up the print with a soft brush, is a

great help ingettingdpictorial eflects.If it is care lly an slowly carried out a vignettecan be made, the head and shoulders alone be ingdeveloped. Also a success can be scored ofi a failure

a negative that is faulty in some res ts canby this partial develo ment of the print e madeto yield quite a g result. Pla tinotype be ing a

process that demands a negative of correct density,i t is good to have this process -to fall back on whenour

hnegat ives are not quite as correct as we m ight

W is

Glycerine and brush development can be usedth advantage(1) To vignette.

(2) When parts of the ne ative have to beaccentuated, parts su dued.

(3) When the subject has not composed verywell, and only a part of the negative is

needed.(4) When the negative is too hard.

23


Preparation of Platinotype Paper.

By rum . suesLi iANN.

OMMERCIALLY it is not likely to “

paythe small consumer to prepare his own

paper. Nevertheless the intelligentamateur should be acqua inted withthe outlines of the process. Indeed itwould be helpful to him in his studiesto prepare a few pieces by way of

ex riment.9 paper to be coated must be as pure as can be

obta ined. It is important to avoid any kind thatconta ins even tiny specks of iron , zinc, or brass.

The amateur will dowell to confine his experimentsto the produce of the well-known high-class apermakers such, for instance, as Schle icher gchiill,R ives, Steinbach,Wha tman , Zander , and the O.W "

(old water colour) papers.

-We may conven iently group the various platinotype processes into three classes

(A ) Paper coated with a light sensitive sa lt ofi ron ferric oxalate) which is exposed to light.Thi s y ields a partly visible image (in ferrousoxalate). The paper is now bathed with a

solution conta ining a platinum salt , which deposits(develops) a platinum ima e. Papers of this kindare sometimes termed Platinum in the bathpapers.

”

Owing to the nature of the developerwhich when m ixed for use does not keep longthis process proves not so econom ical as the othersand is seldom now used. It is, however, capable ofielding quite as fine results as any other method.evelopment takes place at normal atmospherictempera tures.(B) In this oup of processes the platinum is

m ingled with t e sensitive iron salt , and the twoare applied to the paper in one operation . Sim ilarlya ferrous image is produced by light. Then on

applying a solution of pota ssium oxalate or othersu i table substance a platinum image results. The

24


now filled with water, stirred and the precipitateallowed to subside , the supernatant li uid pouredaway and the washing repeated unt ‘

the washwater no longer turns red litmus paper blue. Purewater is poured in to the 42 parts mark. Then 10parts of pure oxalic acid are added. The m ixturei s well stirred and should now be quite clear.

Water is added to reach the 50 parts mark.Lead Iron Solution.

-In 100 parts water dissolve20 parts lead acetate, add 4 parts oxalic acid, heat,stir well, collect and wash, dry the precipitate oflead oxa late . Take 100 parts of the ferric oxalatesolution, add 1 part of lead oxalate. Shake welland filter.

Sodic Ferric Oxalate.-This salt is obtainable

commercially ; a 507° solution should be prepared.Potassium Chloroplatinite Solution.

—The strengthrequired is obta ined by dissolving 15 gra ins of

the sa lt in 90m in . of distilled water.

Sodic Platinic Chloride Solution.—D issolve 15gra ins of the yellow crystals in 120m in . wate r.

Oxalic-gelatine Solution.—In 40 parts water dis

solve 4 parts gelatine and add 1 part oxalic acid.(D issolve by a id of heat) .Mercuric C itrate Solution.

—In 20 parts wate rdissolve 5 parts citric acid and 1 part yellow oxideof mercury.Mercuric Chloride Solution.

—D issolve 1 part saltin 20 parts water.

Gum Arabic Solution.—D issolve 1 part gum in 2

parts water.

Sodium Oxalate Solution.—D issolve 3 parts salt

in 100 parts water.

The Light of the CoatingRoom.—Day- light should

be filtered throu h orange paper, and gas- lightthrough yellow abric. The sensitising solutions

and m ixtures should be kept in the dark.Coati the Paper with the sensit ive m ixture

must ben

done evenly and ex ditiously. The solutions are distributed over t e aper by means ofbrushes. But these must not e made with anymeta l parts, or spots and streaks will result. Thebrushes ma be of hog hair. If too hard the willcause strea s. The common round string ound

20

PREPARATION OF PLATINOTYPE PAPER

glue brush may be used—or a tuft of cotton woolmay be forced into the end of a glass tube.

conven ient spreader is formed by bendin a sheetofcelluloid over a thin fla t bit of wood (4x x icoverin the celluloid with a piece of swans-downand hol in all together with a strong elastic band.The s re er is used like a squeegee. The pa r

shoul be an inch larger than a drawing boartfgowhich it is fastened by foldin down a half-inchstrip all the way round, and xing to the edge ofthe board with drawing pins. The solution mustnot come in con tact with these metal pins. Thesurface is lightly rubbed with rapid long strokes,first one way and then in a perpendicular directionuntil it is nearlydry, so as to prevent the formationof crysta ls or a ir bubbles.

Dryin the Paper is a matter of great im rtance. The drying should not occupy more thanhalf an hour. This may be done at a temperatureof about 130° F.Sensitising Formula . C lass A

A B 0 D25 10 50 25 parts

Mercuric chloride solution 1

Chloro latinite solutionSodic-

p tinio solution

“if,“

a z osp z

oxalate, 0 para.

)

Adsjust before use 1 partschloro latini te solut ion .

(2) For brig t contrast results z—Saturated solution of

potass. oxalate, 400 parts ; glycerine, 50 partschloroplatinite solution, 10parts.

Sensitising Solutions. C lass B.—Black image

hot development(1 ) Chloroplatinite solut ion

Ferric oxalate

(2) For gelatine-sized persChloroplatinite so utionFerric oxalateOxalic gelatine

Sepia image by hot developmentChloroplatinite solution .

Ferric oxalateMercuric chlorideSodic-platinic

f l


Sensitising Solutions. Class B.—Blaok image by

cold developmentA B 0

Chloroplatinite solution 6 6

Lead iron 0g

Sepia image by cold development. Preferable touse agar -agar or sizing

Ferric oxalate solution 80partsChlomplat inite 40

Mercuric citrate 20Sodic-

platinic 1 rt .For increased contrasts the last-nam constituent

may be doubled.

Sensitising Formula . C lass C .—The paper iswith arrowroot, or agar-agar

Sod ic-ferric solutionChloroplatiniteWater (for rough paper only)

The following may be applied to paper withoutprelim inary sizmg

Sodic-ferric solutioChloroplat initeGum solution

If increased contrasts are required, 1 to 3 parts of sodic

platinic chloride may be added.

General Notes on the coating solut iona—Forrough surface papers more water ma be added tothe extent of 50 per cent. of the total ulk previousto dilution . A

gar-agar sizing favours the roduction of warm b ack or sepia toned images. creas

ing the sodic-platinic solution tends to increasecontrast, and gives brilliant prints. It also helpsin the keeping of the pa er.

Size-free papers shoul first be coated with agaragar , dried, and then re-coated with arrrowroot .Sizing fabrics, e.g., silk muslin before sensitising(1) Arrowroot, 50 gelatine, 18 grs. ; water,

12 ozs. ; alum, 1 gm.

(2) Water, 500parts ; alum ,Z) parts ; soluble glass,20 parts.

fter sensitisin stretch the fabric on a lightwood frame and ry thoroughly. Print by actinometer, and develop at once after printing.

Chemical Jottings.By J. J. JOHNSON

Platinum in a fine state of divi sion is known as

platinum black, and this forms the photographicpicture. Platinum black has the power or propertyof condensin oxygen upon the surface, and so

forms an oxi izing agent.Platinum dissolves in aqua re is (3 partshydrochloric and 1 part n itric acid). the solution

so formed be evaporated to dryness, then redissolved in water and again evaporated, we obtainplatin ic chloride, platinum tetra—chloride, Pt 015 a non deliquescent red crystalline salt.If latin ic chloride (tetra chloride), be heated to

250° it forms a platinous chloride (di-chloride), agreen ish owder insoluble in water. It is solublein hydroc loric acid, form ing a red brown solutionknown as chloroplatinous acid. Le t this beevaporated to dryness over a wate r bath, and thenthe solid dissolved in the m inimum quantity ofwater, a quantity of pure potassium chloride, e ualin weight to the quantity of metal platinum rstdissolved, is taken. This is dissolved in a m inimumuantit of hot water, and then added to the

c orop at inous acid. After well mixing, this isslowly evaporated, when red crystals of potassiumchloroplatinite separate out. (Potassiumlatinate, a yellow crystalline substance, is not toconfused with the platin ite).Reactions or tests for platinum salts

1 . Sulphuretted hydrogen—a slow forming brownblack precipitate.

2. Ammonia—a yellow crystalline precipits3. Ferrous sulphate saturated solution—a blackprecipitate on boiling.

4. dd excess of soda carbonate and some

sugar—boil—a black precipitate

own .

Potassium Chloroplstinite may be prepared asfollows -In 1m parts of distilled water dissolve153)y

r“ platinic chloride. Bring this solution tong point by means of a water bath. Now p

into it a steady stream of washed sulphur dioxide


(sulphurous acid gas). The ellow liquid presentlyturns red, showing that t e required sa lt hascommenced formation , sic.

- the platinum sa lt ischanging from the platin ic to the platinous state.From time to time remove a small quantity of theliquid with a pipette , and add strong ammon ia.

If any platinic salt yet remains unconverted, weshall have a yellow precipitate of ammoniumchloro-

platinite thrown down . The gas must bepassed until conversion is com lete , but sto ped atthat sta e, or the latinum wi 1 be thrown own as

a sulphide. But insuflicient gas has been passed,some platin ic salt will remain unconverted, and bethrown out as potassium chloroplatinate in thesubsequent operation .

The right sta e being reached the vessel is set

aside to cool. e now prepare a 5076 solution of

potassium chloride in hot water. This is added withstirring to the platinum solution, when the desiredchloroplatinite of potassium separates as a red

precipitate. This is allowed to collect, and washedin a little water, and then in alcohol until it ceases

to give an acid reaction .

As the desired salt is soluble in 6 parts of water,it is obvious that as little water should be used as

possible, or a serious loss of the precious metalwill take place.

Another Method—Take 9 parts of platinicchloride, and dissolve in 270 parts water ; add 1

rt potassium hypophosphite . The solution is

apt Jus t below boiling for several hours, when thesolution becomes sufiiciently concentrated to

crystallise out the salt on cooling.If the liquid be boiled there is a probability of

the reduction having gone too far, and otherreactions taking place.

Another Method.- ln 300 parts of water dissolve

24 parts potassium platin ic chloride, add 12 partsotassium chloride, and 12 parts otassium

hydrogen sulphite (bi-sulphite). Boi for 20

minutes, then put in an evaporating dish, whenpresently the salt separates as red crysta ls.

so


The vessel is now covered with a plate or saucer

and left on a warm oven top all night to digest.

Next dilute this pastey m ixture with 0 or 12 times

its volume of water. Stir well, and remove allundissolved matter by filtration . Now add strongammonia until the m ixture smells of ammon iaafte r well stirring. Ammonia chloroplatinite isthrown down . This is collected, dried and heated,when metac platinum only is left. This residueshould be digested with hot hydrchloric acid toremove any i ron , and finally washed in plenty ofwater, when pure platinum black remains.The Fixing Bath—Put this in a shallow vessel,

e.g., a large dish or tray, and sca tter in granulatedzinc. The platinum is thrown down as a fine blackpowder. After stirring at inte rvals, decant 03 theclear part . Throw the sediment and undissolvedzinc into a deep vessel, e.g., jug, add water , stirwell, pick out the bits of zwo, and collect theblack powder (platinum ) on a filter.

Testing for the Presence of Iron (ferric or ferrous).—To the wash water add a few dro s of a ten r

cent. solution of potass. ferrocyani e , when a b ueprecipitate or coloration indicates the presence of

iron . Sim ilarly, potass. ferricyan ide gives a blueprecipita te with ferrous salts and a brown colour

with ferric salts.To Distinguish between Platinum and Bromide

(Silver) Prints. Immerse the print in a saturatedsolution of mercuric chloride . A latinum printwill rema in unaltered. An untone bromide printwill bleach and become nearly invisible. goldtoned brom ide print will be made lighter.

A s in , a 10per cent. solution of potassium c anidewill ave no efiect on a latinum rint . n untoned brom ide print wil be disso ved away. A

toned brom ide print will be reduced.


on the paper.

93

5) Use of metal kn ife in cutting up

the paper. (4) ust particles settlingDon the paper

af ter coating and during drying. (5) amp fingers.

The platinum ima e rubs off the paper.-( l ) Paperdried too quickly a r coating.

White Spots. -(l ) Air-bells clinging to the paperdurin development. (2) Particles of calciumchlori e reachin the surface of the paper. (3) Particles of lime alling from the cei ling on to the

paper . (4) Particles of dust on the film . (5) Sma llcrystals of hypo crystallizin out of the film in

consequence of imperfect was ing after fixing.

Paper is yellow in the high-Ii hts.—(l ) The sensi

tizing solution was alkaline, so orming a basic ironsalt in the pa r. (2) The paper was bleached orblued with u tramarine which turns yellow fromcontact with iron salts.

Prints look rightwhen wet, but flatwhen dry. 1 )Paper insufi ciently sized ; to remedy, a ply varnisetc . See page 58, 59) 82) Paper not ried quicklyenoug after coating. Too much water in thecoating mixture.

The prints are too black and white.—Hard con

trasts. (1) The negative is too contrasty. (2) Theexposure was insuflicient . (3) Soft

prints from

strong contrast negatives may be 0 tained byrinting under green or blue-green glass. (4) Theeveloper was too cold.Prints show brownish colour, local or general,thou h printed on black aper. The negative mayhave on intensified wit mercury.Granulari of the Image Use of too colddeveloper.

l

32) Stale paper, i .s., afl’ected by damp.

Colour is Rusty Black Paper has beenafiected by damp. (2) Too much acid used in thedeveloper.

Print is Blue Black. D eveloper too cold. (2)Developer too dilute.

Shadows are Brown Black—Solarization due toexcessive printing—especially prolonged exposureunder clear glass. U se a less concentrated deve10per, or use i t colder. Cover the clear glass partsof negative with matt varnish.

34

PLATINOTYPE POINTERS.

Paper turns Yellow. Clearing imperfectlydone and leaving iron salts in the paper: (2) Useof ir

‘ppure hydrochloric acid for clearing bath.

3) ashin in water contaminated with iron.

erse e low -stained prints in a 5 per centsolution 0 oxalic acid and wash well afterwardsPrints become Rotten.

—Paper easily tearing. (1 )Insufficient washing after acid clearingbath.

Ink Stains. Ordina ry writing ink can be

removed b a strong solution of oxalic acid.Printer’

s ing apply warm spirit of turpentine andblot ofi with clean rag. When the sta in is removedthen apply pure alcohol. Anilin inks will usuallywash out in running water.

Platinotype Pointers.

sirw. WALTON.

To each ounce of a cold saturated solution oftass. oxalate add 2 ains of co per chloride.

°

s develops a warm b ck tone. our grains ofmercuric bichloride added to a cold saturatedpotass. oxalate solution gives a warm black tone.

For over-exposed prints from very strong contrast negatives, first pass the print rapidly through

a dish 0 te pid water and a t once transfer to a hotdeveloper. This gives a greatly softened efiect,but the high-lights of the paper are usua lly somewhat

feyed. This may be useful for certain

atmosp eric efiects.

Floating the paper on the developer, face downof course, gives rather more brilliant prints thanthe usual method of immersing the print in the

solution.

Rough Papers , as a general rule, yield warmertones than those got by the same treatment withsmooth papers.

Negatives—Flat, weak contrast negatives maybe improved b printing under blue glass. Hardnegatives sho d be printed under green lass, andy e

?strong contrast negatives in sunlig t under

ye ow glass.Warm Sepia colours are obtained by using an old

sepia developing bath and adding to it one part ofa saturated solution of oxalic acid to ten parts of


the old bath, and use at not less than 100° F. Thisdeveloper will also give the best results obtainablewith stale paper.

Purple Browns may be obta ined on sepia papersby using the followmg developer : Wate r, 10 ozs.;

potass. oxalate , 1 oz. ; potass. phosphate , 1 oz.; citricacid, 10 grs. U se at temperature 100°—180° F.By adding 30 grs. mercury bichloride sepia brownsare obtainable.

Warm tones by cold development.—Stock solution20'

ozs.water, 5 ozs. citric acid, 1 oz. yellowmercuricoxide. Warm the m ixture , shake well, and filte rwhen cold. This is added in varying quantity tothe normal cold developer, according as one requiresa warm black or red brown colour.

For prints lacking in contrast add

sgr. of potae

sium m trite to each ounce of normal eveloper.

Bright prints from over-soft negatives.-Water,

parts ; potass. oxala te , 10 parts ; ammonium

persulphate , 1 part. In extreme cases the persul

phate may be increased to 5 parts.

To soften sli htly harsh prints.-Hold the print

in the steam o a hot developer for a few seconds,i.s., until the paper begins to feel slightlyThen develop in hot bath. This gives sligreduced contrasts and slightly warmer tones.

For very weak contrast negatives print lightly andthen intensify with platinum .

After clearing, wash in a dilute solution of washing soda—a bit about the size of a hazel nut in a

in t of water is enough to neutralize the acid.y this means thepaper is less likely to be injured.

Large prints on t in aper may easil be torn ifheld by the corners. o avoid this li them byplacing the spread-out fingers well under the print,and remove from the wate r slowly so that theweight of water on the print may be lessened.Drying.

—Not only does a platinum rint look lessbright when dry than when wet , ut the se intones or colours are less vivid, i.s., duller, dar erwhen dry than when wet .

Prints drying dull owin to insufficient sizing ofthe paper are improved y immersion in a coldsaturated solution of alum .


gum wa ter to make the fine black powder adhereto the pa er . Failing this, a brom ide retouchingpencil wil be found very su itable.

To Restore Faded Prints.—The te rm fading is

sometimes—wrongl —a plied to prints whereofthe

lpaper and not t e p at inum image has turned

slig tly yellow in conse usnea of imperfect removalof the iron sa lts. In t is case prevention is thebest cure. Failing this inapplicable treatment inour case the next best thing to do is to rebleach thepa

(1) To a

{int of wate r add a teas oonful of fresh

bleac ing owder. Stir we and allow the

undissolve portion to settle. D ecant the clear

part for use. Sli htly acidulate with hydrochloric acid until t e solution has a faint smellof chlorine. Immerse the print until bleached,wash and hang up in sunli ht to dry.

(2) To 10 ozs. of hot water ad an ounce of sodacarbonate and an ounce of bleaching powder.

Stir well. When cool decant off the clear art

and immerse the print. (The former met odis the more expeditious and satisfactory).

Calcium Chloride, for absorbin the moisture ofthe air in the storage tubes, shou (1 be used freelyin quantit and also frequently dried. This maybe easily one by roasting the asbestos lumps on a

shovel over a red fire or m the oven . These lumpsmay feel quite dry to the touch, yet when placedon a hot shovel begin to hiss and soften , showin

gthat moisture is present. They should be hea teuntil the hissing ceases and they appear li ht greyor white in colour. They are now allow to cool

until they can be comfortably handled. Thenwrapped up in two or three folds of muslin and

restored to the receptacle at the bottom of the

storage tin . These lumps should be collected from

the tins in which the pa er reaches us from the

manufacturer. Additiona suppl can be preparedb making a cold saturated so ution of calciumchloride and then adding asbestos fibre until a

stey mass is obtained. This is then made intolittle balls and roasted over the fire. Or small

pieces of umice stone may be saturated with thecalcium 0 loride solution and then baked dry .

Q

The Principles of Platinotype.

By CHAPMAN JONES. r.a.r.s r .c .s r.l .e .

T is not surpri sing that when photographywas youn platinum should have at tractedconsxdera lo attention . The m eta l is lesseasily acted on than silver and compoundsof other meta ls in which photographicimages can be produced, hence it would beex

gected to give a more stable picture .

Gold, whic is comparable to platinum in its abilityto resist adverse influences, gives feeble images of

a reddish or bluish tint, but latinum, when finelydivided by chemica l means, orms a black powderof very considerable tinctorial power.

These earl experiments appear to have been all

m ade with t e ordinar chloride of platinum , thatis, the one obta ined by issolving the metal in aquaregia , or with analo ous com eunds, m ixed W Ithvarious substances. obert unt actually tried am ixture of latinic chloride with ferrous oxalate ,and prepare various platinotypes.

! Although hisempirica l experiments cam e near to the necessaryconditions, he entirely failed to appreciate the partplayed by each constituent.Platinum Platinum combines with chlorine

Com undsin two r0port lons,and the ordma

9° chlori 9 conta ins tw we as m uc

chlorine combined with a un it weight of the m etalas the lower chloride. When , therefore , chlorineis removed from it , it does not follow that themetal will be deposited ; the lower chloride may be

produced, and this under the conditions thatusua lly hold is soluble in water. If any image isproduced the deta il in the high-Ii hts, where the

action is slight, is almost certa in to lost, and theresult is naturally a hard, chalky and useless prin t.The necessity for using the lower chloride , frbmThe word “

plat inotype was used as early as 1844 toindicate a print made means of platinum compounds. It isa more encral and inc usive term than platinum print , as

this in mates tha t the image consists of metallic pla tinum .

Woodbumpe, Playertype, stereotype, collotype, etc ., maybe comp with gold pr mt, pigment print, etc., to make thediflsrence between the two terms more clear.

THI‘

. PRACT ICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

which no chlorine can be taken without the deposition of an equivalent amount of metal, seems to

have been first practically realised by Mr. W illis.

But this platinous chloride is a very awkward substance to prepare, and also troublesome to use, forit is hardly soluble in water . Mr . Willis thereforeem loyed its compound with potassium chloride,ca ed [

igtassium

lph

lat inous chloride, or potassiumchlorOp tin ite . is compound is a very solublesalt of a fine red colour, and as it is easilycrystallised it can be easily purified. Perhaps i t

did not occur to the early investigators to use thissubstance, because the corresponding salt of theordinary chloride, although crystallisable, is hardlysoluble in water.

Platinum salts, even in the presence of sensitisers,are not usefully sensitive to light, and this isanother reason why the early experiments werefutile . The production of the latinum ima e istherefore always a secondary e ect, resulting romthe product of the action of light on some othersubstance. The sensitive substance is invariablyferric oxalate , not that this is the only availablecom ound, but it has been found to be practicallthe best. The sensitive salt and the platinum sa tare the only things really necessary in the preparation of platinum paper . As ferric oxalate cannotbe crystallised and so obta ined of constant comgosition , it is usua l to prepare a solution of it andeterm ine the proportions of its constituents by

chem ica l analysis, and then to ad '

ust them as

ex rience has shown desirable. he preparedso ution is mixed with the solution of the platinumsalt, and a measured quantity of the m ixture is

spread over the paper with a pad and dried ratherquickly that the liquid may not sink too much intot e paper. Platinum aper, as at present prepared

in uantity, is coated y machinery.ith paper prepared as just stated it is possible

to get verydecent prints. But a print in aper is

not very li ely to be commercial] success unless

it will give good results with suc negatives as are

commonly made. Negatives now are generallythinner and flatter than they used to be, and inorder to get a brill iant platinum print from such

40

THE PRINCIPLES OF PLATINOTYPE.

negatives, a small amount of the higher chloride oflatinum is added to the coating solution (indirectlyg the addition of an oxidising agent) , and this hast e effect, as already 9 lained, of diminishin thedeposit of platinum ; it as indeed what is p otographica lly called, a reducing effect, and this isespecially noticeable in the high- lights where thedeposit is sli ht. The prin t therefore shows more

contrast, an is more Vigorous.

Of course in the manufacture ofThe Paper.

the page

:there are many practicaldetails that have to attended to in order to

secure a successful result. One of the most important is the quality of the pa r itself. The sensitive solution penetrates part y into it, not restingon it or on a substratum as in gela tine, albumen

and collodion printin papers, and any impuritythat is in the paper wi therefore affect the ima e.

A speck of metal—copper, brass, zinc or iron , or

example—would precipitate metallic platinum and

give a black spot. The fact that an even and gooduna e is obtained is practica l proof of the goodqua i ty of the pafi

r and of the sizingmaterial used.M tu

e prepared paper , as eve user

of it knows, is e t scrup ouslydry. Yet some photographers wi 1 say that thedryness is not so necessary as it is made out to be,and that old paper that has not been kept dry issometimes to be preferred. The fact probably isthat those photographers who find occasional

advents e in stale per do not want a good copof the eu ject theyga

a

ve photographed, but a tonedown copy with detail suppressed, a print to suittheir ideas rather than to represent the original.All sorts of accidents and faults may be welcome

under such circum stances.

For good, straightforward work there is no doubtthat the paper must be keptdry ; otherwise it seemsthat the iron sa lt gets a little decomposed, and the

paper gives a fo gy print. And a oggy print isoften a muddy-co ourad one, for exact ly

.

the same

gigment and in the same condition W lll ap r

right or muddy according to the manner 0 itsdistribution . For example, the same carbon tissuewill give a brilliant print or a muddy print accord

41


ing to the negative used and although the pigmentmust be the sam e in both cases, it is som etim esdifficult to believ

‘

e

’

a

vi

l

t

l

z. d (1 beden aper coate as escri isAd m“ of L'su '

exposedto light the ferric oxalateis decomposed, giving ferrous oxalate , so far as thelight has acted upon it . The chan e of colour isslight, though often a sufficient gui e for judgingof the duration o f the exposure that is desirable .

The platinum sa lt is not changed. Platinum printin is therefore a printing-out process ; that is, the{u

11

1

amount of chem ica l change is produced by theig t.The subsequent development, as it is ca lled, is

not developm ent at all in the sense in which a

negative is developed. In developm ent proper thesubstance that removes chlorine from the silver saltis used in excess, and has to be so adjusted that itwill take the chlorine from the sa lt that has beenaffected by light but not from the chloride thathas not been so changed. The light does not efi’ectthe decomposition any more than Open ing the doorwill fill a church : it only makes it possible. Butthe “ developm ent of a pla tinum print is entirelydifferent. The substance that takes away thechlorine from the platinum is the ferrous oxalateproduced by exposure to H ht. This, in the “ developm ent” of the print, pro uces its full effect andwithout discrim ination . It does not therefore inthis case perform the functions of a developer , butis simply, in chem ical language, a reducer. Theliqu id that is called the “ developer simply enablesor obli es this ferrous oxalate to act on the platinumsalt. he expressions developer ”

and developm ent must therefore not be in any way associatedor confused with the same words when applied tothe deve lopm ent of an exposed gelatine plate .

I) l tThe only function of the developer

eve opmen in platinum pri nting is to cause the

ferrous oxalate produced by the exposure to reducethe platinum salt, taking away its chlorine andleaving metallic platinum . Ferrous oxalate , whichis not soluble in water, easily dissolves in a solutionof potassium oxalate , and is always so dissolvedwhen it is to be used as a developer for negatives.

42

THE PRACT ICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

get rid of the salts that may remain in the paperln short, to wash them away. But as iron com

e resent, it is better to clear thed

'

ute acid, especially if the water to beused is hard. H actically it is exceeding?importantto get theg

rint clean by means of am for iron is

alwa s d'

cult to remove from paper, and a littleacid acilitates its remova l by keeping it in solution .

A printin- out latinum pa r

Printing-out. that is, 0 118sin which the platigumis deposited during the exposure to light—may be

pre

fiared by using a compound of ferric oxalate

wit an alkaline oxalate in the preparation of the

paper , instead of the usual compound of ferric

oxalate with oxa lic acid. Then the ferrous oxalateproduced is in the immediate presence of its solvent,the alkaline oxalate , and it acts on the platinumsalt as soon as it is produced, provided the aper is

damp enough. But good prints can be so 0 tainedonly by accident, for there is no method of asoertaining whether the print is in the proper condi tionof dampness. It must not be dam to the touch.If the pa r is too dry , the printwil become darkerdirectly t e washing is begun , because the wettingof it will enable the ferrous oxalate to act fully.

It is possible to vary the colour of

the image in a platinum printwithin certain limits. As ordinarily produced, especially by cold development,the image is black or grey. Hot developmentoften gives a warmer black. If a minute quantityof mercuric chloride or cu ric chloride is added tothe solution with which t 9 paper is coated, thecolour

{roduced by hot development will be warmer

still. his is the princi le of the preparation of

sepia latinum prints.

IlVow ferrous oxalate (produced y exposure) is a very powerful reducer, andit has been eu gested that it may give a reductionproduct from the mercury or copper salt, and thatso the image in these cases does not consist of pureplatinum . But this idea is founded on supposition .

and can , I think, be easily disproved.In order to get a warm colour the particles must

be in a finer state of division than in the black or44


paper it is practically impossible to wash itt oroughly away. As a matter of fact platinumprints contain a little iron salt or compoundassociated with the platinum , and the amoun t of itwill vary according to the care with which theprint has been prepared. If properly cleared andwashed, the amount will be exceeding] minute ; ifcareless] finished it will still he s but more

apprecia le . The quantity of iron left in the printby the most careless operator would, I believe , bequite without effect on the permanency of the

print. But such a carelessly made print, if sub

Jected to sulphuretted hydrogen , or 111 general tosuch circumstances that cause silver prints to fade,will turn to an unpleasant yellowish tint remindingone very much of a faded silver print.D

'

I dThe important point to notice is

“ m that this is an cfiect of the iron ,

and the platinum is not afi’ected.By treating such a changed print wi th a .bath ofweak hydrochloric acid containing a little free

chlorine, it is thoroughly restored to its ori inalcolour. It will be observed that both the aci andthe chlorine are of an attacking or solvent character ; they can only remove matter from the image ,they cannot add to it . The restoration is, therefore, of exactly the opposite character to any

process that may be suitable for the restoration of

a faded silver print. The change in the platinumprint is due to extraneous matter, and the restoration consists in the rem oval of it by vigorousreagents. In a faded silver print the silver or thesilver compound, that is, the image itself, is afiected,and if the chan ed mate rial were removed therewould be little any

P t’ It is easy to formulate the direc

recau “ m" tions in which care should be

exercised to prevent such a change in a platinumprint. The clearin with the acid should bethoroughly done an the subsequent washing notunduly curtailed, but no amount of washing withwater will take the place of a thorough clearingwith acid. Then the print should be mounted on adecent board, not a board made of any rubbish as

46

THE PRINCIPLES OI" PLATINOTYPE.

some are , but one that might be fairly used for asilver print. A plat inum print so prepared is, Ibelieve, the most permanent of all photographs,not excluding enamels.

TSome people are not satisfied with

oning.

a simple latinum print, but desireto change its colour . ere is only one way ofdoing this, and that is by adding something to it .Such a production is, therefore, no longer a

platinum print, althmfih it might be perhaps called

a platinotyip

e rin t . e image of a platinum printmay be a degto in two ways, that is, either theplatinum itself or the m inute residue of iron maye utilized to bring about the addition . The

platinum acts in a physica l or mechanical way, forthere is no method known by which the platinumin a print can be caused to enter in to chem icalcombination with anything, except indeed by suchvigorous means as would destro the paper. Butthe iron compound acts chem ica y.If any solution can be prepared that is on theverge of giving a solid deposit, and if such a

solution is put upon a latinum print, the disturbinginfluence of the meta l ‘

c platinum will often bringabout the deposition , and the solid deposited in anypart will be fairly proportional to the quantit oflatinum in that part. The deposition of gol byolland’e process is a case of this kind. Gold can

be deposited of either a blue or red colour accordingto the size of the particles. In Bolland’s processthe intensified image is of a colder colour, a moreblue black, than the original, hence it appears thatthe gold is in the condition in which it reflects blueli ht. Silver can be sim ilarly deposited from suita la solutions. The reddish brown uranium ferrocyanide may be deposited from a m ixture of a

uran ium salt and potassium ferric an ide. In thiscase it is not very clear as to w at effects thereduction of the ferricyanide . The li ht and thepaper may be the active agents, for the ferricyanidewhen exposed to light in the presence of manykinds

d

of organic matter is readily reduced to ferrocyam e.

In the catechu procs of toning introduced byMr. Packham , it is the residual iron compound that

47


combines with the toning material to rodnos theadded colour. Tannic acrd, gallic aci and suchsubstances give sim ilar results. Any modificationof develo ment or subs uent treatment that tendsto fix rat er more than t e usual small quantity ofiron compound in the rint , will tend to facilitatethe toning by such met ods.

All prints of a compound nature such as those justreferredto,cannot be pr0perlycalledplatinum prints.

As a chain is no stronger than itsweakest link, theirstability is no greate r than that of their mostchangeable constituent. A uran ium -toned printwill not sta nd much washing with common water,as this will dissolve away the uran ium compound.It may be en ested that a silver print is oftentoned with go and is yet ca lled a silver rint .But in this ca se , the added materi al is less lia le to

change than the substance of the original image,the rint therefore may be better than its name

wou d indicate . But whatever is added to platinum,with the exception perhaps of old, is much lessstable than the platinum itself. describing suchprints, the only unequivocal way is to state justwhat they are .

aié—APlatinotypl

es asWindowTransparencies.—For th is

purpose a t in paper should be chosen and a fullyprinted image obtained. The finished print is thenrendered translucent by coating back and frontwith good paper varn ish or Canada ba lsam dissolved in benzole in the proportion of 1 rt balsamto 2 parts solvent. The print is allows to dry andthen fastened between two thin sheets of lass bymeans of mmed tape such as is employefiin themaking 0 passe

-

partouts.

Platino s for Decorative Purposes, e.g., woodanels. e wood is coated with size, allowed toy

, and again coated. The rin t is then fixed tothe wood by means of a thin ot coat of pure glue,allowed to dry and then coated with artists” paper

48

Eng 27 . E. C L.

THE TIMBER TEAM .

DEVELOPED PLATINUM PRINT .

Fi g 2 9

THE T IMBER TEAM .

UNDEVELOPED PLAT INUM PRINT

F. C l.


(2) A—Water , 1 oz. pyro, 2grs. citric acid, 2 )B—Water, 1 oz. citric acid, 20 hygikinone, 2 C—Water, 1 oz. s ver nitrate,5 grs. Ta e 25 parts A , 25 partsB, and 1 part O.

Platinum Intensification H iibl’

s Process).(1) Pre are 10per cent . so ntiona of sodium formats

an platinum bichloride. Take 5 drms. sodiumsolution, dilute with 12 to Z) ozs. water ; add 1drm . platinum solution. Intensification is somewhat slow. Note that the platinum is addedjust before the solution is applied to the rint,which should have previously been clea andwell washed. Intensifica tion by this process.

may occupI10 to 30m inutes according to thedegree of ilution , temperature , etc.

(2) Wate r, 8 oz. ; soda formats , 6 grs. ; platinumperchloride, 1

(3) ater, 1 oz. p osphoric acid, 15m in ims ; potass.

chloroplatinite , 1 gr . Gives warm black tones.

Platinum Intensification (Vogel’s Process).—Of a

normal ferrous oxalate develo r take i oz. dilutewith 5 ozs. distilled water . A d 12 to 20 drops of a10per:cent. solution '

of potassium chloroplatin ite.

Thrs 1s used after the print has been cleared andwell washed.Platinum Intensification (Miethe

’

s Process).—Prepare a cold sa turated solution of potass. oxalate

approx. 33 r cent.) also a 30per cent. solutionof ferrous sulp ate in cold water and a 10 per cent.solution of potass. bromide. Take 5 ozs. of oxalatesolution ; to this add 1 oz. of iron solution (and notm c-versa) and add 25 minims brom ide solution .

Apply this to the print immediate ly after develoment and before clearing. Then clear and wasin the usual way.

Gold Intensification (D olland’

s Process) . -Lay thewell-washed print on a sheet of stout glass. Surface

dry by laying a sheet of clean blotting paper overit for a few seconds. Now a ply an even thin layerof glycerine. Then rapidly rush over the print a1 per cent. solution of gold chloride. This processis useful for improving dull or mixprints, but isapt to stain the per a violet or p ’ tinge. After

intensification t 0 print is well washed and then50

HISCELLANEOUS HINTS.

immersed in a metol-soda ormetol-potash developer“Wide pp . 36 37, P ractica l Photographer, No.y it is well washed once more.

(1 ) Water, 5 oz. ; lead nitrate , 35grs. ; amm . sulphocyanide, 100 grs. gold chloride, 1 gr. Gives abluish-black tone.

Uranium Toning and Intensification. Water ,10 oz. ; uranium nitrate , 5 gr. ; glacial acetic acid,10 m in . ; potass. ferricyanide, 5 gr. ; ammon

sulphocyanide, 25 gr. Af ter toning wash in acidulated water , e.

g., water, 2 ) oz. ; acetic acid, 2 ) m in.

This bath yie ds a range of colours from warmblack and chocolate to a sienna red colour. (2)Water , 6 oz. ; uranium nitrate or acetate, 6 grpotass. ferricyanide, 6 gr. glacial acetic acid, 3drm . ;

soda sulphite, 6 gr. (3) Water, 1 oz. ; potass.

ferricyanide, 2 gr. ; ammon . citrate of iron, 1 gr

uranium nitrate, 1 gr. ; acetic acid, 50 min . Red

Iron Toning.—Water, 10 oz. ammonia iron alum ,

4gr. ; hydrochloric acid, 4min . ; potass. ferricyanide,2 gr. ; ammonium sulphocyanide, 2 ) gr. This yieldsblue-blacks and blues with a somewhat greenishtendency. (2) Water, 4 oz. ; ammonia citrate ofiron , 10 gr. potass. ferricyanide, 10 gr. nitric acid,5 drops.

Green Tones after Uranium .-The uranium -toned

print is always to be washed in water that isslightly acid or the tone will be dissolved away.It may be turned to an olive green colour by aweak solution of chloride of iron—a few grains er

oz. The print changes to gray] and then to 0 vsgreen . It is again washed in ute acid water.

Green or Blue Prints.—Saturated solution of

potass. oxalate, 8 arts ; ten per cent. solution of

potass. ferricyani e, 3

1parts ; glycerine, 15 partswater , 30 parts. A

ppy with a brush after the

usual glycerine m et od described on page 00. A tfirst the prints have ag

reen colour, but thi s changesto blue in the acid bat Prolon ed immersion in

the acid bath should be avoided. See also uranium

51


Border Printing—A Further Modifi cation.—In

Fig:3we show the effect of a modification of thevarious forms of border printing described at length

in No. 1 of the present series of The P ractwa lPhotographer , p

p. 30-33. We may therefore assume

the reader to be am iliar with these pages. Our firststep is to cut out a mark with centre opening showing the picture part. This is

tput on the glass side

of our negative . The art 0 the mark removedfrom the centre is attac ed to a sheet of clea r glassplaced in register so as to protect the picture whilethe border is printing. Here comes themodification .

Over this centre mark on the clear glass is fixeda second piece of sem i-o que aper, pro

'

coting,s

ay, i or i-mch to

pand si es an aor 1} at ttom .

A ter the picture as been printed with surrounding parts protected it is transferred to the secondframe. But instead of adjusting it in exact registeran overlap of say 1

1, inch is allowed at the top and

one side. On prin ting the border we get threethings at one operation . First, the overlap ofN"at

to

p, and one side is kept nearly quite white. ext,

a ight tint inner border is printed through thesem i - transparent white paper. Thirdly, a blackouter tint is printed through the clear lass. Thenearly white 9, band at top and one si 0 give thesu gestion of an embossed mount as in Fig 3. The

re tive strength of the inner grey and outer blackborders can be modified by using papers of variousdegrees of translucency. That used for the aecom

pan ing example was a bit of white demy as

use by chem i sts to put round medicine bottles.Care must be taken to select a piece even in grainand free from spots.

C learin —Sepia prints if left for a considerabletime in t e clearing bath are like] to part withsome of their pristine warmth of co our and d adull warm black. Sepia pr ints should be cleare in

rather weaker strength of acid, via , water 100

parts, hydrochloric aerd 1 part. For ordinary blackand whi te prints the normal pro ortion is acid 1part, water 60 parts. Citric aci 1 part, water 2 )

rts, ma be used in place of hydrochloric acid.is has ess tendenc to destroy or rot the paper.

But it involves cousi erably more cost.

H ISCELLANEOUS HINTS.

Judging Print’

- Correct exposure is of supreme

importance for rst-class work. Afte r a littleractice , with careful observation, the great

'

culty experienced by every be inner very soonvan ishes. To aid the beginner we ave made some

examples which will greatly smooth his first steps.

A str ip negative was made by ivin successiveexposures to difi’erent parts. We t us have a

series of steps of density ranging from practica llyclear lass up to a densrty which would just showa visr le tint by the time the clear glass wasprinted ful] dark with P.O.P. It thereforerepresents the density range of a good P.O.P .

negative . Putting a piece of platinotye paper incontact, it was printed until we could just see the°

unction line between the fourth and fifth steps.

Thrs' presented the appearance of Fig. 28A . A pencilmark was made at th e junction .Half the negative was now covered with a ieceof ca rd and printing continued until we cou] justsee the junction line between steps 6 and 7, side

Pi 283 .

The rint was then developed, and gave us the

result 9 own in Figs. 28A and 2813. Comparing thedeveloped and undeveloped print, we see thatdevelopment has in each case brought out just twomore stri 8 than we could see ln the printingframe . ere then is the key of the wholesituation . In printin a negative we must selectsome one part, whic when just visible, will ondevelopment give two more ate 8 of tone . To aidin this judgment it is useful to nd some such 3rddensity step, which comes close up to the protectingrebate of the prin ting frame, because we can thuseasily see the slightest chan e of tint of printingwhen it is next to a stri o unaltered paper. InFig. 27 we have an or

°

nary “ landscape withfigures subject. In Fi

g. 29 we have the a pear

ance of the print as it aves the printing rame,with its clear margin of protected (unaltered)paper all round it.C loud Printing.

—The encrai method of cloudpIrintin has been alre y described in No. 1 ando. 3 o the present series. What has there been

said can very readily be adapted to platinum58


printing, which in this respect is easier thanromide printing, becauso we can see our landscapertion more or less clearly. But the difi culty isnowing how far to carry the cloud printing.With bromide printing it is a matter of so manyseconds at such a distance from an artificial light.With platinum printing we usually employdaylight, which may vary ln uality. Moreover theexposure ma be mi nutes rat er than seconds.n Figs. 22, and 23, we have the result of

printing a piece of platinum aper side by sidewith a piece of P .O.P. When t e latinum paper

is correctly e

gosed, Fig. the P. .P. shows us a

picture , Fig. which is just a shade li hter thanwe desire our finished platinum to resem le Fig. 22.If now we em loy an actinometer the matter isuite simple . e proceed thus. Put a iece of.O.P. under the cloud negative and at t e sametime a bit of P.O.P. in our actinometer. Put outboth to print side by side. Examine the cloudprint from time to time until the picture is just atrifle too light for finished results. Then withdrawthe actinometer and note the highest numbervisible. Su pose this to be 5. Now in one corner

of our clou ne

gative write with pencil P . 5. Then

to print this c oud negative inplatinum at antime we have only to expose it a ong with P .O .

in our actinometer until we can again °

ust read the

fig. 5. By this time our platinum c oud will becorrectly exposed and ready for develop

0

Thus we see that although an actinome r is not

absolutely essential, yet rt is a great help rn

platinum , carbon, gum bichromate and other likeprocesses wherein the image is butSome workers instead of using

place a narrow strip of P.O.P. along the of the

negative and judgenp

rinting by watchin t is strip.

This plan serves 0 y when a part of t 0 negativeis being used for the platinum print.

0

Printing in direct sunlight gives less contrast, me.flatte r prmts than printin in difiused li ht.Yellow negatives may made to yie d brilliant

prints b covering the printing frame with bluegreen g or blue sheet -gelatine .

Thin blue grey or blue black negatives will54


tives, while a dry paper gives brighter results fromthin and weak nega t ives.

Sepia paper does not seem to keep ingood condition quite so long as the ordinary lack andwhite) paper.

Control of Contrast—If a negative yieldsstrong contrasts, as often is the case with architectural interiors, this contrast may be reduced bya prelim inary and brief treatment of the print in adilute alkaline bath.A ten grain per ounce solution of ordinarywashing soda is prepared in one dish, while the

normal developer is at hand in a second dish. Thefully printed proof is taken from the printingframe and floated for 5, 10 or 20 seconds on thesoda bath and then transferred to the normaldevelo r . The length of time on the soda bathdepen 8 upon the degree of contrast required. Iflonger on the alkaline solution (within reasonablelim i ts) the greater the degree of contrast reduction .

This alkaline treatment, of course , has the effect ofslightly warm ing the tone or colour of image. Itis also claimed that it prevents bronzing of theshadows, due to solarisatron.

Local Development by theWorkers of small size rinte find

penny egg

cups conven ient. For arger sizes, sma jam potsmay be used.Any brushes used should not be bound in metal.Dabbers in quill are conven ient. Usefu l brushesfor this purpose can be easily made by tying a tuftof cotton wool to the end of a short glass rod ,

using a few turns of white cotton for this purpose.Four cu s are conven ient. The first containsnormal Seveloper ; the second, equal parts of

develo er and glycerine ; the third, glycerine 10

parts, eveloper 1 part ; the last, pure gl cerine .

D evelopment should be carried on in p enty oflight of a safe kind. This may be gas or lamplight. If daylight be used, the entire windowshould be covered by an orange pa r screen in a

light wooden frame fitting the win ow frame , andheld by turn-buttons at each side. A sheet ofstout lass is re uired, of size an inch or so largerthan t 0 print us for a 5x4 print the glass may


ablottin pa r after the application of glycerine .

ch met od as its use at times.

Local Development by the glycerine and brushmethod may be used with those developers thatgive a control of tone or colour . Thus the face ofa

fportrait m ay be developed a warm tone by means

0 a m ercurial develo or, while the drapery of thefigure or backgroun may be developed withpo

ltass. oxalate on ly, and so obta in a cold black

co our .

Surface Treatment.—Thismay be local or general ;i.a., a art , or the whole print. To deal withgenera treatment first.(a ) . Cold water, 1 oz., Gelatine , 20 rains. Soak

for an hour or so, then gently warm t e contain i

zi

‘gvessel until the gelatme is thoroughly m elt

Soak the dry pr mt in this for a few m inutes.Remove , dra in , and pin up to dry . This willslightly bri hten the print and impart a certa indegree of g oss.

( b) . In place of gelatine use dried size or

isinglass.

Artists’ liquid size diluted with two or

three tim es its bulk of warm water, may be

applied with a flat soft brush.One ounce of gum arabic in four ounces ofwater may be a plied in the same way.

Artists’

ixatif may be applied with a sprayor iifuser.

(f) . Artists’

meguilp may be brushed on the

print.(z) . Mastic varnish, 1 part, alcohol, 8 to 10 arts.

White wax , 1 dram , gum elem i, 1 ram ;

melt together in a cup , stir well and add 5 dropsoil of spike or lavender. Then add slowly, stirr ingwell, 2 drama alcohol, and 1 dram benzole . Thisform s an encaustic paste which is lightly appliedto the print with a tuft of clean cotton wool, andthen gently r ubbed into the paper .

Others have recommended Soehnée varnish,crystal varn ish, white spirit varnish , vaseline, etc .

Obviously several of the above preparationsmay be applied loca lly with a brush.

MISCELLANEOUS HINTS.

Another plan to brighten certa in parts of small

prints is by burn ishing from the back. B oldinup the pr int to the light, trace on the back wita pencil the part to be brightened. Now la the

print face down on a sheet of stout glass. overthe back of the print with a thin sheet of transparent celluloid, e.g., an old film , then with an

agate burn isher or end of bone tooth brush handle,rub the part within the pencil outline. As thisflattens the paper and converts a rough into a

smoother surface by enforced contact with theglass the part is brightened.Glossy Platinotypes.

-For certain scientific andother pu oses, it rs desirable to show all m inutedetails. he following procedure is quite simple in

practice. Make a solution of gelatine of strength0 to 12 grains per oz. of water, and keep this justluk e-warm . Soak the prints in this for some httletime . Meanwhile clean a sheet of plate glass verythoroughly. D ry it and dust it With powderedtalc, then polish with a dry silk duster. Nowcoat this lass with enamel collodion. As soon as

the collo ion is set ,” then wash under a gentle

stream of water until the surface loses its greasyappl

earance . Now immerse the coated plate in thedi s of gelatine solution . Bring a rint face downonto the collodion surface ; with raw glass and

print in contact. D rain , and pass a roller squeegeeover the print to expel all air bells, and obta inood contact ; then set up to dry. When qu ite

the point of a kn ife is inserted under one

corner of the print, when it will then readily leavethe glass with an enamelled surface.

Pornts to observe carefully.(a ) . The glass must be free from scratches and

quite clean .

(b) . Dust the talc powder freely on to theand use a li ht circular motion in polishin

old silk han kerchief is excellent for threpurpose.

Do not attempt to strip until the prin t isthoroughly dry.

Enamel Collodion.—Pyroxyline, 10 alcohol.

1 oz. ; ether , 1 oz. Keep well corked an away fromany naked light (gasflame,

50


Temperature of Development.—With cold bathpaper this may range from 50°F. to 150

°F. At 50°

the colour or tone rs a cold grey-black tendingtowards blue. With the higher temperature thecolour is a warm black tending towards brown.

Ingeneral, cold bath paper is best treated between

60° 0°F. The hot bath paper may range from 80° or90° to But the most useful temperature isUnder-exposure may be slightly comSensated for by raising the temperature of theeveloper.

An over-exposed print is best developed by abrief imm ersion in or floating on the eveloper .

This brief development gives cool grey colours withblack paper.

Mercurial Developer for warm tones.

(1) Water, 1 oz. ; potass. oxalate , 65 rs. ; mercuricchloride, 6 grs. ; potass. citrate,TOgrs. ; citricacid, 16 grs.

(2) Water, 4 ozs. potass. oxalate, 300 grs. ; potass.

citrate, 45 grs. ; citric acid, 70 grs. ; mercuricchloride, 25 rs.

(3) A . Water, 1 ozs. potass. oxalate, 2 ozs.B. Water, 15 ozs. ; potass. citrate , 3 drms. ;

citric acid, i oz. mercuric chloride,100 grs.

For a warm sepia use equal parts of A and B.For warmer tones increase the relative proportion of B to A .

These developers should be used fresh] made orkept in the dark, for a precipitate is ely to bethrown down . This should not be removed fromthe stock bottle. No. (3) or preferably £13may beused. But in either case to each ounce o eveloperads!1l

to l dram of a saturated solution of oxali caci

Developer for warm tones.

(4) Water, 20 ozs. ; potass. oxalate , 2 ozs. ; potass.

phosphate, oz. ; potass. chloride, 15 drmscitric acid, drms. ; mercuric chloride, 2} grs.U se at temperature 170°—180° F.

(5) Water, 16 ozs. ; potass. oxalate , 3 ozs. copperchloride, 62 grs. ; mercuric chloride, 2 dramslead acetate, 8 grs.

G)

NISCELLANEOUS HINTS.

Heatuntil the reci itate isdissolved. Use at 175°F'

After fixing an was ing rinse in dilute ammonia .

The addition of a sma ll quantity of chlorate of

potassium to a normal otassium oxalate developerincreases contrasts in t e print. This cfiect ismore

markedwith cold than with hot development. Theaddition of a small quantity of soda carbona tetends to give slightly warmer colours.

Developer.

(1) Water, 1000parts (10 ozs.) potass. oxala te, 100parts (1 potass. or soda phosphate , 50parts (Q

(2) To increase contrast, take of normal developer100 parts, and add 1 to 5 parts of a one er cent.solution of potass. bichromate. Thus 0 normaldeveloper take 20 ozs. and add from 1 to 5 grs.

of potass. bichromate.

(3) A cold saturated solution of potass. oxalate(roughly 1 in 3) may be used or the saturatedsc

f>luti

ppmay be diluted with an equal volume

0 we r.

(4) Water, 240 parts ; potass. oxalate , 32 parts ;potass. phosphate, 8 parts ; potass. sul hate,1 part. It is cla imed for this developer t t itW i ll

°

ve a vigorous print from a flat negativeif it e printed in a subdued light.

Print-outProcess. Thepaper shouldbeverydamp before placing in the printing frame.

must not be too dam or the ima e will be lost infog before the deta '

are prin Pin the paperto the inside of the lid of a cardboard box in whichis placed a saucer of water at 100° F. In one or

two minutes thedpaper will be sufi ciently damp.

Printing may be one in full sunlight and takes a

considerable time. The image should be right outas there is little or no loss in the subsequentOperation which consists of holding in the steam ofboiling water from a kettle. It is thenthrough two acid baths of h drochloric acidusua] stre h. Ne atives or this process shouldpreviously varnis ed

61


Dam ness in the atmosphere in which the paper

is handled or kept has a marked influence on the

print. It causes a loss of sensitiveness, inducingeneral fo This greys both the high-lights an

shadows, t us altering the sca le a t both ends.

For the most brilliant results freshly-made paper,taken direct from the sealed tube, should be used,the negative, printing frame and pressure pad welldried. The print should be developed as soon as

possible after rin ting.In place of t e usual rubber sheet placed behind

the platinum paper in the printing frame , we mayuse a piece of Am erican cloth, or an old filmnegative or sheet of celluloid or a couple of layersof waterproof paper such as is used in the ofi ce

copying press, or waxed tissue paper, or oil silk .

To C lean Platinotplpe Prints.

—Prints on un

glazed paper of roug surface are apt to become

soiled and degraded by dust particles collecting inthe depressions of the paper. Stretch a sheet offine m uslin over the m outh of a tub or bucket.Lay the print face down on the m uslin . Pour hotwate r from a jug over the back of the print. Or,dissolve a pinch of alum in a cu ful of cold water.

Then add household flour enoug to make a stickypaste. La the print face upwards on a sheet oflass, app y the aste to the surface with a softrush and 8 re it well with the fingers. Then

ofi un er a gentle spray of cold water. Thesticky paste carries away the dust and dirt alongwi th it. (Both the above methods are applicableto the cleaning of engravings, etchings,Mellowing or Tinting Prints.

—Platinotype printsmay often be improved by slightly tinting the

pa-

er to a colour approaching that of a mellowolden

graving ; (a ) a strong infusion of tea , or

(b) co so maybe used ; (c) dippin in a l°

/o solutionof potass. brchroma te, rinsing i htly , dry , and

exposing to light, imparts a pale ye ow brown tingeto the paper.

Infusions of tea or coffee are better used fremade , but may be kept for some time if agrains of sa licylic acid be added .

62

THIS PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

Mallmm'

c Silver-Platinum Precast —(A ) Take 1

part arrowroot, rub with 10 parts water in a

mortar to a smooth cream , add 75 parts boil ’water , then add 15 parts ferric oxalate . Stir weand filter through muslin while yet warm . Thissolution is light sensitive, and should be preparedby feeble ga l

-light. (B) Silver nitrate , 1 part ;water, 6 parts.

Take 4 parts A and add 1 part B, and even] coatthe paper . A 30x 2 ) sheet will take about drm .

of m ixture ; dry quickly over a gas stove protectedb a sheet of iron . Print in the usualwa as thought e paper were ordinary platinotype. repare t e

develo r thusC) ater, 6 parts ; potass. oxalate, 1 part.gD ) Water, 100 parts ; potass. bichromate , 2 parts.

E) Nitric acid pure .

or normal contrasts add 2 or 3 drops of D to

each ounce of C.

For weak contrast negatives take 2 drops of

nitric acid per oz. C.

The picture comes up quickly, and is of a redbrown colour. The print 18 then washed in dilutenitric acid, 2 drops acid per oz. water. The print isthen platinum -toned in water, 4 ozs., strong nitricacid, 4 drOps, potass. chloroplatin ite, 3 grs. Thischanges the image from brown to black.The print is fixed in an acid hypo-fixing bath,well-washed and dried. This process is cheaper

than the ordinary platinum printing methods.

This is not properly apla tinum pr in ting process,

but really a silver prin ing process designed forplatinum replacement by toning.This process is here mentioned as a link which

connects direct platinum pr in ting with platinumtoning processes.

Caution.-To prevent a gas flame breaking a

porcela in dish, interpose a twopenny asbestosstove mat .


For sensitizing, one prepares the three following solutions

No. 1 . Potassium chlorplatinite 30 r.

Pure water . gr 20 m

No. 2. Sodium ferric oxalate

Pure water

No. 3. Potassium b ichromatePure water .

Solution No. 2 must be kept in a dark-colored bottle in a

dark place. It is best to use distilled water for makingthese solutions if there is any doubt as to the purity of the

tap water. For black tones with normal negatives mix of

No. 1 one dram ; No. 2, one and one-half drams ; pure

water, one-

quarter dram ; and No. 3, two drops. For veryrough paper, twice as much water may be used. Thin

negatives require the use of more of solution No. 3,up to

even ten drops, while with very contrasty negatives No. 3

may be entirely omitted.

The previously sized and thoroughly dried paper is

fastened on a clean board,and the mixed solutions are

spread with a soft bristle brush, which should contain no

metal in the fastening. The coatingmust be done by yellow

light or lamplight ; then an equalizing brush must be used

and the whole surface gone over both ways to make sure

that the paper is evenly covered. By the time this is done

the paper will appear only slightly moist, and it must nowbe dried quickly by artificial heat, as a stove or hot-air

register. This drying should consume not more than fifteen

minutes at the utmost, and if not done in this time good

resultswill not be obtained. In the summer, when artificial

heat is not much used, recourse may be had to the oven of

the cook-stove,or a drying chamber may be constructed by

putting a piece of sheet iron in place of the bottom of a

packing case and suspending the paper from wires inside.

Heat is furnished by a gasflame or lamp under the bottom,

and if the oven is got well heated before the paper is put

in,it will dry promptly. The temperature of drying should

not be above 125 degrees F .

When the paper is once thoroughly dry it will keep a

very long time if protected from moisture, and for this

purpose it must be kept in a well-closed tin box, in which

is also placed a lump of fused calcium chloride wellwrapped

in paper to keep the chemical from coming in contact with

the paper. It is preferable not to coat more paper than is

Bibliography of Books on

P latin0 type Prin ting

ABNEY, SiR W. or W., and CLARK, Lronst . Plat inotype : its Prep

arat ion and Manipulat ion . 43( x 7%ih . ; pp. 196 and index ;diagrams. 1898. Paper, $l .25 .

English . An exhaustive and authoritative description of platinotype processes

and the making and manipulation of platinum papers. The most comprehensivework available in English .

CLARK, Lronu . P latinum Toning . 494 x 7 ih . ; pp. 96 . 1900.

C loth boards, 50 cents .

English. Th is work deals with the toning of plain silver prints with platinum. as

practiced prior to the introduction of modern print-out papers.

tlinTON, A. HORSLEY. Plat inotype Print ing. 4 x 7 ih . ; pp. 92 ;frontispiece showing platinotype print before an after development.1901 . Cloth boards, 50 cents .

English. Deals with the subject from the pictorial point of view, but gives

practica l deta il where required .

PHOTO-MINIATURE, THE, No. 7. Plat inotype Processes . 1899.

Paper, 25 cents .

The different varieties of platinum paper. Hot and cold bath rocesses . Practical manipulation . toning platinum prints to sepia. red , rown, blue. etc

G lycerine development, etc. With Special frontispiece, showing a print beforeand after development .

PHOTO-MINIATURE, Tins, No. 40. Platinotype Mod ifications . 1902.

Paper, 25 cents .

Describing ,with abundant formula , all the reliable ways of obtaining platinotypesin various colors , glycerine development, uranium toning. gum platinotype. etc.,

with many examples in facsimile colors.

Sriecurz and KEILEY. The Camera Notes Improved Glycerine Process for the Development of Plat inum Prints .

7%x 1 1 in. ; pp. 12 . illustrated with reproductions in color of

prints by the experimenters. Paper, $l .oo.

An i llustrated monograph reprinted from Camera Notes. Vol. Ill No. 4.note

worthy as the clearest and most satisfactory description of the glycerine methodof developing piatinotypes , with facsimi le examples showing the results secured.

WARREN, W. J. The P lat inotype Process . x 7 in pp. 85 and

index ; frontispiece showmg platinotype print before and after

development. 1898 . Canvas boards, 50 cents .

English . A plain. unvarnished account of the mak ing of platinum prints.

Periodica l Art icles.

PERKINS, T. Hints on Brush Deve lopment of Plat inum Prints .

Scientific American Supplement . 1 898 . 45:

Print ing-out Platinotype Process . Scientific American Supplement.1 897. 44

Reinforcing Plat inum Prints . Sa entific American. 1900. 82 : 21

The above publica tions may be procured through

P h o t o E r a P u b l i s h in g C om p a ny170 Summer Street, Boston, Mass.

68

N ote s a n d N ew s .

Tan following directions for using Eastman’s Sepia Paper may

be of use to our readers using this form of platinum paper:

Eastman paper is about three times as rapid as blue paper.

It should be under rather than over printed , and is developed by

wash ing in plain water. After two or three changes of water, fix

five m inutes in a solution of hypo, one and one-half grains to the

ounce of water, and afterwards wash thoroughly. If not con

veulent to weigh the hypo, use as much as can be piled on a ten

cent piece ( six grains) with four ounces of water. To secure

brilliant prints, paper should be washed immediately af ter print

ing. Immediately” does not mean

“ in the course of ten or

fifteen m inutes,” but “

at once,”as the action of the atmosphere,

depending somewhat on the degree of hum id ity, will give the

prints aflat and mealy”Jock . The best method is to place in

a wait ing tray of water as soon as the paper is taken from the

printing frame. Short fixing gives red tones ; longer fixing

produces a brown tone.

“ Tun ELECT ,

”a postal photo art club, have just favored us

with a Catalogue of their first.

exhib it . From i t we learn that

they were organized in May, 1903, and their first exhibit was

held at Bay V iew, M ichigan, during July and August, 1904,

under t he auspices of the Bay View University. The member

ship comprises some well-known names in photographic circles,

but is apparently limited to ten. Yet what they lack in numbers

they certainly make up in quality, as the work shown in their

first exhibit is distinctly above the average and b ids fair to lead

in this special line of photograph ic endeavor. We count it a

privilege to have been favored with this Catalogue, and extend

our best wishes for the future progress and success of “ The

E lect.”

cl ot .”

Tm: Tenth Annual Convent ion of the Photographers’ Asso

elat ion of Kansas will be held at Tepeka September 20—22, inelusive. The omcers are Samuel H irst , president ; P . Colville

,

J . C. Kautz, vice-

presidents ; B. G . Grendel, treasurer, and P . A .

M iller, secretary. After the Convention they will leave on a

special train, in a body, for the World’s Fair at St . Louis. They

will hold a Banquet at Topeka on September 20.


T im Eighth Annual Convent ion of the Photographers’ Associa

tion of New England was held in the Mechanics’Building,

Boston, August 24 to 26 , inclusive . There were addresses byProfessor Griffith, of Detroit, Professor Poore, of New York ,and Mr. I . Scend ila, ofBrooklyn,

and a review of the Art Exhib it

by Professor F. A . Bement , of New York . The attendance was

large, and the general feeling expressed was one of satisfaction

with the Convention . The newly-elected president , Chris.

Johnson of Hartford, is widely and favorably known throughout

New England , having already served in the capacity of vice

president of the Association some years ago.

d i d

Tan regard which the Japanese have for American integritycannot be better illustrated than by this story told by a traveler:

There is a duty in Japan on photographic cameras, and this

traveler was called upon to pay the st ipulated sum .I have no Japanese money,” he faltered. I must leave mycamera here and call again. Not at all,

”replied the oflicial,

courteously, I wi ll lead you the money.

” The traveler, accus

tomed only to the civilities of the New York Custom House,

states that he came near faint ing away. A t last he gathered

strength to ask : But what securi ty have you that I will repay

you ?” Ah,

”replied the omcer, smiling,

“

you are an

American. Ex.

Gnonen H . Karenau , of Toledo, Ohio, has offered a prize for

the best photographic suggest ion for a theatre curtain, the sub

jcet to be taken from some place about Toledo. The Toledo

Camera Club will work all summer upon this competition.

a s .»

AMONG the various platinum papers sold in the United States

the Angelo Sepia P lat inum , cold development , is one of the best.

I t offers a large lat itude in development, while printing, the

image is more visib le, the keep ing qualities of the paper are of

the best, and, last but not least , i t is less expensive. Out of the

large number of awards at the recent New England Photog

raphers’Convent ion held in Boston

, more than half were for

pictures on Angelo P latinum. Mr. D i Nunzio, the manufacturer,

is widely and favorab ly known to the photograph ic world for

many years, and his success in this line is richly deserved .

70

THE PRACTICAL

PHOTOGRAPHER.

VOL. I. OCTOBER. 1904. No. 7 .

The Pictorial Work of

Reginald Craigie.

sy rut. rnrron.

R. REGINALD CRAIGIE holds theenviable position of Hon . Sec . to thatinfluential company of pictorial photo

a

shers known as the Linked Ring.

1 61

her the auspices of the Links a

early Photogra hic Salon is held.’The eleventh 0 these interestingexhibitions was brou ht to other in

the Dudle Gallery last year. at t is series

of Salons as greatly influenced modern pictorialphotograi

hy no well- informed person can for a

moment ave any doubt whatever. Mr. Craigie’

s

position among these earnest workers necessarilyhas brou ht him into close touch with the presentday ten ency of pictorial work . And as we all

are m ore or less unconsciously influenced by ourfriends, we may expect to see in his work something of the general sfiect of this forward wave.

Indeed, be freely confesses that he is not a littleindebted to this series of exhibitions for stimulation and encouragement in his own efforts.

In his early photographic days he was fortunateenough to lay a good foundation in techn ica lities,and though he now speaks of these efforts as

examples of the usua l thing,

”

yet we have seen

enough of them to know that he was at that time

producing work which would compare favourablywith most of the usual exhibition work of to-day.

1


A visit to one of the earl Salons before he becameHon . Sec. acted as a rave tion and se t him ofi on

more thoughtful lines. Those of us who havewatched W ith interest his pictorial developmenthave year by year been interested to note a steadyadvance . The Salon avowedly professes to acceptonly such works as indicate some persona l feeling,taste and judgment. This is a position which 18

not only em inently reasonable, but also is alreadybeing justified by its results, as we may see in Mr.

Cra igie’

s short series of examples herewith given .

But his case is only one among many others.

This, again , the reader of our previous volumes

may see for him self ; for it so happens that all themembers of our series of sun artists hitherto repro

duced are members of the Linked Ring who havek indly lent examples of their early as well as laterworks for reproduction .

The reader will hardly be surprised to be toldthat Mr. Crai is is an adm irer of Rembrandt,Whistler and atte, and it is interesting to notethat he is not only a lover of ictures, but also

of music, in which he has no litt e knowledge andskill as well as a wide and generous appreciation .

In photography his earlier taste was of a eneral

rather than special character , but latterly e has

found chief interest in portraiture and figurestudies. H is preference is towards diffused ratherthan sharpl defined images, but wisely he avoidscarrying d l usion to the excess of loss of structure .

Equally wisely he attaches reat, if not thegreatest, importance to truth 0 tone in renderingof light and shade . A portrait, he holds, should benot only an a eeable picture, but also a characterlikeness as we and should tell us som ethingaboutthe inside as well as the outside of his sitter s head.In general the preference is for a lens of longfocus, so that he may get far enough away fromthe figure to reta in good r0portions. He inclines

to the opin ion that a ens having a generousdiameter aids in preserving modelling. Exposuresare distinctly on the generous side , and his negativsa would by less experienced workers be ro

nounced to be rather thin . Yet, as the proo ofthe negative is in the print, we see for ourselves

‘i‘us PRACTICAL momen t um.

li ht and shade rather than any specific texture.

e half-dreamy expression of the eyes well befitsthe pensive turn of the head . The picture is more

a decorative presentation of flesh tones rather thana portrait or likeness. Our adverse criticism isthat the large mass of dark hair tends to give thecomposition somethin like a top

-heavy dispositionof light and shade. 0 student will not fail to

notice the value of simplicity of arrangement inthis study.Portrait Study—In this case we see a somewhat

further departure from the conventional procedure .

It is open to question whether so large a mass of

li ht drapery just under the face is an elementofweakness in the composition . But , be that as i t

may, we must readily adm it that the placing ofthe head in thedpicture space , and the way theicture is trimme so as to give emphasis to theace, are rsonal notes of great interest. Thestudent wi l, of course, observe the decorative lineof light afforded by the wavy edge of the hat .Arthur Burchett, Painter.

—0ne hardly needs theword pa inter,” for the pose of the head and theholding of the brush are enou h to tell one thatthis is not a make-believe mo 01. Note how thehead com ing high u on the picture gives one thesu

filgest ion of a tal standing figure. The light

fa ng full on the brow accords well with thean gestion of a painter ’

s studio. The hand and

pafette are wisely kept well subdued. The lightingi s simple , broad, direct , and efi’ective. Thisexample of a portrait study should have 8 seialinterest for the landscape students of this vo ume ,

as it so well exemplifies breadth, gradation , andbalance, which are m entioned on another page.

A White Silk Dress.—In the Opinion of some of

Mr. Craigie’

s friends this is regarded as one of hismost successfu l results. The portra itist will herebygather several valuable hints as to lighting andposing in an ordinary room , as well as learn theadvantage of keeping down the density of thene

gative when dealin

gwith stron lights or white

an ajects. Our only ult to fin is one unfor


Introduction to

Landscape Photography.

By JOHN A . HODGES.

HE followingnotes upon landscapeworkareintended for those who, having taken upphotography as a pastime, and consumedm any boxes of

plla tes in prom iscuous

snap-shotting wit a hand camera arebeginning to realise the grea ter possi

b iht ies in the direction of serious pictorialwork afi’orded by the use of a stand camera.

Ch fThe first point to be determ ined 18

Aonce

t: the size of the cam era . The reader ,ppara if a town dweller and a good

pedestrian , will probably desire to make his camera

a constant companion in his country rambles, and,in such a case a light portable quarter -

plateinstrument will be found m ost suitable . On the

other hand, should he be residing in the country,where porterage would be easily obta inable and

cheap, then a camera of a lar 9 size m ight beworked with advantage , especia y if the scene of

his photographic labours happens to be readilyaccessible .

It is pre- supposed that he who

elects to use a small camera willenlarge , and this at once raises the question of the

comparative m erits of direct rinte and enlargements. The writer considers t at each method ofworkin

gis capable of producing equa lly good

resul ts rom an artistic point of view. The chiefcharacter istics of the en larging process are boldnessand breadth of efiect , whilst the directmethod givesunlim ited scope for securing a subtle tonality anddelicacy not so easily obta inable in any other way.

In any case , our advice is not to com rom iesmatters by selecting a m edium -sized plate . ithoutfor a moment desir ing to disparage small pictures,there is no doubt that photographs intended formural decoration or exhibition purposes are more

effective if of reasonably large dimensions. Wewould suggest, therefore, that If a small camera is

INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY .

chosen , it should be a quarter-

plate, whilst if thepictures are to be taken direct, we consider that12 x 10 should be the m inimum size .

The CameraThe camera ,whether large or small,must be strong and r igid when

extended. The rage, for lightness and portability,in conjunction with cheapness, has resulted in a

ea t number of flimsy and worthless instrumentsing placed upon the market. If a good make is

selected, and a reasonable price is pa id, a truereconomy will be efiected than would be the casewere a low-

priced flim sy article purchased.The camera should be provided with a double

extending base , a rising and falling front, reversinand swing back the latter being extrem ely usefuwhen usin la rge stops in bringing the foregroundinto a go general focus.

The lens is probably the mostThe Lens.

importa nt part of the landscapephotographers’

equipm ent. The most suitable type18 the single landscape . Extrem e rapidit is not

needed, nor is m icroscopic definition a desi tum ,therefore expensive lenses of the anastigmatictype are qu ite unnecessary. These rem arks appl

y,

erhaps, more particularly to large direct worhen small negatives (for subsequent en largement)

are in question , a lens ca able of giving criticaldefin ition maybe used wit advantage, as all the

necessary di usion can be obta ined in the enlargingprocess.

F l Le thThe most useful focal length for

ngpictoria l landscape work will be

from one and a-half times to twice the len th of thebase- line of the p icture. The focal langt s of thelenses listed to cover the standard sizes of plates inthe dealers’

catalogues are altogether too short, andinclude far too reat an angle , for ood pictorialeffect in genera landscape work. ts of achroma tised single lenses of varying foca l length are noweasil rocurable, and, if possible , one of thesesho d obta ined, as their possession will enablethe reader to be independent of all restrictivetechnical conditions in selecting his point of view.


A sky-shade will be found a most

Sky Shade .

useful adjunct to the landscapephotographer’

s equipment. Fine effects of light andshadow are often to be obtained by pointing the lenstowards the sun , although the text-books solemnlwarn the t ro against workin under sue

conditions. on a very bright o jcet is photographed, or direct rays of light are allowed to enterthe lens, what is known as a flare- spot is formed inthe centre of the image, a result which would, ofcourse , ruin any photograph from either an artisticor techn ical oint of view. Further , althou h a

flare- spot m ig t not manifest itself when wor ingunder such conditions, a mistiness or haziness of

the image will often result, and the employment ofa sky

-shade will prove an efficient remedy in suchcases.

Modern lenses are rarely fitted with sky-shades,

although the attachm ent is often found on olderinstrumen ts, but any workin optician would fitone for a very small charge . it should be so adjusted when in use as to prevent direct sunlightfrom falling on the lens, but must not cut off any

port ion of the image.

An instantaneous shutter, properlyThe Shutter.

so ca lled, is sca rcely needed inlandscape work, as, in the me

'

erit of cases, ex

tremely short exposureswill be mm to be in im ical

to the production of the highest class of work.But occasionally a shorter exposure than can con

ven iently be given with the lens ca may be neces

sary, and then a shutter of suitab 6 type will befound extremely useful. The writer invariablyuses wha t is ca lled the “ blind shutter . Its principle

is extremely simple , the exposure being efiected byul ling a strin and drewin an opaque curta in or

blind across t 9 lens. he exposure may be

aduated so that the sky receives less than the

oreground, and by this means clouds can be securedin a norma lly developed landscape no tive.

Exposures of from 115 of a second to any ongerduration can be given, and its use dispenses W ith

any necessity for using the cap.

INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY .

The tripod stand should be stronThe Tripod rigid, and ad

°

ustable in hei hiThese qualities can be see without enta ' gundue weight or bulk. Ri

gidity is of the utmost

importance in landscapewor aswith some subjectslongn

exposures are essential, particularly whenisoc emetic plates and a deep screen are employed.The novice may be reminded that if he desires toexcel in pictorial landsca e work he must besuitably equipped, and avoi fiimsy

calpparatus.

But a few pract1 eu eetionsPictorial “mt"upon the selection and tge

gatment

of the subject, based upon the ex rience gainedin many years practice, will probab y prove helpfuland instructive to those whose acquaintance wi thphotography is more limited.Choice of

The first essentialfor theproduction8 hi t

of a successful landscape photocc

graph ,if it istobeofpictorialinte rest,is a ood subject. It is ignorance of the essentialcon tions necessary to attain this desired end thatleads so many to fa ilure. It by no means followsthat because a sub

’

ect is pretty or attractive to theeye, it will there ore serve as the basis, or rawma te rial, for a successful pictorial photograph.Before attempting to photograph a particular

scene which may appear to form suitable materialfor an exposure , an endeavour should be made toanal se it, andask one

’

s-selfwhyit attracts . Possiblyit 1be on account of its colouring, and if so,des

lplite

the use of isochromatic plates, the probab’ '

tyis that the photographic result will be extremelydisap inting. A s an illustration of this it may beask what sub °

ect in nature ismore beautiful thana corn -field in right sunshine, with its glowing,pulsating, masses of silow, in harmonious

ontrast with the dar green foliage of a

fine row of elms, the whole encanopied withthe etherial azure of a brilliant summer

’

s sky.

Such a scene, however, is essentially a painter ’

s

subject, for its charm is due to colour , andits beauty when translated into monochromeby photo phy (at best a poor

entrrely ppears. If, when toexposure upon such a subject,


through a piece of blue or smoke-coloured glass,wesha ll obtain some idea of how it will appear whenphot

tggraphed, and by so doing many

was plate may be saved.The difi culty of correctly translat

Ortho-Plates.

ing colour into monochrome is oneof the most serious drawbacks to successful pictorialphotography. The employment of isochromaticlates may be regarded as essentia l for almost everykind of landscape work. It is often said that theuse of a screen is unnecessary, but by followingsuch advice we deliberatelyrejecthalf theadvanta

g:of the rocess. A deep and a light screen shouldca

'

rrie but care should be taken only to use theformer when the nature of the subject demands it.Over-correction may result in as displeasing and

a rendering as the nuder-correctionconsequent upon the employment of an ordinaryplate .

photographers fail to realise

gui tablc

nd of scenery that best lendscenery.

itself to photographic treatment.Some seem to that in order to commandsuccess, it is necessary to seek for their picturemaking material amongst the grandest and mostsublime scenery in nature. No greater m istakecould possibl be made. Probably no country hasbeen more p oto

glraphed than Switzerland, but the

photograph whio in an

gtrue and convincing way

conveys to the m ind of t e observer themajesty anddign ityof its snow-covered peaks,their vastness, andawe-ins iring sublim ity, has yet to bemade. Toportray suc scenes ade

ql

l

i atel

éseems to be beyond the

power of photograp y. ven the fine mountainscener

fidespite its comparatively lowaltitude,of our

own Is nds,has so farhad but scant justicedone it byphotography, and one is perforce compelled toadmi tthe reat hm itations and shortcom ings of photo

ap y in dealing with material of this class. Lett e photographer exercise a little discretion. Portute l his choice of subjects is still a wide one. Let

him r in mind that those of a simple naturewill usually make the most satisfactory and

pleasing photographs. He will be well advised if10


atmospheric efiect to the scene absent at any othertime. The result is shown in fig. 10.

Mention has already been made of the fine effectssometimes obtainable by inting the lens towardsthe source of light. To vise such a procedure is,in the eyes of a pure technican, rank her

ggy;

{it

the most beautiful effects can be so obtain e

precautions already advised to avoid flare must beobserved, and all danger from this source can

moral] be avoided, and the pictorial efiect en

ced, y arrangingethe composition so as to get

some opaque object tween the source of li ht andthe lens ; by so doing we can bring the ighestlight into juxtaposition with the deepest shadow, awell-known device of the painte r, and one oftenproductive of a fine effect. Fig. 1 1 is an exampleof a woodland scene so treated.In addition to the precautions already advised,there is

get another very essential one, viz. : the

use of a acked plate whenever a subject like thatjust mentioned is attempted, in order to safeagainst halation, which 18 vs prone to ma 0 itsappearance under such con it ions. The writerinvariably uses backed plates, whatever work hemay be engaged upon , and for landscape photography of any kind he regards their employmentas essential.Pl t

As to plates those of extreme sensi

tiveness should be avoided, unlessindeed the subject ha pens to be a very strong andcontrastful one. In eep, dark glen views, takenin partial sunlight, or in woodland scenery undertrees, their employment may offer advantagesintending to reduce contrast, and preserve a bettergradation . But for general landscape work, a

plate of medium ra idi ty and colour-corrected willfound most usefIt is im ssible to lay down any hard and fast rules

for deve opment. The procedure must be variedaccord ing to the nature of the result desired. If

the aim 18 a stron ly contraste d effect of light andshade, choice of pate, exposure, and developer, andthe mode of usin it, must all be adjusted accordingly ; and a tots y difierent treatment would be



By A. nonst sv HINTON.

ROBABLY the majority of peopleassert that landscape hotography is easy

- that is to say muc easier thantraiture or fi re subjects—a fa

arising no dou t from the greater easewith which a landscape picture will win%ublic approval, because most people are

qm te una Is to say when a landscape represen

tation is un true, whereas they readi ly recogn iseless glaring errors in the portrayal of the human

face or fi The most indifferent representationof a lan scape scene will pass muster with theaverage man . He recogn ises certain forms asbeing intended for trees or mounta ins. He coulddo as much with a child’s drawin but as towhether such form s are really 11° 3 trees and

mountains—true in detail and in their relativetones—he is either oblivious or incapable of saying,his knowledge of nature out of doors being of a

superficial and general kind. But if in the por

trayal of a human figure the limbs are made toolong or too short he detects the error at once .

Yet it is not too much to say that he constantlyaccepts landscape pictures in which are inaccur

racies as great as though the human figure weredepicted with six limbs in stead of four , or a blackface instead of a lo one.

F l'

t' itness how, until comparativelyres.

recent times,many people acceptedunquestioning photographs of landscape withthe sky left out, that is with the sky representedby a vacanc of white paper, and yet rema in con

te nt with g orious green foliage reproduced withinky blackness or distances robbed Of all theirmystery of grey atmosphere. Of course , if thesethings are of no importance, then landscapepictures of such an order are easy enough, butgradually popular taste is bein cultivated to atruer erception of nature , and taste has veryproper y become more fastidious. The student

14

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY.

who is in earnest and does not quench his desirefor the best b saying of just anything his cameragives him , hat’s good enough ! will soon findthat landsca e photo raphy involves a great manydifiicult pro lems w ich become harder to solveas his closer and more frequent observation makeshim more perfectly acquainted with nature .

But before going further let it be clearly understood that even the most irreproachable accuracyto nature does not in landscape or any other classof subject cover the whole purpose to which manyare desirous of appl ing photograph

i. Probably

the majority of Ian scape photograp are have astheir ob’

ect, though more or less vaguely defined,the pro uction of something akin to the artists’

pa inting.C

The photographer not having hadNo

rm“ °

the advantage Of early artisticure. train ing almost invariably shareswith the generality of people that doe ly

-rootedfallacy that the purpose of all pictori art is tocc

gyy

‘

nature, and so in striving to secure absolutefi elity to the original, he unconsciously m issesthe road which m ight lead to pictorial or artisticsuccess, and follows a by-

path.Now, whilst such a knowled e Of nature as will

enable one to discrim inate etween truth anduntru th, and a skill which gives the power ofreproducing truthfully where one so desires are

essential to artistic success, yet something more

is neededV

' I surm ise that this book aims“ w"

chiefly at giving its readers helpand instruction in landscape icture making asdistingu ished from the pro notion of simplerecognisable records of landscape views. Indeed,the latter one would hardly expect to find classedas landscape photography, inasmuch as mere

landscape views, unless i llustrating local fiora or

the conformation of the land, such as an explorerwould produce during his travels, will barelypossess sufficient interest to justify existence.

The idea of a landscape picture or photographis rather the represen tation of some scene possessing no particular historical or geographical interest.

16


On the contrary, it appea ls to the beholder asbeautiful and inspires a desire toper

pletuate it in

pictorial form , so that not only 9 imself butothers may at another time derive therefrom thesame pleasure or enjoyment which the originalawakened. Hence the science if one may use theterm ) of pictorial landscape p otography is theknowledge of those principles whereby representation Of such a kind may be made.

P’

tu V' Within the lim its of such an

“3 re v. new.

article as the present it is, ofcourse, impossible to treat so wide a sub

'

ect as thisexhaustively, or even to ex ound at a full the

principles involved, and so or convenience et us

consider the landscape view and the landscape

p icture, both being produced b photography underthe respective significations, l and Idea l.Now it will be found, and no doubt has Often

come within the experience of the reader, that thephotograph of a landsca pe which seemed beautifulmade in strict accordance with photo raphicinstructions, technically good and even if faugtlesslyaccurate as to form, perspective, tone, etc.,provesdisappointing when fin ished. It is Real, that is, it istrue to the realit and yet somehow it fails to givethe impression o the original. I have here used,almost unwittingly, a term of which more must besaid anon (for itisat the root of theproblem ) namely,the impression .

”Put rather roughly a picture ,

as distinguished from a topo raphical view, is therepresentation of a person impression ratherthan of actual facts or realities, and hence a

picture is Nature Idealized, and it is because thedevelopment of photography, its rocesses, and allthe appliances and materia ls emp oyed therein , hasbeen in the direction of producin facsimilise Of thereal that those

(practismg it wit out independent

motive have ma 9 photography appear incapable

Of artistic expression . They ave not known thatthe picture should express the idea l and have nottherefore a ttem ted to express it .T h l

t would even seem that thosecc m“ v. whose m ission it has beenPictorial. feet the means have beenby a totally difierentmotive from thosewho

10

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY .

use them artisticall To these latter it was essential that they shou d have thepower of fa ithfufly

copying the rea li even thoug that be not theirchi ef aim. Inde there is the necessity of keepingwell in mind the fact that in employing photography for artistic urposes it is not essential toput into ractice those powers with which instriving or realism the makers of the processhave endowed it . In other words, when attem tinto idealize on ly just so much of the realistic s on]

be used as may seem desirable.

It will probably at once occur to an one that toattempt to idealize with a math or processwhose chief merit is its unerring reality were vain .

But whilst occasional results prove that it is notits ossible, obviously this is just one of thosedi culticewhich—not apparent at first—have to beappled with by the landscape hotographer.

'

rst he must learn to achieve fidelity to nature .

He must become intimate with physica l facts andknow how to re rodnos them , and then wi th thisknowledge as a ounda tion he must discover howbest to use it to express his ideas or im rossions.

I as discover ,” implying thereb that ere is nofixe course or precise canon . use just as agiven scene will impress each individual differently,so probably the method of expressing that personalimpression will differ . Perhaps the best that onewho would try to teach another can do is to firmlyconvince him of the necessity of producin or

suggesting an ideal aspect of any scene, and ghim understand in what manner it departs fromthe reat on wi

ggh i

ltdis foun i

lil

ed;ml d ta in tec ni consi era ion ,

Technicali tics.

the8choice8 of lens I think matters

less than some seem to suppose, because the

field of view included on the negative pla te neednot, necessarily, be the field of view retained inTh Le

But since we cannot, as with thec as.

freedom of unrestrained naturalvision and untrammelled pencil, include in immediate response to the mind more or less of theview, it will be best to carry two or more lenses of

difierent focal length, and use in each case the one17

PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER

which seems best calculated to depict the scene as

it impresses us.

Th Pl teThe use of a backed orthochromatic

cpla te and two or more coloured

screens of various intensities I should regard asabsolutely essential. The whole interest and

pleasing grouping of light and dark are often dueto contrasts of colour , and the relative value ofsuch colours can only be translated into black andwhite by orthochromatic means (Figs. 14 and

Indeed, it will sometim es be necessary to overcorrect photography ’

s false renderin of colourvalues in order to produce the visua impressionmonochromatica lly. I should argue in favour of avery rapid plate, provided excessive speed is not attained at the sacrifice of other qualities. To use a

slow plate seems like foregoin apossible advantagewhich modern advancement as placed at our dis

posal, but whichwe need not exploit unlesswe wish.Simila rly with regard to “ back in

Backing. We may not need its aid, but8as

hackin is no disadvantage and may even unex

pected y assist in securing true relative tones,there seems no reason for not getting any goodout of it we can .

D I tIn development a im at producing

eve opmen a negative as thin as possibletible with the proper printing of contrasts.

ere should be no port ion of the negative whichwill print absolute black, because every point in a

landscape, however dark it may seem , does reflectsome light. Sim ilarly there should be no quiteopaque portion printing detailless white , becausethe urest white surfaces in nature possess some

gr tion and detail.As regards printing processes, thisis a ma tter for personal decision ,

the sole determ ining factor be ingwhether or not the process used gives the mostsatisfactory interpretation from the point of viewof the individual picture maker. Permanence hasreally nothing to do with artistic quality. It is

merely a convenient attribute .

13


Cloud and Sky in


By EUSTACE GALLAND .

those who have the faculty of translating colour into black and white, thesky is rendered more or less

grey (in

its monochrome equivalent) an neveras white as the per on which thepicture is prin The colour anddependent colour value of the bluevaries with the direction of the light,

the atmosphere , and the sun’

s altitude . Facing thesun , the blue is almost effaced ; o posits , it isstrongest and darkest. It is nearl a ways li hterat the horizon , but in large towns t 0 effect 0 dustand vapour may reverse this ap rance whenthe sky is seen over the houses. n s rin whenthere is an east wind in this count t e b us hasa dryness and o acit that is a sent at otherperiods. In the Just t ere is a depth of bluenessthat is almost black. All these varying conditionsof colour , lum inosity, and adat ion have to berepresented in black and w ’

te by various shadesThe task is somewhat easier where

gi

fc

ashy mm clouds are present. Even in Naturewisps of cirrus and the so-called

ma ckerel sky tly increase the idea of depthand distance. ese forms of clouds are real]simpler to deal with than the bolder cumulus withthei r strong shadows and perspective .

When we get a y sky the probof

lem is easier sti It has not theeven gradation of the blue sk

The clouds which float across it are usually darand are not white in the high-lights and darker inthe shadows than the ground, as is the case withcumulus in a blue sky , and they can be photographed without so much reference to the problemof colour. The landscape also is low-toned andcan be harmonized wi th less dimculty , most of it

N.


tints and etchings than in hotographs, where notonly are the gradations ar itrary but the surfaceis broken up. If the photo aph deposit be brokenu

pin some way—partly to achieved by the use

0 rough paper, by printing through some material(in the ca se Of a pla in sky) or by the use Of a processsuch as

gum -bichromate, where a broken up sur face

can be eft by means of a brush—the sky can bekept more approaching its proper value withoutappearing too opaque.

The depth of rintin of a sky,

amperttnce which we have determgned upon as

n gDepthcorrect, cannot be varied W ithoutcompletely chan ’

ng the characterof the icture. Quite a small d

'

srence will sufi ce

to s the original intention. It is better to err

on t 0 side of bein too light than too dark. Cloudstoo heavily

prin will seem too near as well as

too solid, an lose their vaporous character.

Pictorial photograph is made upRg‘t'“ Values of comprom ises. Oury compositionompromi sc is usually a compromise. Clouds

and landscape we can seldom get just as wewant. Our colour correction , through lim itationsof apparatus ; our effects through thefixity of radations, are seldom uite satisfactory.We may vs the relation of c ouds to blue skyin fairly correct value, and find that when addedto the landscape the effect is dark, airless andsunless. We have the eneral effect to stud thedazzling effect of sun lig t ; the low subdu tonesof even ing or of a grey day ; the brightness of aspring morning, the landscape high in tone, thegreens brilliant, the sky a deep blue, relieved withstron white clouds. When desirable, we mustsacri cs the strength Of clouds to the general imression, for true rela tive values may sometimes

isturb the sentiment of the whole.

The scale Of tones that an artist arranges difiersfrom the photometric one,which is not steep enoughin gradation locally to enable us to obta in efl’ectseasi enough secured in painting. For instance,a mass of trees or buildings brightly illum inatedagainst a dark sky, as referred to elsewhere. These,

CLOUD AND SKY IN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY .

if printed lighter than the sky, as they shoulda

ppear, will seem flat and as if covered with snowt ough the want of emphasis in their shadows.

The gum-bichromate and the later carbon recesses

are beyond any others in the possibilitpmo

success

fully treating these tones, but it is to regrettedthat the process in the hands of m ost of usgives suc a small range of tones.

In landscape photography thesentiment or idea intended to be

econve ed can usually be aided by

the appropriateness O the sk We a ll know thatlong parallel lines of clou at sunset sug

gest

repose ; that flecks and wisps of white in a luesky give depth and atmosphere—the cirrus may dothis and eu gest calm also ; and how storm cloudsmay com ets the idea of Nature in an angrymood. 0 general design of the composition ,whether formal or otherwise, will influence the

selection of the most suitable cloud pattern (Figs.19 and

Th k be d f he s y may , an o ten is, t eTheT“ t

chief sentiment of the icture ;may omina e.

from it we may get all the ifl’erentmoods of Nature, and give titles to our pictures,such as Showery Weather,” A Com ing Storm ,

”

The White Heat," A September Mornin thetitle of the illustration , a water colour by H. V.Fisher, which is an example of a painter ’

s selectionof sky on an u land pasture , and which is certain lythe principal eature of the drawing. Also in sea

scapes we may get our icture from the shadowsof clouds on the wrin led sea ,

”as seen patched

like a quilt, from the clifl’ top, which afl’ord the chiefreason for taking the picture (Figs. 16 , 17 and

Without in any way wishing tomartinis“ reduce ictorial photographicworkwhen tsk

‘

in to mec nical precision in execu

the Nc s tiv‘ction , i t may be argued that note

3 taking at the time the picture isseen and vivid] impressed on the memory is ofthe utmost va us and an important factor inpictorial education , and if accompanied by a roughsketch somuch the better. The photograph comes


quite difl’erent to the im ression it is true, but theimpression should be ad ered to ersistently, andworked to. Many of the most 0 arming effectsthat we try to secure are very transient, and whenwe have exposed our pla te there is a disinclina tionto study and observe the conditions that originatethe pleasure , and they pass quickly from the

memory ; hence the use of notes, such as the

hi hest light, the value of certain dominantco ours, the relation of the eh to the land, cloudshadows and reflections, an whether we can

print in a separate sky without disturbing theeffect we seek for. Frequently, with the aid ofthese notes, we may get somethin of the effectthat pleased us in the original t at we shouldotherwise fail to obta in from the negative throughhaving forgotten or failed to note the factors thatinfluenced it .

Th k da f b kle s y on a y o n o movinggkChanging clouds is a valuable fictor iny.

landscape composition . When theclouds chase one another across the sky the landeca may be compared to the studio on a grands e, the clouds are the blinds and reflectors. Bypatient waiting we shall get all possible efl’scts ofighting. We cannot, unfortunately, ensure thatmoving objects, the shes and shepherd or plou hinfilteam , shall receive t t note of emphasis t at

a s aft of sunlight falling athwart them may give,but we may be fairly certa in that an givenportion of the scene will be lighted raysthrough the clouds while the rest is in shadow.

We can at most efl’ects of light and shade, an

ordered c iaroscuro, by patience and Observation .

Falsify ofIt does not r uirs much observa

Printing Zenithtion to see t at to photograph

C louds nearclouds near the zen ith, and then

the Horizonuse them nearer the horizon, is a

gross error . There is, or used tobe , a tem tation to take clouds high up in the skybecause t sy usually have greater contrasts, andthere are no terrestrial obj ects in the way, butwhen used in a landscape contained within a

moderate angle of vision, they are wrong both inlighting and perspective. The lighting especially

St

CLOUD AND SKY IN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY .

is apt to be flagrantly in error when the clouds areanywhere near the sun, or when the sun is highabove the horizon . There is perspective to be notedin almost all clouds, and it is

particularly important

over an expanse of open lan scape. As the cloudsrecede from view they become smaller and smaller,and ap rently more closely packed together.

Series 0 clouds seem to close up in the direction of

the wind. When the distance is hidden by nearobjects, more la titude is perm issible , and the angleof view for the cloudsmay be shifted a few degreesin any direction. A view of the downs, for example,from the valley may appropriatel have masses ofcumulus rising from behind, an this is indeed afavourite themewith ainters. Greater license alsois allowable where t e clouds face the sun whenthe la tter is not very high above the horizon . Indealing with seascapes there is rarely need forseparate printing, the sea and sky being so interdependent and the exposure identical. It oes

wi thout sayingthat clouds and landscape shou] betaken with a ens of approximatel

ythe same focal

len

fih. If the sun or moon be inc uded there is no

dou t they look absurdly small even with a lens oflong focus, and the painter has erfect justifica tionfor making them much lar er t an they really arein relation to terrestrial 0 jects, as their apparentsize is mostly an effect of irradiation .

HSome experienced pictorial photo

LP'

I

'

SPMin

graphsrs are apt to invite criticismOi

l,

dwhen the print separate clouds

L0

21:an

into a lan scape , if the cloudswerean cape. taken on another occasion to thelandscape , and the beginner should confine himselfat first to landsee with a rather near horizon, so

as to avoid the ifliculties of shadows and com

plicated lightinggeWe have already seen how useful

the clouds may in assistin the landscape com

position by the massing of shaglows and lights. Forthe sake of both it is almost imperative in suchcases to obtain the sky negative at the same time.

Generall it is im ssible to get clouds and landscapeon one p ate wit out sacrificing essential qualitiesin one or the other, but whenever possible the skyshould be taken at the same time. The student at


all events should note roughly when either negativeis taken the position and height of the sun abovethe horizon , and the atmospheric conditions at thetim e. He need not becom e a meteorologist to dothis, nor do injuiigl to his ar t istic sense.

Se text books used to tell us

on f that a colour screen destroyed theC l S

efl’ect Of atmosphere and theo our creans.

illusion of distance. Now it is

generally found that a blue distance is unprintablein the ne ative, and the screen used judiciouslywill give t e distance as seen by the eye withoutemphasizing deta il. The warm co lours being givenmore according to the visua l impression willconvey the idea of daylight, not as formerly, as ifthe landscape were viewed throu h blue lass.

The efl’ect of haze and atmosp ere is ependentto some sxent on definition and judicious printing.The clouds must not , of course, in a brilliantlysunny landsca be printed heavily (see a previouspara ph) . T s more delica te forms of cloud are imossi lswithout thea idof colour corrective methods.

n fact, we may say that all clouds need them .

Orthochromatic plates and screens adapted tothem are now so universal, being issued b all theleading plats -makers, that there can be no iflicultyin their use, and I would advocate their employment exclusively in all landscape photography.Stud of d

The pictorial photographer cannot

Painhngs fail to learn much am .

the studMonochrome

of good landscape pa int ingsu

of a

Reproductionsperiods,

”not on ly the modern p lain

i thazm tes, but also the old masters.

0 cm.

The latter, when they introduceskies into their pictures, always aim at beauty ofcomposition , and if they sometimes sacrifice truthto convention , the beauty of the convention is atraining in itself. Some of the modem pa inters,though they may give the real out -door effect OfNature , seem to regard composition as of quitesecondary importance ; but the photographer hasa lways to recollect that he has onl hi s oor scaleof browns or blacks to take the p cs 0 Nature’

s

colour, and satisfying composition is an essentialto him .


dignified and simplework ofOld Creme, HouseholdHeath.” This is an illustration of cumulus risingover upland, again more simple probabl than weshould actually find in nature, but possib e in photography. Constable’

s skies are ve true to nature ;there are numerous cloud sketc es of his withhardly any land visible. In the National Galleryhis Cenotaph shows the sparkle of blue andwhite seen thro

plgh trees, contrasts that always

a pear more b liant in this way than when0 served in the open sky .

The curiously fantastic forms of clouds seen undercertain conditions of thundory weather, sometimestowering up into the sky like pillars and contortedinto strange shapes, were much favoured by some

of the D utch painters, and they have an imm ense]decorative effect in landscape, and are worth muctime and patience to secure .Modern inters have sought toprobe every

mysts 0 Nature, every efiect 0 light andatmosp ere . Those who have seen Claude Monet’swonderful series of pa intings of the same subjectsunder all conditions of light, from sunrise to sunset,will appreciate the work of one of the most earneststudents of na ture.Many of the moderns may be accused of havingused, or been influenced by photo phy in theirsky painting ; so faithfull renders is the sky thatoften we cannot help fee g there is some loss ofbreadth and decorative feeling.Photogra hers will find modern sk painting at

its best in t e works of the brothers aris, also in

Anton Mauve and Mesda who have worthflycarried on the traditions o the Dutch school. InFrance,Corot, of course , and

Hhis more

r‘qbus

ct and

rha s ess tic successor, erpigny ; so azin ,

23d many mm; whilst in this country there are

Claussn, Stott, Mark Fisher, Pe percorn and Steer,whose pictures are a veritable ood of light sometimes. Sk and light effects are always interestingfeatures 0 these inters.

General Hintsncourt says To learn to see

uires the largest of apprenticefor Ym t mp5." The names in photographyPhotographers must learn to see what he has seen3

CLOUD AND SKY IN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY.

all his life and practise on a few examples of thevarious aspects of skies with the un lim ited means

in the way of chromatic plates and screens nowbefore him ; if he does this with the aid of notes ofthe conditions existing at the time and tries toprint to them, he will learn more in a few weeksthan in months of casual and careless photography.One of the first things that a painter learns i s to

leave but what is unessential and harmful to thegeneral cflect, and thephotographer when he looksthrou h his ground g ass at most skies will feelthat ti ey are too crowded for his purpose. The

opgirtunity for selecting a group of clouds in the

rig t position , more or less isolated, broad in efiectand W ith beauty of shape , comes more rarely thanthe casual observer would think.D t

’ In many compositions the isolated“

cer

t

s “

f tufts of cloud sometimes seen float

Phpic o

hing across a blue sky are extremely

ograp y. decorative and pleasing, and thedecorative as

set of photography is a very impor

tant one in ndscape . he pattern , that is ofform, and black and white may be the strongeststimulant of msthetic pleasure—tress, clouds, foregrounds whose shapes are quaint, unusual, almostgeometrical, but stoppin short of it .The Vienna photograp srs following the pa inter

secessionists have done more in this direction thanwe have, and it is quite a surprise to come across

reproductions of gum -bichromate prints in Kunstund Kunsthandwerke , or some other art publication, in which the clouds particularly have all thedecorative simplicity of a painter’

s work.It is a vital in t that the photoT

‘hecSpggestion graph of Ian sea 0 and sky should

0 our.

suggest colour ; t e reproduction ofthe drawing accompanying these notes does this inthe platinum print ; it i s only to be followed out inNature by representing colour masses by the exacttone value that the eye appreciates them.

As to the many methods of combining a sky with a landscape

negative, or printing out a s

latter, it is unnecessary to say mus

here, since they have been so frequently described.

There are some, .indeed many cases, where it wouldbe advisable tomake a transparencywhich containsthe two in right proportion, from which a newnegativema bemade,especially if severalprints arewanted or t e picture is of large size. Retouchingor pain ting on the transparency seems the onlycourse where a dark sky up through theintricate tracery of the horizon ine. For example,

the branches of trees. Often the sky will needworking on with a stump or matt varnish or

tracin paper, etc.

In p tinum printing it is a help towork with theaper pinned on an easel, so that the negative can

entirely lifted ofi and replaced ; thi sdeatl

fito be judged more easily.en using a colour screen , a full exposure

should be given especially with strongly hghtedclouds, or the result will be harsh and delicacy lost.Sunset efiects are often too hard and black fromthe same cause, and very often from the absenceof the screen and the unresponsiveness of the

plate to colour differences that are so distinctiveto the eye. (See Figs. 16 , 17, 18, 19,

Hints on the selection and arrangementof Landscape Pictures.

By Tim EDITOR.

OSSIBLY some of the readers of this bookmay expect to find among its pa es somegolden rules whereb p i ctures may bemade. Unfortunate y, or perhaps fortunately, such rules do not exist, or at anyrate have not been found. Neverthelessan extensive examination of inting andother forms of phie art in ica te certainvery broad and genera underlying» principles of

selection and arran sment. These are frs uentlyalluded to as rules 0 composition . But in t is connection the word rule means much the samething as it does in the grammar of a language. It

is a convenient abbreviation to ex ress the n

eral but not universal custom o acknowl ged

SELECTION O ARRANGEMENT OF LANDSCAPE PICTURES .

The subject of pictorial composition is a wide anddeeply interesting one—indeed much too large tobe dealt with as a sub-section of such a booklet asthe present. We must therefore reserve it for an

entire number . But meanwhile we have broughttogether a dozen examples of landscape subjects,which will go some little wa towards indicatingthe general nature of the en jcet. We are usingthese to show what should be avoided rather thanwhat should be done . Indeed all teaching on thesubject of composition is of a ne ative rather thanpositive nature . Each of these i ustrations shouldconvey at least one practical hint, and serve as a

rem inder for us all, lest in a ca reless moment wefind ourselves tripping in a sim ilar manner.

D uring the last ten years the resent writer haspassed in review many thensan s of sim ilar photographs, showin one or other of the mistakes herealluded to. ence one may say that these are

among the m istakes likely to be made. Of course

the reader will understand that the list is by nomeans com lete . It is doubtful indeed if anycomplete ist could ever be compiled. Nor would

such a form idable list do more than dishearten thebravest worker.Moreover it may easily happen that a goodicturemay a t times exemplifysome of the m istakesBelow m entioned. But this only shows that allsuch rules or principles are of a very broad andelastic character.

Overcrowding.—That is to say, including in one

’

s

picture too much subject matter , too many objectsof interest. The more objects there are the less

space they must occupy in our icture. Hence our

interests are cutupand scatters allover the icture.

The well-known saying when in doubt eave itout should be la id to heart by every photographer.

The more objects we have to “compose

”or arrange,

the greater is our difficult in grouping or arranging them agreeably. The eginner often is at a lossto know how his friend A . B. can make a prize

medal picture out of just one or two trees and a fewleaves, while he fails to do anything with a wholeplantation . Let the worker ask himself :Is all this

TIIE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

subject matter essential ‘

P Can I not om it this andthat? Why do I wish to retain that or this?In Fig. 21A we have an ordinary case

crowdin Technically, the print is cmditable ;pictoria y, it is faulty in several respects. Thereare far tooman

liobjects included, via , boats ,peo lo,houses, etc. 0 objects being man in num r

and on a small scale, irritate rather t an attract.The eye goes from

(point to point, and is wearied

rather than please Overcrowding often means

patchiness or spottiness of light and shade. In thisinstance the ma

ysmall figures are little more thandots of black an white. Pictures of what m ight

be ca lled the General View class are seldomguite pleasing by reason of overcrowdin of subject.ne

’

s interest is scattered and no efinite im

pression obtained. Walking along the street onepasses a sho window where are di splayed a score

or more di erent things, but we notice none ofthem in particular, because they are so many innumber, and in a few moments the entire im

pression has faded.Em tiness.

—This is the Opposite extreme to overcrow ing. When there are not enough objects ofinterest or enough pictorial matter included, onefeels the su gestion of incompleteness, i.s., that theartist inten ed but om itted to add somethingmore.

Of the two extremes perhaps it is better to havetoo little than too much matter, yet both extremes

are to be avoided. In Pi 21B we have an excellentbit of technical work, t ough the

1‘plil

c

fi

z

s

ture fails tomake much lsatin impression . t, the chiefobject is too near t e centre of the

'

cture space .

This arran sment is too symmetrical, too formal.Secondly, the emphaticallymodern looking steamer

is not an object of beauty. It does not suggest thepoetic bu t rather the prosaic side of human in

terests. The picture as a whole is not satisfactory.It is weak or empty. In addition the light andshade arrangement is monotonous, i .s., roughlyput, the picture consists of a dark patch centrallyplaced with a background of light gre Again ,

the microscopically sharp defin ition of t 0 originalprint, does not aid in the suggestion of distance and


measure of the picture space which is out of pro

portion to its pictorial interest.Breadth.

—D istribution of light and shade is one

of the essential qualities of a work of art . That isto say, if the picture is lacking in breadth itcannot be quite satisfacto no matter what otherqualities it may possess. we make half a dozenholes with a cedar pencil in a bit of brown paper

and hold this up to the sky we shall notice twothings. First, a sense of irri tation . Secondly, distraction of attention , i .s., as soon as we try to fix

attention on one hole we find ourselves tempted tolook at some other holes. Our brown paper withthe holes in it is a case of patchiness or spottinessof arrangement. The opposite state of affairs, or

group n

gflof li ht and shade, m ight be represented

one rge ole in place of many small ones.

ese cases are, of course , extremes, but help to

show the tendency of Breadth and Patchiness.In Fig. 21D we have an ordinary case of patchy

arrangement of light and shade . It will be seenthat it is unrestful and irritating in general effect.As soon as we attempt to concentrate attentionon any one part attention is drawn to some otherpart. Each leaf floating on the water’

s surfaceseems to contend with every other leaf for our

attention . Sim ilarly the li ht and dark patches offoliage. Patchiness gener y is suggestive of lackof care, or absence of observation and knowledgeon the part of the worker. One must bear in m indthe difierence between the scene in nature and its

photographic translation . For it ma casil happenthat in nature the colours blend, whi e in t e photograph they oppose each other and give contrast.readth, when carried to extremes, ma givemonoton or flatness. For other examp es seeFigs. 29 C, D .

The Vista Picture .- The idea of arranging a

picture or vista to be seen throu h an arch or

avenue, or some such natural rams-work, is

strikingly rem iniscent of the early Victorian dayswhen a“surprise vista ”

was an essential feature ofevery gentleman

’

s park or garden. Howeverpleasing such arrangements may be in nature

84

l'"

MORTHOCHROMAT IC PLATE WITHOUT FILTER

u .


desirable for p ictor ia l purposes to put two suchsim ilar things in one icture Why not leave out

one of these bridges The m istake here made isconfusing a picture with a graphic record of fact.Of course these two objects may ap r in naturesomething like this picture shows t em , but thatdoes not necessitate this view be ing a picture. It

may be true to nature in that sense, but all na turalviews are not pictorial, any more than all sound ismusic or all verse is poetry. In the original a bitof snow-cap d mountain seems to be resting on

the top of t e viaducts, but one can hardl ex setthis to show in reproduction . Let the r or r

in mind that it is not the function of art to set

puzzle pictures, but to present pleasing arrangem ents of form, light and shade.

Unity of Parts.—Composition means combining

two or more thin s into one whole. If, then , our

picture is apparent y cut up into two or more partsi t is not a com osition , but a disposition , of fragments. Fig 34 may be taken as an exam ls of a

picture or view cut up into two parts . T e printi tself is technica lly creditable, except that thewaterfall has been under - exposed and overdevelo ed. This gives us in the print, not a streamof m s ing water, but somethingmore like a bandof frozen milk. Now this whi te band, runningmore or less diagonally across a picture , seems toseparate our fore en d from our middle andextreme distance. he same kind of thing occursa

gain and again in every collection of landscape

p otographs. Now it is a line of paling, now a

river, now a wall or roadway or river bank. Butwhatever it is, it at once suggests to the specta torthat the two rts of the picture do not belong toeach other. T is is one of the little pitfalls in picturemakin that one must watch for on the groundglass, i ecause the efiect of separation may not

seem so marked when we look at a lar e scene as

it does when we cut out a small bit on t 0 groundglass to make our picture. It is in such cases asthese that a viewmeter is so useful, not only showing us our picture the right way up, but also cut

out or isolated from its surrounding parts.

SELECTION O ARRANGEHENT OF LANDSCAPE PICTURES .

In working amongst shipping one has to watchaga inst foreground ropes cutting of corners of our

pictures. Overhanging tree branches may act inthe same hurtful manner.Unity is strength is a common phrase, andequally true in picture-making.Separation of Planes.

—A glance at Fishow us a picture which roughly may idedinto a foregro bank of rushes, etc., m iddledistance tree to our left , and distant hi lls, etc to

our right . Now if you will stand about 15 or 18

inches from the window pane, and fix yourattention on a fi on the

,glass, you will enl see

the other side 0 the street or view beyon thewindow in an indistinct sort of way. Sim ilar] if

you fix attention on the view outside the win ow,

the fly will only appear as a small out of focusobject. That is to say, the eye does not , a t thesame moment, see near and distant ob ects equallysharpl

ydefined. Going back to our little landscape ,

or rat er to the scene it depicts. Had we fixedattention on the foreground rushes, then themiddle and extrem e distance would not be seen

sharp ly defined, or if attention be fixed on thedi stance, then the foreground would not besharply in visual focus. But our photographer inthe little print before us has got all parts practicallyequally sharply defined. Hence ou

r distance doesnot look quite distant enough, and the variousparts of the picture do not stand away from eachother. Now it so happens that in the picture wehave a stream , and the mind or reasoning facultiesun consciously get towork and tell us that the largetree to our left must be a certain distance beyondthe foreground reeds, but if we cover up this riverpart for a moment, we shall see how the treeseems to come nearer to us in consequence if it isas shar ly defined as the foregroBrie y put , the essence of the matter is thisIf we want the various planes of our picture to

come one behind the other, and so suggestdistances, we must not have all distances equallydefined. Whether it must be foreground or middledistance that must be the sharpest depends upon

our ta ste and judgment applied to each case .

37


Sky Spaces.—Our next four illustrations are

selected to illustrate some common mistakes as

regards the all important m atter of light andshade. We may first draw atte ntion by means ofFig. 29A to the way the sky space is cut up bythe two trees. These two tree masses divide thesky space into three parts. These spaces are more

or less equal in area , i.e., sufficiently so to be com

pared, i .a., the difierence of sizes is not verymarked.is is too forma l and non-decorative. Again these

sky spaces are roughly sim ilar in shape , and a a inthey are more or less rectangular . The tota l e setis to cut up our picture in to three parts of abouteq

'i

r

i

fil interest as well as size.

en aga in the water part is somewhat monotonous in interest. From this example we may learnthe need of taking into consideration the distribution of the chief patches of light and shade in our

picture . Very frequently we may modify such skyspaces by a slight change of our osit ion—or byusing a lens of difi’erent focal ength

—or bythe introduction of suitable clouds—or by trimm ingthe print in some other way. A good pictureis agreeable not on ly as a whole, but itscomponent parts are also attractive and interestingwhen an analysis of them is made.

What is here sa id as to formal and undesirablesky spaces applies equallyh

to other parts of a

picture cut up into parts. us a meadow may becut up by paths, railings, etc. Bui ldings may bedivided by unsui table shadows, etc.

Flatness and Monotony.—This is one of the

opposite bases of the state of things just m en

tioned. n fig. 29B we have a somewhat sim ilarstrength of light and shade more or less evenly

distri utod all over the picture. This gives a feelingof flatness, suggesting that all the objects are the

sam e distance from na—in other words, absence ofrelief. This is uninterestin monotonous and nondecorative. In this case t e cause is very largelydue to bad lighting. The large near tree trunk showsa little difierence of light and shade, but not enoughto su

ggest roundness and solidity. Cast shadows

are a sent. This state of things is suggest ive of


work. But the reader may be disposed to com

plain that no definition of breadth has been '

ven .

Indeed one may doubt one’

s powers of form atinganything like a satisfactory definition except in a

roundabout or negative manner.

Perhaps the best verbal description of breadth isan absence of spottiness and patchiness, or

monotony. But Fig. 29D will convey the generalidea better than any words. Contrasting i t with29B we find an absence of flatness or monotony.Contrasting it with 290 or 21D we find an acce t

able absence of patchiness or spottiness. ehave ample variety of light and shade , andthe spaces, if approximately e ual in light andshade , are grouped together. bus the shadowsin the foreground are sim ilar in strength, andgrouped together . Again , the clump of high treestems in the distance , on our right, are grouped.Then across our picture runs a band of lighter tone,which agreeably blends with the lighter tones inthe distance on our ri ht, and these in turn passfrom ri ht to left into t e somewhat darker broadmass 0 foliage in the distance on our left.We thus get ample variety of light and shadevalues, so that flatness and monotony are avoided ,

but the contrasts are not abrupt in many places.

The lights and shades are grou d, and the an gestion is that of space, whi le alle

the parts 0 the

picture belong to each other, and are felt to keepeach other in oneral unity of effect.Breadth is rgely a matter of direction andquality of lighting. The student will therefore dowell to make a few ex riments by photographingthe same subject un er various conditions, e.g.,

a front, a side , a back light ; in bright sun and on

a grey day, when the sun is hi h and when it is

near the horizon , and so on . n this way he willlearn to know how to select the proper lighting forany desired effect.


taking landscapes Because by the use of figuresjudiciousl placed he is able to '

ve an idea of thesize of o jects and also to fi up un interestingspaces.

C t'

1Time was when photographers

Fpnven m” thou

ght that the only figures

igures. whio could be introduced intolandscapes were maidens in cotton bonnets and

men in soft hats and smocks. And many havebeen at great trouble and expense in takin theircousins and their aunts with the necessary resses

and impediments, such as m ilking-stools and hayrakes, into the country with them when theywished to make landscape with figures. Unfor

tunately, dressed up models generally betray themselves. Nowadays, when the art of touching u

the negative and print and the use of gum an

ozotype printing is so universal, it matters littlehow the fi re is dressed in reality. The prin tercan alter t eir clothes as he leases ; he can evenadd or remove figures from t e negative or printat will.When out with the camera the photographer

must feel whether he wishes figures in his landscape or not . He must say to him self, This viewwants a figure exactly there, and it must be a lightfi re or a

grey figure or a black figure.

"For the

e of him e may not be able to say why he wantsa figure there. It is sufi cient for him to know thatits addition will make his photograph more satisfactory. If he has patience and waits long enoughthe figure will come. Then his friends will sayWhat a lucky snapshot ; how well that figure

comes there ; an artist could not have put it in abetter place .

”

The photographer who oes to work like thiswith the knowledge that a thin 5 come to thosewho have patience to wait, will e surprised howoften the right figure does turn u

g. Sometimes it

is a genial fisherman striding t rough the long

grass—and your genuine fisherman i s always a

picturesque fi re,—sometimes a m ilk-maid who

really can mi k will come alon with yoke andm ilk pails complete. All that t e photographerwants is the power to decide in a moment whether

4!

LANDSCAPE WITH PIGURDS.

his landscape will be improved or n

presence of a figure. No time to li ht a pipe andthink over the matter , no chan '

ng is m ind ; thehotographer who is not ifte W l th decisiongetter leave figu

'

l

l‘e

hwork one.

e great improvement in camerasRapid Plates.

and plates which we have seenduring recent years makes the photo apher’

swork in the direction of adding figures to is landscape easier in some ways and harder in others.It is now qu ite easy to hoto ph horses andfigures at work. Many 0 us ave in time pastpicked out pretty bits of landsca e which onlyseemed to want a team of horses an a plo h or ahaycart to make the pretty bit into a p easingphotograph. Such thi s ma now be got withoutavin to stop the wor of t e figures, which hadto be one in the good old days on account of thelong exposures wanted.

Alas, this ra

zidity is sometimes a

fatal gift. figure in action hasa very different effect on a landscape to that which a figure in

repose has, and if the photOfiraph is to be a success

the photographer must we consider this. Takefor instance a photograph of a barren moor, suchas covers the face of the earth for a score of milesin all directions round here . If the wind is blowingand the clouds are rushing along a few feet aboveour heads, a fi re in re ose would be utterly outof place, but the clou have been dried up, asthey sometimm are in September, and the skyshows nothing but streaks of red, then a figurerestin by the way or a couple of sportsmen withtheir ogs resting may be quite in keepin with thequietness of the scene. If, however, t e photographer wishes to make the moor look as desolateas it rea lly is, then he will take care that no figurecheers it up by its presence.

If the amateur who does not ca re whether hisghotographs sell or not is bold enough to addgures, let him see that such figures are clothed in

such garments as will not fix the date . Perhapsarchitectural photographers are the greatest sinnersin this respect ; they are far too fond of putting

48


themselves or their assistants gazing at a ruinedarch or a crumbling tower in their pictures. We allknow these figures, wearing either slouch hats or

pot hats of a previous age , with the right 1 wellin front and the left hand on the hip, w e thefigure

’

s neck is craned up as he gazes with admi ration on the ruin as long, and no longer, thanthe exposure

e most pleasing photographs oflandsca with figures are those inwhich t e figures appear as part

of the whole, where they do not

cry out to be looked at, and where at first the are

not noticed. Many photographers have bewil eredtheir minds full of rules about composition, andare not he. py till they have broken all straightlines, usua y in a most obvious manner, forgettthat unless their art is perfectly concealed it w '

give no pleasure.

I was once showing a copy of Fig

. 42.negative by the way thrown out as unsalea le. toa photographer, and he at once said If Itaken that I should have placed the figures nearer

the camera so that they would have broken theriver bank. I bowed in my most res tfulmanner, but failed to see that they wou] havebeen better there. Why they are, where they are,I do not know, but now they have got there itseem s as if their presence keeps the eye fromwandering away from the most charm ing bit inthe landscape, namely, the bend of the riverimmediately above them .

HeWhile a man alone is often enoughto spoil a photo aph, a man

alongside that noble animal, the fibres , or thatcharm in animal, woman , becomes less objectionable. ere is in these ca ses an excuse for his

presence ; both the horse and the woman wantm inding. Among the examples given with this

are some of men with horses ; it needs no explanation to see that the two are better than the one.

Those of uswho are indoors allday, and see Natureprincipally in the twilight, have a fondness forsilhouettes, and many a time have been pleasedwith the sight of figures on the sky-line ; generally

14

LANDSCAPE WITH FIGURES.

the li ht is too bad, but sometimes fortune favoursus. am sending some to the Practical ,” butperhaps the do not expla in themselves, and I donot like exp aining things which are apparent to,as I imagine, eve one ; not that I think it toomuch trouble, but hear eve one say, Oh don 'tteach your grandmother.

”ut unless certain

photographs are explained, people will make wrongguesses. The print of the trees with man an

cart against the sky is not an under-exposedsnapshot ; it was a tim e exposure on a dullNovember day. The sun is half an inch above thecart ; it was setting throu h the fo

g. If the man

and cart had been ann ero else doubt if theywould have been seen at all. The fact that theywill soon disappear behind the hill, like the sun , is

a poetica l fact, therefore the figures make the

hotograph more interesting than it would haven without them . Fig. 27.

When including figures in his

32:Way views the photographer shouldtake care that they are not placed

in such a osition as to hide the way out of his

picture. he view of the old garden with the girlnursing the child shows what I mean ; the whitewall at the end of the path is the way out ofthis View, and it is by a lucky chance that the girlwas not taken in front of this outlet. Fig. 41 .

When dealing with more than twoGrouping figures it is as well to keep the“W e”

figures in masses, or the eye willbe di stracted by having to jump from one fi a re to

the other. Now that we have all been m a e lazyby the use of hand cam eras, we no longer troubleto arrange crowds of figures, but in the good oldda s there was a certa in sense of satisfaction inor ering a lot of people about as if one had beena general moving an army ; but such photographscome more under the head of figure studies, andare out of it here.

One of the things the photographer has to decide

isO

Whether his p otograph is to be a landscapeW ith figures

,or figures with a landsca 6 back

ground. This does not always depend on ow near

45


the fi res are to the camera, but their tone, andwhet or they or part of the landscape is the more

important. A figure may be so far ofi as

like a fly, yet be in the right place forNote , for instance, the figure in the distance near

the church. The church steeple is only a little one ,

y‘e

it t

ggs distant figure makes it appear quite tall.

For certain reasons which I need not sto to

expla in , figures seem to fit those landscapes w ere

the dom inant object is an upright, or when placedimmediatel

ybeneath the principa l line (see print of

children be ow tree.) Fig. 30.

F'

GIt is seldom wise to let all

It ‘l l" roups. members of a oup look at thecamera . In fig. 30 several mem rs of the partywere told to watch the be seeking a bird’s nest.An exception .

—In fig. the fi re is allowed tolook towards the cam era, for t 0 camera may insuch an instance be supposed to take the place of

a friend or compan ion , or indeed the farmer whoobjects to having his long grass trodden down byflower atherers. This case illustrates the use ofa trip and time exposure.

Many photographers will haveW:tli “

or W;th

noticed how disappointing roadon izures way pictures may prove , the

road sides making awkward triangular spaces,reminiscent of one 8 school days. By waiting fora suitable figure to put in an ap caranos, a vastimprovementmay frequently be e ected. Comparefigs. 31 and 32.

P t' Fig. 28 illustrates the reward of

patience. Being out with a comanion we located this spot, and waited for agure to turn up. Seeing this rider a preachingwe asked him to turn his horse wit head upstream and permit him to drink.

The hotographer should pa

FTipping attention to this point. Howmuchigures. to give is often a difi cult uestion .

Sometimes a polite Thank you very muc I am

46


never before been loved. I need not trace thehistory of landscape painting, sufiice it to sayits keynote is this intimate love, the feeling thatthere is in field and forest, moor and sea , and in thereat sky above, the counterpart of the passions,hopes and fears, that fill the breast of the spectator.

Nature has her moods. The highest idea l of thepainter is to seize her at her best, not mere] to

rtray her in her everyday beauty, but to s owow she looked perhaps for 5 seconds only in the24 hours. The power and knowledge required todo this have been given to very few. Such paintingbeing the most emotional rendering of landscapereceives most the impress of the artist’s brain , andis the result of his individual vision , its chiefmedium of expression is colour. Turner, Corot,Constable , Millet and J. Maris eu gest themselvesat once as art ists who have pr need such work,and, though following distinct paths of their own ,they were all alike in painting their

pictures away

from the scenes portrayed, each in '

s own waygiving his own impression of Nature.

Though it is impossible to draw any hard andfast line of demarcation , we seem to feel that thereis a great dea l of painting that is separated fromsuch work as I have nam ed, not merely in qualityof gen ius, but in difference of a im . It is frankly asimpler rendering of Nature,whichmay be poetica l,but its basis is realism, showing selection ratherthan composition , and is en gest ive of having beenpainted in the open air . ost of our present—dayandscape com es under this heading, and standsrelated to the great school much as in poetry a

lyric does to an epic.

The same love of Nature has called yet anotherclass of workers into the field—the photographeris abroad. The position '

of photography as an art

offers a sub’

ect of debate , and has caused no littlewordy we are between painter and photographer.

Wha tever may be said, the fact remains that oflate years a number of energetic and earnestworkers have come upon the scene resolved to pushforward and extend the scepe of pictorial hotography. The result of this efi’ort is often forethe public, and to show some points in which it

48

EHE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

this. True values are the making of a picture ;nothin is really convincin

gif they are wrong, butthey 0 ten are wrong, an sometimes apparentlyby choice. Many photographers, and pa inters too

for that matter, are bitten with the desire to getthings tony,” that is, simplified by bein brougt t

more together ; this produces a certain oom tlooks ve learned and im ressive, an is ratherfashionab 9 just now. We give it a rest, for it ’sbeing overdone.

Photography is found wanting by the painteroften enough in the matter of composition ; thephotographer certa inly has not the facilities foralteration that the pa inter has ; he must takeNature as he finds her, and Nature , I admit, is notgood a t composition ; but it is surprising how oftena point of view from which things come right maybe found by patiently walkin around. Som etimes

we are deceived by a plac e t at looks very muchlike making a picture , but the interest may be inassociation , or suggestion , and quite un

‘

pictorial.The faults that I think are most to be guardedagainst are certain pecul iarities and quaintnessesthat please at first sight by their novelty, notablythe truncation of objects. A picture has got to end

somewhere, but it is very important What its edgescut through. For instance , trees cut ofi"above andbelow runnin right across the picture, small slicesof objects on t 9 ed es or in corners, are un leasant.A picture must not ook merely like a pate cut out

of the landscape ; ou ought not to want any more

of it, to right or eft, above or below ; it shouldbe complete and self-contained—a quotationfrom Nature that does not need any context.Whether it be a range of mountains or a haystackthe same law applies ; however much or howeverlittle the picture contains it must leave ofi well.Lines runn ing out of the picture are a great worryto us all ; they suggest Euclid’s lines that in school

always producing from A to som ewhere

else ; the eye ollows them out of the

picture, and

or where they are oin to.

'

dgettinessto forgive in our i on 9 sometimes, but

never in a work of art . The subject of strong andWeak places in a picture I need not go into—it is

60

Where PHOTOGRAPHY FALLS SHORT of a PAINTER’

S IDEALS.

probablyfam ha

’

r to all the readers of this journalut it i s something often forgotten in

Generally speaking, anything that inarrangement looks peculiar, growswhen the pictureis hung on the wall , into something positivelyannoying. Those in search of novelty shouldexercise themselves in some other direction . The

question of What is pleasin or displeasing in com

position has been settled ong ago, and the lawsgovernin it seem pretty constant. Some photoraphe t t have been in evidence of late sug est

vmg been cut down to make them look ecu r,

and seem to have been mounted in much t e same

spirit. The appeal of a good work of art is a uistone ; the picture that cries out from the wall kat me finds its ultimate place in a dark corner orthe lumber room . Afi

’

ectation is the curse ofmodern art. Another matter that catches the eye

of the painter is the excessive perspective in

receding surfaces, and the exaggerated size of nearobjects as compared with distant ones. The latter isnot always displeasing, but violent perspective is.Connected with this is the deep foreground ; a hi hhorizon and narrow strip of sky do not look rig tto a painter, except where the ground is inclined,and when they occur in a picture offlat coun try orsea they are apt to suggest a rising plane.

Such are the thoughts that ass throughmy m indas I recall the exhibitions ans ictures that I haveseen from time to time . My eu jset has dealt onlywith photogra hie shortcomings ; I ask my readersto remember t is, and to forgive if they feel that Ihave been unjust. At any rate there are two sidesto every question , and perhaps some photographerma

n

ilabe bold enough to declare Where PaintingF Short of a Photographer’s Ideals.”


How to Make and Use

a View Meter.

By J. a . WiLsoN.

IRST, a few words to the reader who hasnever known the comfort and conveni

ence of a view meter . B its aid we can

see at a glance exactly ow much viewor subject is included with a certain lens

from any position we like to take for themoment. Moreover, we see our pictureway up. We have no tripod to carryfocussing cloth to bother with ; just a b i t

of card held up to the eye, and the picture is shownin an instant. It is therefore an easy matter tomove to the right or left, back or forward, sit orstand, and note how these changes of view-

pointaffect the quantity of subject included, and a lsohow the composition or arrangement of subject isthereby affected. Again , sup

tplose only one position

for the camera is possible, on we can comparethe effects of different lenses when used in thisposition. Once ain, we can go over the groundwithout the bu en of the camera , etc., and thussee exactly Where best to carry our baggage when

for taking thpdphotogra h comes round.

But enou h has been ea as to vantages. Thereader really only appreciate a view meterwhen he has carried one for a little time. Therefore the best thing is to tell him exactly how to

make one for his own needs.By way of example we will sup ose he is usina quarter-

plate camera with three snees of 5, 7 an12-inch focus respectively. He can then easily

procedure to meet his own special case.

our quarter-plate ’

ves us a picturex 3 inches, so we s work on that

52

HOW TO MAKE AND USE A VIEW METER.

The little ap

paratus we aregoing to make isshown in Fig. 43.By putting theeye to the peephole, A , andlooking throught h e f r a m e

BCDE, we see our picture . Clearly the quantity ofpicture depends upon the size of the frame openingand its distance from the peep

-hole.

Now , the first thing to decide is the size of the

apparatus, so that i t may be large enough forpractica l use and small enough for the pocket.11 pose we fix on the dista nce between the peepho e A and the frame BCDE as 3 inches. Take a

piece of paper and rule a straight line 3 inches long(AJ , Fig. This is the base-line of the instrument,and corresponds to the shortest focus of our lens,via , 5 inches. Now divide this line into five ua l

parts. Call these un its. At J draw the line

perpendicular to HJ and make it as many unitsong as the long side of our plate ; thus KJ and JL

are each two uni ts long.

Fig. 44.

Then for our 5-inch lens the distance between Aand BCDE is three inches, and the size of theopening BODE is 4 units by 3 un its. The threepieces of card formin the apparatus are hingedtogether bymeans of g us and tape . Of course , the

'

tion of A is opposite the centre of the openine size of A is arbitrary, and may convenient y

be about f inch in diameter.

53


Now for a second lens. Supose this is 7 inches

long. Then roduce the line to M, makingirAgM

2 units, i .s., J is now 7 units. Join MK and W

AN parallel to MK.

Now take a second card the same size as that usedfor the frame BODE. Lay the first on the secondcard and run a pencil round the opening (Fig.

Now in the second card cut a sim ilar] proportionedgpp

nmg, but this time making the ong side twice

Fig . 45.

The second frame is hinged to the base in thesame way as the first and close to it . If we nowlook through A, the larger openin

?shows us

the quantit of view with the 5-inch ens, and thecard with t 0 smaller opening gives the view withthe 7-ineh lens.

Now for the 10-inch lens. Precure AM to Q sothat QJ is lo-inch long. Join QL and draw APparallel to QL . Take a third card and cut a centralopeniir

'fi.

)

but this time the long side must only betwice The height is reduced in roportion , ofcourse. This card is hinged close to o. 2 card, andwhen seen from A gives us the view of the 10—inchlens. Fig. 4 shows the apparatus for the threelenses.

It is convenient to blacken the three card frames.

Also we can et a better idea of the light andshade efiect w ich our photo reph will ve us if

we cover the peep-hole A wi a bit of Inc sheetsuch as may be found in a box of Xmas

crackers, and view our picture inmonochrome blue.


lation of this would of course give a uniform grey,and the pattern would be lost. Need one say thata pattern less rendering of a patterned garmentwould not ive a qu ite satisfactory impression of

the original%The case is exceptional and perhapsextreme, yet not impossible , and is quoted to showthe effect of pushing scientific correctness to itsle

' timate lim its .

he conclusion we may draw is that scientifictruth is not necessarily pictorial truth. Thus inrendering our red flowers on the dark-grey groundthe pictorial Worker would depart from scientific

accuracy and show the bright red colour as lighter ,more insistent than the quiet and comparativelycolourless ground. The same principle ma attimes be applied in landscapes. By using lig t ordark colour filters, as the case demands, we maylegitimately depart from scientific truth to gain

pictor ial truth.The photographer should ask him self What is

the dom inating colour of this scene, yellow, red ,green , etc . D o I wish these to become strongeror weaker than their robably scientific renderingrequires and so on 9 will then select his lightor dark colour filter according as his desires mayeu

gest.is may be denounced as rank heresy by our

purist friends. But we may rem ind them that it iswhat the s inter has a lways done, and doubtlessalways w '

l do, because it is the only we of

conveying his personal impressions as to co our ;

sim ilarly the etcher or engraver is upheld by hisfellow-craftsmen when he also emphasises or

suppresses colour values, so as to convey better thesentiment of colour contrasts.

Again , we must not forget that for some 0 es

certain colours have a grea ter charm than ot or

colours have . This is no more a uestion of colourblindness than the preference or one key overanother betokens deafness.


on the other side of the street which form the background for the in . But instantly you begin tothink about the ouses our eye accommodates orfocusses the houses and t e pin fades into a greatlysoftened outline . The instance is of course extreme.

We do not include in our landscape objects as nearas 12 inches and 100 feet. But the

(pr inciple is the

same. We may include foregroun foliage at 10

feet, m iddle distance , buildings at 100 yards, andmountains two or three m iles away.Now by using a small enough stop we can get all

in sharp focus, but the usation is do we wan t to

get all in sharp focus T is depends on What ouraim is. If we W ish for a purely topo raphic recordof bare facts we may wish to have a] parts sharplydefined. But if we Wish to retain our own m entalimpression or a pleasing icture We shall not wantall parts equally sharply efined.

In that case how are we to discrim inate as towhich parts shall be in and out of focus Thisdepends in turn upon what we wish our picture tosay , the impression we wish it to convey.Arrange your picture on the round glass, so that

you know exact] how muc ma tter is to beincluded. Now a just your view m eter towith this. Then shut your eyes for two or

seconds and open them for about 4} of a second andclose again . Ask yourself what did I see duringthatmomentary glimpse?” “ Thewhole picture ”

you

reply. Yes but what art , what feature of it did

you notice in partien r You cannot perhapsanswer this, so must try the experiment aga in , andagain until you are quite sure in your own m indnot which is lightest, or darkest—but which seems

of most importance , and which gives it the special

attraction in your eye .

Again , look at our subject with half-closed eyes,and ask yourselfythe question why do I W ish tophotograph the scene What special feature or

part 0 it attracts my attention ‘

P It may be some

eautiful mounta in form s in the distance , somebuilding in the m iddle distance , a fi re in theforeground, a play of light and sh e in some

particular place or spread all over the picture, andso on . Now whatever it may be that chiefly

58

LANDSCAPE HINTS .

attracts your attention , this objectshould be sufi ciently sharply defined on the groundglass so as to prevent any confusion , thought, oreffort of the e e to see clearly. It ma or may notbe sharply de ed, but it should not e so out offocus as to set us wondering what it is. We maynow exam ine our picture on the ground glass, firstfocussing with a large stop and getting m to sharpfocus the chief object of the picture. By way ofrou h example, let this be a middle distancebui ing, foreground foliage and distant hills. Thequestion now is do we wish to show every brickand stone of the buildin or only an agreeablegeneral impression of the nilding. A turn of the

screwwill enable us to see'

ust how sharp it shouldbe for most agreeable res ts. Make up your m indabout this before troubling about an other partof the picture. This done, then ook at thefore round and distance. Now b changing fromtheflrge st0p to one of next sma er size, you willbe able, by a turn of the focussing screw, to retainthe desired degree of sharpness in the buildinand at the same time get your mountains sligh yless sharp than the building. This relationship ofbuilding and mounta in background being satisfactorily settled, we turn attention to the foliageforeground. Probably we must use a still sma llersto and again adjust matters so as to retain thebuilding just as sha as we wish, the moun ta insslightly less sharplygfined, and at the same time

get the foreground folia e sufficiently sharp sothat the eye may see it an know qu ite well whatit is without being especially attracted by it.B this time the read er will have am ved at the

gui ing principle of putting the object of chiefpictor ia l in terest in sharpest focus, and otherobjects in subordinate degrees of definition accordinglto their p ictor i a l importance . The expression

s arpest focus m the preceding sentence doesnot mean the sharpest possible, but sim ly sharperthan any other part of the picture . ndeed one

may say that for landscape work it will be foundthe exception rather than the rule to have the

sharpest part of the picture quite as sha as thelens will give. Because the normal eye oes not

00


desire such microscopic definition as a modern lenstht:plilztorial point

ifggw it is

3vs any sharpdefined as it is to have it too mu out

The Fore month—A famous strawberry growerwhen ask for his secret said there are three rulesto observe. First, water them ; second, water themgenerously ; third, wate r them frequently. We

might paraphrase them and say that in landscape,Pay chief attention to the selection of yourfo ound. Expose for the foreground. Developfor t e foreground. A brief lance at the walls ofany exhibition of landscape p otogra he will showthat in a largemajority of cases it is t e foregroundportion that is of chief importance. We can see thisat once if we cover up the foreground, for then wesee how insignificant the other parts are, in many(but not all) cases. When we look at a scene, theeye travels from part to part so quicklzthatwe arelargel unconscious of this, and so we 0 not realisethe re tive sizes of near and distant objects. Hencein our photograph we find ourselvesmuch surprisedand disappomted when some distant mountaincomes out as an insignificant little mound. J.H.J.

Are we all idealist: 1 Like the man who talkedprose and did not know it, are we not all idealist inomhoto hy That is to say, weid stan which we wish to reach.

an impressionistic, softly difiused style ;aims at realistic rendering of microscopicdetail. A third strives to make his work look as

photograph, or as like a charcoal sketch ashe can. Some one else goes in exactly the oppositedirection. Nor can an one prove his method theonly right way. As unt has tersely said : In artone may just do .

as one pleases W ithout askingan one s perm i ssion.

ere are many ways of regardmg

’

and renderingand eac may be advised]:to time. The common error

seems to be that of selecting some one style andtreating all subjects in that style.instead of val-gagthe treatment to suit the subj ect. W.H.

co

LANDSCAPE mars.

WM is one of the landscapist’s best friends andworst enemies. It is his friend because it blows theclouds along and gives him an endless variety ofcloud effects and lightings. Wind-bent trees, sails,etc.,areoften far more picturesque andpictori al thanwhen at rest. But the vibration of the camera due

to wind is not a desidera tum. Sometimes it issufi cient to interpose one

’

s body on theWindward side—an umbrella , if at hand,

be used to keep ofi the wind. Abetter dod e is to obtain about 3feet of round so ’

d rubber, about as thickas a cedar pencil. One end is looped upand tied with fine twine. This loopshould be big enough for the foot to goeasily in front of it . To the other end isattached a small 8 ring swivel by means

of a fresh small oop. The head of thetripod screw is pierced with a hole sufliciently large to take the swivel. Thusthe rubber band hangs down centrallybetween the tri le 8 . One foot 18now passed insi the rge loop at thelower end and pressed down upon theground. The length of the rubber is so

regulated that when the foot in the loois on the ground a firm tension is obtainand the camera is held firmly. This planhas the advantage of setting one’

s handsfree to battle with the fiappmg focussingcloth, and is particularly useful whendealing with sea storms and

jects. as it enables one to hold thefocussin

tglclothwithonehand, thbulb wi the other, and at thekeep one’

s eye on the subject. Anotherplan is to tie a string round a la e stoneand suspend this from the trip head. Anotherworker su

ggests a small net intowhich shin lemay

be put for e same purposes. O.L.

01


the pictorial possibilities which the scene possesses

for those who have not any special memories orknowledge

of the scene or locahty. For example,we may ve enjoyed some pic

-nic or met a valuedfriend, or made a prized acquaintance in a certainlace, and so assi to it a personal association.

r, again, a buil ing or scene may have some

stirring historic or archwological interest. Buthoto aphy takes no account of suchmental tinge.here ore i t is well regarding such favouri tespots to ask oneself the question How should Ire

gard this view if I had never seen or heard about

it ofors thismoment It is the first impressionthat will appeal to those who see the photograph.Halation and Backing are two extremely

important subjects for the landscapist. It is oftenthought by mexperienced workers that backedglates are only required for architectural interiors.ut extended experience shows that theworst cases

of halation (and the correspondin great need forbacking) are met with in woodlan subjects wheresmall patches of bright sky are seen through smallopenings among the leaves or bare branches. Thesparkling

rpatches of light reflected by a slightly

ramed an ace of water will ield stron ha lationeffects. The sunlit white-was ed walls 0 cottagesalso ca ll for watchful care. Halation is more likelyto show itself when the air is hazy with dust or fog,and under-exposure followed by prolonged development is favourable for its production. T. H. B.

The same scene under various conditions of lighting may look vastly difierent . It is not only aquestion of direction but of quantity of light. Thusa somewhat common-

place building or street scene,or group of trees may look quite ordinar infull dayhght, and yet take on an un expected c armwhen seen by moonlight. One need not quoteScott’s well-known lines on this subject. What istrue of Melrose is true of all scenes, in the sensethat there is a best time of day or night, a bestdirection of lighting, a best time of year, and so on.

Though, of course, it does not follow that conditionsother than the best may not have their own special

62

Fig,41.

Fig. 42 . P . M . Se telifle .

LANDSCAPE HINTS.

charm. But the artist will always strive tohis subjectunder several difierent conditions so as tofind the one which helps him most in his ideal.Rain.

—The camera should beirotected from rain,

sea spray, etc., or the wood-wor will swell and themoving parts work very stiffly or “

jam . A’ thin

and amply large waterproof focussing cloth isrecommended. It takes up less room , is lighterthan the same are in velvet, and serves to protectthe camera in showery weather . Care must be takento protect the lens from rain drops falling on theglass, or they may entirely spoil the image.

An Umbrella is a very useful thi to have withone. In sunshine it is useful to sh e the lens. Inwind it helps to reduce, if not prevent vibration . In

rain its uses are obvious. It may be easily carriedalon with the tripod, by means of stra s or a

coup e of wide elasti c arter-like bands. en thetripod is in use the um rella should be fixed to one

of the legs, and so need not get lost or fzrfitéen .

The colours of nature are apt to mislead even theexperienced worker at times. The small sca le imageas seen on the ground glass is often such a charm ingobject that for a moment we may fail to rememberthat our print will be robbed of this colour charm .

It is an excellent plan to have a dark blue-grey lenscap to slip on the lens. This will in general serveas a reminder as to our ordinary monochrome

rendering. Another plan is to carry a bit of blueglass in one’

s ket and view the scene throughthis. Yet anot er good plan is to cover the peephole of our view meter with a bit of dark bluetransparent gelatine. At many sea -side places andin the streets of London , etc., one may buy for a few

nce a pair of n ippers con tain in blue glass.

hen a choice ofi’ers, select the modirately darkgreyish blue rather than the violet tinge.

Front Lighting—Some of the most pictorial

results are obta ined when the sun is more or lesstowards the front. This is especially the case inwoodland scenery, figures in the field,fisherfolk , boats, and cottage scenery. Som e form


of lens or sky shade is highly desirable. But ifthis be forgotten , one ma use a ha t, umbrella, thehand, the lens ca etc. metimos one may availoneself of the s de of a tree trunk, branch,building, etc. For brilliancy of efi ect a lens shadeis advisable at all times, but in no case should thedirect rays of the sun be allowed to fall on thefront lass of the lens. Care should be taken tokeep t e surfaces of the lens glasses clean and freefrom dust, for difi'

used li ht fall ing on a dust lenswill yield a general fog 1 over the plate. D .

Backgrounda.—Quite a serious proportion of

interesting snap-shots are spoiled as pictures by

reason of havmg quite unsuitable backgrounds .

This subject has already been touched upon , but isagain here referred to in order to draw in]attention to it . The golden rule is that the 1:ground must not show a greater contrast of lightand shade than does the princi l rt of the

picture. For instance , a figure in lac and whitecostume must not be against a background whichhas a stronger contrast of black and white, thoit may have a still stronger black or a

stronger white, but not both together. Again, thebackground must not be in sharper focus than theprincipal object of the composition .

In

(general one may say that the background

shoul be just as far out of focus as you can get itwithout producing irritating blur or confusion .

Focal Length of Lens.—In selecting the lens bear

in m ind the following points —A narrow-angle orlon -focus lens gives more agreeable proportions,an generally is preferable for pictorial effect. Ashort-focus or wide-angle lens gives dwarfed distances in comparison to the size and proportion of

the foreground ob '

ects. It has relatively a greaterdepth 0 focus or oca l field and, of course, includesa wider angle of view, consequently ob '

ects are

more in number, but smaller in size. A .L.

THE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER

to that in my kodak, the pictures I obtained with it wouldhave been no better if the negatives had been perfect, while

as a matter of fact most of them were badly disfigured bypinholes. These were caused by the dust arising fromabrasion in the Operation of shifting the sheaths from front

to back, and have been prominent in all pictures which Ihave taken with cameras provided with changing boxes.

With my kodak I used N. 0 . films, which had then justbeen put on the German market, before they were used in

America to any extent. I found them very useful in the

mountains, where the haziness of the distance rendered all

the pictures taken on glass plates unprintable as far as the

mountains were concerned.

The greatest difliculty which I had expected to have

with the kodak was in the_

composition of my pictures, but

this did not turn out to be nearly as much as I had ex

pected, and I was soon able to determine the general effect

of the lines and masses of the landscape very well. I had

also the great advantage that I could carry my camera

ready for use at all times, and peep into the finder everynow and then without delaying my progress, instead of

having to stop to set up a tripod and stud the scene on

the ground glass only to finally decide that did not want

the picture after all. I secured a number of fine pictures

on the trip, and among them were the only ones taken

during a stay of more than a year in Europe from which I

have thought it worth while to make enlarged negatives.

D uring this time I used three difi’erent styles of plate cam

eras, so that I consider that film photography scored a

decided point .

So much was this the case that when I decided to go to

Europe again in company with a number of photographers,I not only carried a 3 A kodak myself, but advised all

members of the party to do the same. A s a result we all

carried film cameras, and there was only one plate camera

in the, party. This and an A l V ista which one member

had were abandoned within two weeks of landing, and we

used nothing but kodaks thereafter.

My 3A had a brilliant finder, and I soon discovered that

I could compose as well with it as on the ground glass. I

used it with great satisfaction and succeeded in getting a

large quantity of excellent pictures. Many of them were

scenes of street life,fleeting glimpses that never could

have been got with a stand camera. Far more than with

66

LANDSCAPE WORK.

us, the camera is an object of interest to the people of

Europe and A sia, and, once you have attracted their atten

tion, all h0pe of getting a natural picture is gone. Your

figures will insist in occupying the place in the landscape

which they want,—that is, as close to the camera as possi

ble,—and in vain you try to make them go about their

business so that you may catch them in a natural position

and in the desired place. The only way you can do this is

to snap them before they see the camera,and this is possible

only with an inconspicuous, rapidly-operated hand camera.

We found our cameras useful not only for outdoor work,but also in several museums where we were allowed to

photograph. I have a number of good negatives of statues

and architectural ornament made,

in Greek museums, in

spite of the natural uncertainty as to the actinic value of

the light in the interiors.

This brings me to another point. Naturally in travelingfrom the north to the extreme south of Europe, under the

blazing sun and cloudless sky of Sicily and Greece,the

question of exposure became an important one. In order

to be sure that we were right, it was necessar to developsome at least of our films on the spot . We di not care to

trust them to the tender mercies of professional photographers ; darkrooms were hard to find, and we would have

been in difficulty if it were not for the developing machine.

We had three in the party, and they did not get rusty for

lack of use. We developed many hundred rolls under all

conditions, in all climates, with all kinds of water, and often

under very unfavorable conditions as to time and room,and

not a single roll was spoiled or poorly developed by anyfault of the machine. A few rolls were spoiled by care

lessness in not pasting down the end of the roll or not

putting enough developer in the machine, but a little expe

ricuce cured that . There were in our company other

camera users not directly associated with us, and so I had

the opportunity of comparing their films developed by local

photographers with ours. My earnest advice as the result

of this inspection is, take a developing machine or bring

your filmshome to develop them. There are many places

where films are developed satisfactorily, but there are

almost as many where they are ruined, especially in the

smaller places. It would almost seem as if certain profes

sional photographers who sell views deliberately spoiled

amateurs’films to increase the sale of their own pictures.

6 7


From these examples we shall rightlyinfer thatBurchett divides his interest more or ess equallybetween fi e studies and landscapes. For

cam era wor the balance of his preference is towards pictures in which some human interest isportrayed or suggested. And in this res t heas the upholdmg of our eat ma ster, er.

But for palette and brush, urchett has a no

ference for landscape treated upon the idea l rat erthan the realistic point of view. He is large-hearted

enough to admire and enjoy anything tha t is honestand good work of its kind ; it matters not by whompainted. This m ental altitude of his will at once

command our admiration and confidence.

As regards photography in its picture-makingpossibilities, he does not at present see any verygreat prom ise of much advance . Photo phy,

”

says he, will always be photography, an it can

never be anything else . Art is a creation of thebrain , not imitative copying. Of the thousands ofpictures painted every year, very few of them areworks of art . Most of them are simplymannerisms.

This is entirely different and apart from art , andshould not for a moment be confused or confoundedwith it . Sim ilarly with regard to photographfiMuch so called art is only mannerism , or a trioof the craft, the use of a particular lens , or

printing process.

”

These remarks are worthy ofthe very serious attention of our younger brethren,who are in constant dan er of thinking art is atrick that may be learned y following some tip ordodge or formula .

D iscussing the reasons why so many photo aphsfail as pictures, Burchett offers some valuab e andfar-reachin suggestions. For instance , often thereis a want 0 pictorial interest in the print, or theinterest is cut up and scattered all over the scene,

i .e., there is a lack of subordination of all parts tothe focus of interest. Again , sufficient care has notbeen taken to include on ly desirable objects and toexclude the undesirable, the incongruous and inharm on ious. Bits of thi s and peeps of tha t havebeen included or perm itted just to fill up space.

”

rm:PIGTORIALZWORK or ARTHUR soncunr r.

The strong point in favour of photography, hethinks, is its power of recording passing eventsrecords of far greater interest and value than theimaginative drawings of pre photographic days.

Its weak points are the dwarfing of the distanceand distortion or exag

fgerated proportions of near

objects. Burchett pre ers close fram ing for largework and the use of plain mounts for small

La Belle Bretonne.—We well remember the wide

spread feeling of adm iration which this pictuream used when it was first exhibited. A glance inthose days was enough to show the vast dlfierencebetween its painter-e arran sment and treatment when compar ed with thegormal and woodenthings then passing current as figure studies. Thestudent will note the “

placing of the figure in

the picture space in this as well as all the otherexam les. To this subject Mr . Burchett has ivencons i crable attention . The quiet nature 0?theback ound and unconscious posing of the handsall s ow us the artist behind his picture . Thebroad arrangement of light and shade also hasonly to be noticed in order to show us the care withWt h the whole work has been thought out andexecuted.Hampstead Heath.

—Here is a scene at the door ofour artist’s home at that time. This is a fair andtypical example of a subject that would be passedby ninety mno out of every hundred cam eraworkers and condemned as “

nothing in it . But its

severe simplicity, together with the fine suggestionof atmospheric effect, impart a subtle charm full ofteaching thatneeds nowords of ours. To thewatchful eye , there is no need to make long journeys tofind material for picture making.

Caller Herrin’

is another charm ing and instruotive fi e study, possessing all the fine ualitiesof La lle. In thi s instance we note a differentlight and shade treatment. Our one fault to find isin the slightly conscious expression of the girl.

This is partly due to her eyes being directedtog

vards us, though the head is turned a little to one

8 1 e .


The Hid-«lay Hour. —This title and picture are

most happily wedded. At the moment of writingone longs to join the foreground sheep and sharewith them the umbra eous shade of their 0001retreat. The glimpse t rough the Opening in thetrees shows us the pal itating heat and glare of thefull noon sun , where iml we perceive one or twomembers of the nibbling ock who are braving thewarmth in search of an early dinner. In thisinstance we have an instructive lesson in theharmonious efi’ect of a broad scheme of lightin

gThe rouping of the sheep in the foregroun ishapp y cau ht. This picture re-iterates the valuablelesson of t e fore round, - the foreground, —theforeground ; and a so shows that even with an

interesting and well-arranged foreground we mustalso have a pictorial disposi tion of light and shade.

Winter. -From the burning heat of midsummer

to the nipping cold of snow-clad m idwinter is awide '

ump. But we find our artist is quite equal tothe e ort . One can easily imagine that this scene

is not far away from that shown in HampsteadHeath. But how difierent is nature’

s expression inthe two instances ! If we are fortunate suou h toreproduce this picture with even moderate fi elitythe student will here perceive the useful lesson in

rendering snow not as blank white paper, but as

finely graduated shades, which only reach theirultimate limit in the whiteness of uncovered paper.

This picture is also a fine example of tastefulselection . It just shows that indefinable somethinwhich painters know as taste,” the qualit whiodistinguishes a personal impression m a

mechanical transcript.Chrysanthemums is rather difierent from the

other figure studies and partakes somewhat of adecorative study. This example is particularlyinteresting for its grace of line and unity of des

ignwhich so agreeably characterises the work. 0

poise of the head and harmonising of the figurewith the back round should receive special

attention . The s massing of the flowers andavoidance of the usual spotty, patchy effect is

4

THE PICTORIAL WORK OF ARTHUR RURCHETT.

a further departure in the idealistreatm ent. The title recalls theother , to whose bounty was owing

the flowers and fruits in due m om—remindingus of Thomson

'

s line

Dark frowning heaths grow bright with Ceres’

store.

This skilful instance of brush development showsthe aim of the artist in concentrating attention on

the figure, apart from her surroundings, as a typeor symbol rather than a work of pure im itation.

The Kn’

li t—Chance rather than design brin 5this examp e of our series before us last. But it standsby no means last, least, or lowest in our appreciation. This is another of the strong figure studiesthat attracted universal admiration when firstexhibited. The student will note the strong lightand-shade effect used in this case, and how it aptlyaccords with the strong light-and-shade characterof the days of knight errantry. The skilful treatment of the graduated background will also teacha valuable lesson. The whole work is one of simplestrength and directness of design. The texture orsurface quality of the armour is excellently rendered ; a tall, strong and knightly figure adm irablysuggested—a work simple, strong, and complete.

Once again we must ask our readers to imaginethese tiny reproductions in printers’

ink to be forthe moment some five or six times their presentsize and skilfufly executed in lat inotype. Butalas !it is not an easymatter to ridle imaginationinto a chosen path.”Most hearti do we tender thanks to the artist

for letting us show our many unknown friendsthese little suggestions of works that it has beenour privilege to have seen longago, and rememberedwith so much enjoyment an pleasure.

We feel m e that our readers will join with us inthe expression of regret that Mr. Burchett has oflate years taken comparatively little active interestin picture-making b photography. And it is to behoped that he may 8 ortly have leisuretion to show us further examples of his cameracraft.


Introduction to

Architectural Photography.

Ry REV. T. PERKINS, H .A.

NYONE who wishes to take u Architectural Photograph should gin bygain ing some knowledge of architecturei tself, sufiicient at any rate to enablehim to determ ine approximately thedate of a building, to reco

'

se its

style, and to distin ish tweengenuine oldwork and worthless m cm imi tations.Ho to

It is not recommended that all theC

books mentioned in the foot-noteommcncc .

should be read before exposing aplate . After one of the smaller ones has been read,i t will be a great hel if the student can get a

friendwith some know edge of architecture to takehim round some typical building and point out itsfeatures. Let the study of archi tecture thus havea sta rt, then practical work can be begun , and the

two can be carr ied on together, so that each mayhelp and lend interest to the other.

Some photogra pher s will take{raga photographs of buildings with a

Photographyview to picture-making, others in

order to obta in a series of printsinteresting from an architectural, historica l, or

archaeological point of view.

The picture-maker will deal with architecture aswith any other material, pa'

ng attention to

atmospheric effects, seeking to o ta in broadmasses

of light and shade, sometimes suppressing detail,studyin beauty of line and composition, and be

satisfie with one or two good pictures of thebuilding. The architectural studentwill go lovinglyover any building that is worthy of his adm iration ,

looking into eve nook and corner , exposing plateafter late on oorway and window, boss and

capita tomb and canopy, statue and pinnacle.

But though his chief object is to obta in records,et he may do much by choice of position and

ghting to introduce a certain amount of6


My own preference is for half-plate size . Thecamera should have square bellows, a rising front,and a falling one also, if possible. If a frontfocusser, this may not be possible ; the hole in theriein front for the lens flange may, however, becut a out an inch above the central position ; then ,

if the slidin panel is put in upside down , the cfiect

of a falling ont is obta ined. It is well to have an

arrangement for bringing the back forward, otherwise sometimes the baseboard may cut ofi som e of

the foreground when a short-focussed lens broughtlow down is used. Most cam eras are provided witha swing back, but it is a movement that I seldomuse ; I prefer to get loft objects in by workinwith lenses which cover ar more than the plateam using, and raising the front considerably.Swinging the back necessitates a small stop to getobjects at the to and bottom of the view in focustogether ; much ess sto ping down is required to

get the margins of the eld of view of the lenses I

use sha A front that slides crossways is sometimes 0 use , as, without swinging the cam era

round, more of one side or other of the view maybe ta ken in , its effect is to displace the centre ofvision horizontally. I haveprovided my camera withan adapting back, whichenables m e to use the slidesbelonging to a quarterplate camera on my ha lfplate one. It consi sts (asthe diagram will show) ofa board that slides into thesame place as the ordinarydouble backs do ; it is Fig. 51

piercedwith an aperture ofq x3} inch,and providedwith strips form in a rebate into which the quarterplate backs will a '

de. Of these I have six, but inone of them I place a sheet of ground glass, which,when both shutters are drawn , serves as a focussingscreen . Thus, in addition to the half-plates intheir own backs, with a very small increase ofbulk and weight, I can carry ten quarterpla tes, which are often of great use for detailwork.

CHIs IsER HERRIN.

A. Burchett.

Fig. 4 . A . Burchett

Winter Sunset es fiampStead Fieath.


In architectural work, more thanfi

l th -M l le in any other, the peculiar defectsnaes.

due to the injudicious use of thewide-an led lens are apparent ; the rspective i s

absolute y true, bu t the use of a wiifise

-angled lensgenerally means the choice of a portion too near

the object, and hence a too violent convergence forpictorial effect of lines which fall near the edge of

the plate. This, as in the view of St . Alban ’

s fig.

10) makes the building look far too long, and in t tof Tam worth Tower (fig. makes the near an lesat the top and bottom unplea santly acute. f awide-angled lens is used for a horizontal view of a

nave taken from one end, it gives the efiect of thearcading, being bent backwards towards the endsof the late . In certain cases, the lens may beused wit out fear, e.g., when takin a flat wallat ri ht angles to the axis of t e lens ; (2) an

uprig t view, especially if trimmed down to a

narrow strip (see fig. 1 1

3; (3) an exterior in which

the corners are occupie b sky ,with onl a centralspire rising from the buil ing (fig. the topof a tower occupies a corner, the distortion is verynoticeable. (fig.

The T l h tThe te lephoto lens, useful if

Lec ep judiciously employed, is as liable

as.

to abuse as a wide-angled lens.

For interior detail work, an ordinary lens of Ion

focus, on account of its larger aperture , whiofocussing easier, is more convenient, but

for exterior deta ils, the telephoto lens is mostuseful. Yet if it be used with high magnifyingpower to take the whole of a bui ldin at a

considerable distance , a quarter of a m i e for

instance, the result is most unpleasant, the convergin lines are so nearly parallel owing to thegreat istance of the van ishi points from thecentre of vision , that walls, rea y at right anglesto each other, seem as thou h almost in one plane.

Pl tPlates of or inary rapidity answerwell for exteriors,but rapid plates arebetter for interiors—first , because exposures aregreatly shortened—secondly, because quick lates.

as a rule, give softer negatives, and these '

e d thebest prints of interiors. Isochromatic p tes are

10

INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

of advantage when , owing to painted windows, ora yellow or greenish tint in the glass, the light issomewhat non-actinic. In photographing pa in tedwindows, isochromatic plates are indi spensable.

H l t' Plates should always be backed to“ m'

prevent halation , which is apt to

show itself m ore strongly in negatives of

architectural interiors than in any other kind of

photograph. A com plete cure for halation , free

om all other disadvantages, remains to be found.Paper negatives are free from that part of ha lationcaused b internal reflection ; films are not muchafiected y it , but there is a difficult in gettingper or celluloid to lie perfectly t, and the

ormer is not transparent. A stained film betweenthe sensitive film and the glass should entirelyprevent it , but this film often leads to frilling, sothat at present backing seem s to be the mostgenerally useful precaution against halation .

Havin carefully chosen the subjectFocussing.

and defiided how much you intendto take in , set up your camera, level it carefully,and select the lens which will most nearl fill the

plate with the chosen subject. Focus t e chiefobject with open aperture, and stop down onlyenough to get sufiicient definition in other parts.

If the view i s an interior, and it is too dark to see

the definition in these other parts, one can onlyuse one

’

s judgment founded on previous experienceto

Tide one in stoppingdown . Sometimes it is so

dar that even with aperture it is difficult tofocus. The best plan for overcom ing this difi cultyis alwaysto take a box of matches and a piece of

candle, and to set the lighted candle so, that whileconcea led itself, it strongl illum inates a card or

envelope placed aga inst t e object you want tofocus ; the corner of the card is easier to focusthan a flame ; by getting a friend to move thecandle , while your head is under the focussingcloth, until its image reaches the ends of the plate,you can , b removmg your head from the focussingcloth, and ooking at its view from the position as

near as possible) , of the lens, see how much of t esubject you have included.

11


To ri htl estimate the necessaryExposure.

exposi reyis one of the chief

difi culties of interior hotography.

exposed interior is wort ess. Hence it is alwayswell to err , if at all, in the other direction, bearingin m ind the fact that if direct sunli ht, stream ingthrough a colourless glasswindow, f 9 upon whitestonework, excessive exposure may lead to reversal.To estimate exposure , some place an actinometerin some convenient point of the subject beingphotographed, and expose until the sensitive stripas once, twice or more often matched the tint ;the exact number of tim es required for the plateand stop havin been determ ined by previousexperim ent, the ens, if necessary, may be cappedwhile the sensitive strip is being pulled out , or thesensitive disc of the actinometer turned round.This m ethod is a very useful one. Others alwayspreserve careful notes of previous exposures, andthe character of the resulting negatives, and trustto their judgment based on experience. Tableshave been pre ared giving approximate times of

exposure acco ing to the appearance of the viewon the screen, or rather the size of the aperture,as the iris is gradually closed up, at the time of thedisappearance in darkness of deta il that is re uiredto be seen on the negative . But this meth is ofno eat value, as it takes no account of the colour

of t e light, a pale yellow being to the eye almostas lum in ious as white light, whi le its actin ic poweris far less. The actinom eter does take this intoaccount. Fortunately, however, plate s allow ofgreat latitude in exposure, so that if, for instance ,one m inute is sufi cient , an ex osure of severalm inute s will produce with su itab e development anegative from which an almost identical print maybe made. It is well in a da

’

s work to give all the

plates what ma be call equivalent exposures,taking into consi cration change of stop or lighting,or brand of plate , and to expose two plates on one

of the subjects ; the developm ent of one of thesewill give a clue to the necessary treatment of theothers. If the time of exposure is likely to belong, it is well to adopt od suggested sometim e ago by the Editor magazine, namely,

INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

to give part of the exposure with a small stop, andfin i sh it oflwith a supplem entary exposure with alarge one. The time will be shorter than if an

equivalent exposure were given with the smallstop, and the result better than if the same totaltime were '

ven with such an intermediate stop aswould ma e this exposure equivalent to thatactually given . It is sa id that the sma ll step

'

ves

sharpness, and the larg

e one has a softening e ect .

D i tIt w

'

not be necessary to dwelleve opmen at an len h upon development,

as this subject has een y dealt with in a

previous issue . I have already sa id that forinteriors, a soft negative is desirable, it should bethin , full of detail, have no harsh contrasts, andyet not lack vigour ; these characteristics will besecured by using a normal developer, greatlydiluted, which may be poured 03 when the highli hts a pear , and in its place wate r poured on , inw ich t e plate may be allowed to soak for sometime. The detail will com e out graduall withoutthe hi h-lights being blocked up. It wi then beseen local developm ent or restraint is desirable ,and when the wate r is poured ofi , the ori

'

naldeveloper may be poured on . (Modifi ifnecessary).H

'

tIt has been said that care must be

S'ii

taken to choose the best positionI,“ 32.

cfor the Cam era . A few hints may

on ions.

be iven . D oorwa s and windowsshould be taken f in front. If ta en from a sidethe beauty of the curves of the arched heads are

often quite destroyed see fig. Never cut

ofi the point of an arc or the base of a illar.

Always show some of the pavem ent below the tter.

When taking arcading let a pilla r occupy the edgeof the plate . In takin a general view of a navelace the cam era a litt e on one side of the m iddleine and turn the lens towards the other side (compare figs. 11 and If there are seats or cha irs donot put the camera so that the line of their backsruns across the late or so that either of the linesformed b the such ends runs vertica lly downwards. em ember that views looking obli uslyacross a church are often more pleasing than t ose

13


g directly along or across it. Don’t forget to

go all over the transepts in search for points ofVi ew.

If we want to photograph a roofTl “ R°°f° we m ay focus it by lyin down on

the floor holding the camera over our i eads andwhen duly focussed insert the slide, pull out the

shutter and place the camera with its back on a

chair. Or we ma measure or obtain from '

debooks or vergers t e height of the roofs of ais es or

naves, and carry the cam era the sam e distanceaway from some easily focussed object, focus thatand then set the camera down on the floor wi ththe lens pointing upwards.

In ordinary interiors it iswell to keep the ca mera

not more than 5 or 6 ft . from the floor, if howeverthe floor occupies too much space on the plate the

camera may be brought lower down.

Pictures out of the common may be taken fromunusual positions such as the triforium , clerestory,or roof ; such views ' are sometimes pleasin as wellas interesting. Advantage m ay be taken ofcertainstates of weather or seasons of the year , forinstance, a porch is better lit by the low winterm idday sun than b the summ er sun high at noon ,

light thrown up t rough the clerestory windowsfrom snow outside the building will often makethe taking of a dark roof easy.For interior work sun light sufliciently strong tothrow a soft shadow so as to give relief to the

carved work is desirable. Glaring sunshine givesrise to harshness.

In photographin room s a corner position for

the cam era and a iagonal direction for the axisof the lens should be avoided. Chairs and othereasily moved pieces of furn iture should be clearedaway from the imm ediate neighbourhood of the

camera . Care should be taken that the glass of

picture frames does not reflect li ht from thewindow, a little wedge of aper p aced betweenthe frame and the wall 1 generally turn the

reflection aside.

In cold weather one should alwaysbe on one

’

s ard against dewingof lenses I a lens is taken from


answers is to stop down as much as possible, ’

ve a

long exposure and disregard the fig ures, for thekeep constantly passing along the road they W ifinot leave any trace on the plate ; if, however,it is noticed that anyone is standing still theca

fii must be put on and the exposure completedw en the figure has m oved on . In interiors, unless

the figures pass through beam s of sunli ht or wearwhite dresses, there i s little danger 0 any harmbeing done ; I have never found any visitor to a

church make any objection tomoving if courteouslyasked to do so. Sometimes a verger ma be conducting a party round and may pause be ore some

object of interest for a few minutes. In suchinsta nces the cap should be put on until they havemoved away.P t

No perm ission as a rule“ m

for photographing exteriors of anypublic buildings, or private houses from ublicgroun d, but ordinary courtesy demands t t a

cam era should not be taken on to private groundwithout permission. Permission to hotograph the

interior of a parish church should he asked of theRector, even if the door is found unlocked ; theD ean or Canon in Re sidence should be a plied toin the case of a cathedral church, except w ere fees

are charged, in which case the verger is enerallyauthorised to receive the fee and sign t e order.

It often prevents disappointment if application is

made beforehand by letter in which a stampeddirected envelope for reply is enclosed.The followin bookswill be found useful to the beginnerParker

’

s B C of Gothic A rchitecture . 38 .

The present writer’s Handbook to Gothic Architecture.

se. 6d. (This book‘gives lists of examples for study in

every count and sale with Domestic as well as withChurch Arc itecture).

Parker’

s Introduction to Gothic Architecture.

Parker’

s Concise Glossary of Architecture. 7s. 6d.

For the more advanccd student the following are recommended

Rickman’s Gothic. 16s. (Parker).

Moore’s Development and Charac ter of Gothic. 21s.

(Macmillan).Prior

’

s Gothic Art in England . 318 . 6d . (BelgFergusson’s H istory of Archi tecture in all

In five volumes. (Mm-ra

g) .

Blomfield’sRenaissance. ither the largework in 2vols.

or theabridgeinent, 10s.6d. (Bell), isuseful for its period.

I.

ountries.


very useful for

photogra ph in gce ilings if it be

made so that the ”a"

topma be turnedthrong a quadrant of a ci rcle .

I am not awareof the existenceof such a tripodtop on the mar

ket, but anyone Fig, 53.with a little in

genuity could make one , or have one made forim by a loca l ca

hlti inet mal

ier at

:dnom inal cost .

tsost of t e m ern anastigma

aide-Angle are wide-angle lenses

—that is, theyuses.

embracea large angleofview whenthese are used on a plate whose lon er side i s lessthan the focal length of the lens very '

ttle distortionwill be noticed in the resulting photograph. But agreat deal of stray light will necessarily enter thecam era even if it does not reach the plate direct.Especially is this noticeable when photographingan interior with fa irly li ht windcwe on either sideof the view embraced y the plate. Unless thisstray light be intercepted before it reaches the plateby reflection from the bellows, etc of

’

the camera,

it will produce a film of fog over the whole platesurface , and, to a very great extent, spoil theresulting photograph. To avert this, a small pieceof black card, having a rectangu lar hole cut in it,whose sides are propor

tional to the dim ensions ofthe late , shou ld be in

serte between the lensand the plate so as to intercept all the light from thelens which wouldotherwisefall on the bellows of thecam era. (P iWhile on tfii e subject of de—an le lenses, it iswell to note that a photograph em racing a very

large angle looks perfectlynatural (in fact, strikin lyso), if one

’

s eye occupies the same position as t e13

NOTES ON ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

centre Of the lens ori’

nally occupied with respectto the photograph. is can only be done in mostcases by using a magnifying glass of the sam e focal

length as the lens, in viewing the photograph.Hence it follows that the larger the dimension s of

the photograph the more natural will it appear ifviewed at the ordinary distance.

If a hand camera be used for archite cture, itshould be of full-size-finder type, provided with areversing back, focussing arrangement, and risingand falling front.D i t

These subjects have been deal tAft

“

twith extensively in volum es Nos.

er rea men6 and 7 of this series, but a fewwords of caution as to the development of archi

tectural photographs will not be out of place here.Firstly, use plenty of non -actin ic light for exam ining the plate, and keep the dishes well coveredduringdevelopm ent. Secondl

gélo not over -develop,

es why in inte rior work. sure that you canju ge the ultimate density Of the ncgative byexaminin it in front of the light you are using.

There be found to be a considerable variationin this respect in difierent brands of plates. Mora lstick to one brand and master i t thoroughly.Lastly. Local Reduction will ver

yoften be found

of great service where such a eu jaet as a brightstained glass window has com e out too dense in a

negative.

For pictorial efiect, in my Opinion

nothingcan excel platinotype paper,or even approach it in artistic

merit. It has, however, the disadvantages of 1)being only available in a good strong daylig t(2) it cannot be controlled in development so easilyas other kinds of paper. Som e of the slowgaslight bromide papers can be made to give verybeautiful prints of architectural subjects, and theyhave become very po ular on account of the easewith which they can manipulated. Here againloca l development will be found very useful.Fi re 50A , is taken from a

‘

gasli ht ’ print ofthe c Oir, York Minster. The window ing a

one, is rather diflicult to photograph, and has come

19


out rather too dense on the negative, and there isalso abundant halation present. But by washingthe print when the other parts have been sufiicientldeveloped, and bymeans Of a soft camel-hair bruscontinuing the development Of the window and

surrounding parts, with a rather stron developer,the resultin photogra h ap rs as fig. B. Greatca re must be taken t at t e deveio r does not

s read to those parts that are alreariyésufi cientlyeveloped , or dark patches will be the result. It is

Often necessary to wash the print several timesduring this process.

For showing elaborate and fine details of an

architectura l subject, a good brand of gelatinochloride P . O . P ., toned to a rich brown -black, andsqueegeed on plate glass is efiective.

Photography may be made toPhoto raphy serve a useful greapurpose and tly

g:cans of aid an architect in measuring up

Q ‘V m‘ the front of a buildingwhose exactBui ldings. dimensions (say for alte rations)could only be obtained by means of long laddersand a great deal of laboriouswork. In the ordinaryway a fairly accurate sketch must first be made ofthe subject, and then each detail carefull measuredand made a note of on the sketch. '

s process

must be continued until the draughtsman hasenough data to enable him to correctly portray thefront Of the building on per in his omce. Now ifa photo raph of the bui ing be taken from a pointF. (see '

g. 55) exactly oppositethe centre of the building, alldimensions of Objects in thevertica l plane, A B, on the 3building will be in as exact i

proportion to each other on theresulting photograph as they are iin realit so t at if the length t

‘

A B of t e front of the buildingbe accurately m easured, all theother dimensions, widths andhei hts of windows, etc ., etc ., ca

be ound by proportion : e.g., inFig. 55 if A , C , D , E, B represent any points in

so

NOTES ON ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

one vertical plane and a, c, d, e, b, the same

points on the inverted image of the buildinthe distances ac, ad, ac , and ab , will be exact yroport ional to AC, AD , AE, and AB, respectively.t would even be possible to photograph a buildingto scale (as far as the front is concerned by adu

ating the ground glass of the camera by ’

nes rawna known distance apart (say, quarter of an inch) .Then by first measur ing a certa in dimension on thebuildin and makin this dimension occupy justthe rig t number 0 spaces when exam in in theimage on the ground glass, the rest of the res tingima e would be as eas ily measured as a plan can bein t e ordinary way, by applying a scale to it .

Of course such photo phs as these wouldhave no ictori al merit w tever. It is dist inctl

aga inst artistic taste to plant the camera direct yin front of anything we wish to photo

gra h (unlesst ecopying a photograph, ike) ; but

for the special purpose it is absolutelyessential that each horizonta l line in the buildingshould be perfectly parallel to the top side of theplate. The further away from the bui ldin (up toa certain point) we can get, the better such aphotograph be.

Sometimes it ma be required toScale.

show the actual size of some pieceof detail . A two foot rule placed close to it in a

place parallel to the camera back and photographedtogether with the object will show its size.

81: 8h dIt is wonderful what a difference

y c.

in thebrillianc of a negative a skshade willmakewhen judicious yused—particularis this the case when working with a lens whichwill cover a much larger plate thanbeing ex

iosed. The less stray light there is in the

camera t e better.


Notes on Interior Work.

By nsnnv w. ssnnsr r.

STIMATING the exposure necessary forinterior subjects is a difi cult problemto those unaccustomed to architecturalwork. A meter is ractically valueless,as the effect of s ow details on a

sensitive late is modified by theirdistance . 0 meter can gauge this effect—shadow deta il softened b distance and intervening atmosphere , -but t e

photographer canjudge its value and expose accor ingly.

Exposure. in interiors will vary considerably, andit is as desirable to expose a plate correct] as inlandscape work. Under-exposure sho (1 berigorously avoided, as in most cases the subjectspresen t very harsh contrasts. Slight over-exposurewill, consequently, allow control to be exercised indevelopment with much greater success than inevenly lighted landscapes.

In estimating the exposure necessa for anysubject, the number and size of the win ows mustbe taken into consideration , and also the manner inwhich they light up those parts of the buildingwhich form the deepest shadows of the icture.

Where light falls very obliquely from win ows on

portions form ing the subject of the photograph,considerably lon er exposure is necessary thanwhere a direct lig ting can be secured. The obliquelight, will, however, produce a more effective result.Stained glass in windows necessitates a consider

ably longer exposure than the light lass frequentlyused for church or ca thedral win ows. In mostcases from three to five tim es the exposure shouldbe given , but the predom inating colours and theirdepth must guide the worker. Trees or buildingsthat obstruct windows will increase the time of

exposure, and their presence should be noted beforeentering a buildin as it is difi cult to realize afterremaining in a imly li hted church, that theexposure must be seve hundred times longerthan would be sufi cient for the exterior.


Foreground—The value of foreground .is not

always sufficiently appreciated in architecturalwork. There should always be sufficient floor shownin front of important vertica l objects to suggestspace . Nothing is worse than to see the floor cut

off immediately in front of an important column

or wall. The floor lines running into the pictureconve instinctively the sense of space, and suggestthat t e Observer is standing at a distance from thenearest vertical plane. Where there are stronglymarked lines on a floor they assist materially insi

liaggest ing the impression of a receding horizontal

p ne.

Focussing.—At timesthere isdifi culty experienced

in determin ing the portion of the subject to focussharply. When the subject is exceptionally deep- a long cathedral aisle, for example—the extremedistance may be disregarded, and a certain portiondeterm ined that must be sharply defined. Of thisportion , a spot should be selected about one-fourthof its length from the art nearest to the camera,

and this spot focusse sharply. With a verymoderate reduction of the aperture, the definitionshould be satisfactory throughout.Covering ower of Lens .

—Before commencinginterior wor careful tests should be made of thecovering power of the lens, and the extent towhichthe rising front may be used. These te sts shouldbe made on landscapes, as the image can be more

lainly seen . A subj ect should be focussed with theens opposite to the centre of the plate , and thenthe extent to which the aperture must be reducedto Obtain fine defin ition over the entire plateascerta ined. The front should then be slightlyraised and the image at the lowest corners againexam ined ; and this Operation repeated until i t isdefin itely ascertained how far the lens can be

raised without showing dark corners on the screen,

and also how much extra reduction of the workingaperture is necessary to give good definition to thecorners when the maximum rise is utilised. A

satisfactory lens should allow a rise of one-fourthof the len th of the plate at least, and a smaller

aperture t n f/32 should not be necessary. D efinite24


Some Hints to

Architectural Photographers.

in c . wznnom s rirnn.

building designed entirely by one man

and form ing one complete work of artis Of necessi ty designed with the ideathat it will be seen from certainparticular standpoin ts . In the case of

a church interior the main poin t of viewis the central west door, and points of

next importance are situated on an axial line leading from the west door to the altar.

SymmetricalViews.—Perfect symmet is usually

Observed on the two sides Of the axia line of a

church under the governing idea that the altar isthe predom inatin feature within the building, andattention should t erefore be especia lly directed toit . The finer the architecture the more strikinglyimpressive is such a symmetrica l vista , and i t

should not be neglected by the photographerunder the m istaken idea that exact symmetry isnecessarily inartistic.

”

Next to the west door the most importants

gmmetrica] view point is likely to be one nearert e chance] and including ort ions of the twotransepts. The entrance to t e chancel may afford

another striking east view, different from either ofthe others, while the same point and also the altaroften afl'ord good western views. As a rule , however , western views are far inferior in interest toeastern views.

Transepts.—Transe ts are not usually designed

to form symmetrica vistas, nor intended to beviewed from each other. Generally speaking, awestern transept wall is designed to be seen fromthe chance] and an eastern wa ll from the nave.

The best views of the architecture are thereforegenerally to be Obta ined from those positions.

ComplexBuildings.-Buildings that represent thework of difierent m en and sundr ages form

collections of works of art rather t an complete

SOHE HINTS TO ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHERS.

works, therefore view points should be selected ondifierent principles. General views have anhistori cal rather than an art istic interest, andusuallyform unsatisfactorypictures.Nosymmetricalvistas may be obta inable , as symmetry is oftenentirely destroyed by alterations and additions.

Additions.—Speakin generally, each addition hasbeen designed with t e idea that it will be seen

from som e part of the pre-existin building. TheO lder port ions are therefore like y to afford thebest view points, and dates should be noted.Occasionally a new addition will provide a stationpoint from which a good view of an Old part isobtainable, but this is more lik e] to be accidentalthan inte ntional. While each a dition should beseparately studied, and no one view should includetoo great a m ixture of various st

gles, yet thejunction of two different styles, if we] carried out,

often affords features of great interest.Mouldings and Lighting.

—In real architecturemouldings are neither designed as ornaments nor

as decoration , though they may themselves besometimes ornamented or decorated. They are

intended to produce effects of light and shade,soften ing or emphasizing outline, or revealingstructural lines, therefore the lighting must bevery carefully selected to avoid the production offalse efiects. The positions of the windows willgive some idea of the manner in which the architectanticipated the light would fall, but the effects atvarious times must be compared to obta in the bestefiect possible.

In buildings showing a m ixture of styles and

seriods and not lighted in accord with one speciallyesigned scheme, awkward cross lights may exist

at times, and the selection of the lighting is moredifficult, and requires much consideration .

Carving—Garvin is Often applied to introduce

efiects O light an shade on surfaces. In othercases it is em

filoyed for its own sake, suitable spaces

and surroun ings being provided for it by thearchitect. These archi tectural uses of carvingmust be distinguished from the after introduction

37


of it in laces’

not specially designed for its reception. eu the ca rving is an essential part of thedesign it should be so shown in a photo raph ; notby itself as a detached specimen Of the carver ’

s

craft . On the other hand introduced carving aliento the design of the building is best shown isolated,as it is not architecture.

Blank Walls.—Blank wall surfaces play an im

portant part in an architectural design, and theirproportions and general arran ement form a

severe test of the architect’s sk Hence theyshould not be carelessly cut down or left out

altogether in photographs. Photographers are apt

to give too much attention to the isolated represcutation of features,” bits,” and details,” andto ignore adjoining wall spaces.

True Drawing.—Lenses giving distortion should

be avoided because they falsi proportion anddistort arch curvatures. Test t e lens by photographing a high vertica l ,

Object with the cameratilted and the swing back vertica l. If the drawingis correct upright lines will be vertica l in the hotograph, ‘

out a single lens or a portrait lens showthem converging u wards and curved, while sometypes of telephoto enses will show them straightbut diverging upwards.

General Hints.—The architect only desi s from

probable and natural points Of V i ew, t ereforeviews from strange positions will not illustrate hisdesign, though theymay be curious and interesting,

and ma record particulars that cannot be seen

from or inary positions.

In record work do not on any account neglectvaulting and pavements. Pay particular attentionto stran e or awkward features, such as shafts or

caps ha]?buried in a wall, straight joints, built uparches, traces of alterations an removals. Thesesometimes give valuable historical evidence more

to be relied on than written records.

Never enter a strange church that you know tobe worth seeing by any other entrance than the

West door. You’

ll not get a true impression of

the building if yo first Vi ew is not from the onebest point.28

THE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Architectural Telephotography.

By mission HOUGHTON .

HERE are many details about churchesand the like which cannot be takenupon a sufi cient ly large scale with anordinary lens, or require staging to

enable the camera to be brought nearto them . In these cases a telephotolens is Of very great use to the seriousworker, and if he is bent on making photographs

of a Record nature , it is almost indispensable.

Camera .—It is desirable that the camera should

be of the long-focus type , although tri le extensionis not desirable, on account of t e increasedliability to vibrate . Vibration is the greatesttrouble that has to be faced in telephotography,and as a more than usually heavy lens has to beused in conjunction with a camera at a longextension , the probability Of movement during theex osure is considerable. A camera of the squa re

befiows type is the best. It should have a goodewin back, because the camera will often have tobe tfited from twelve to twenty degrees. Thestand must be very rigid, as the slightest vibrationwill quite spoil a telephotograph.Plates.

—Alwaysuse chromatic plates of amediumspeed, and have them backed.Focussint .

—Ou account Of the poor illumination ,

a focussing glass is absolute ly necessary. Theground-glass screen should have in the centre , anordinary m icrosco cover glass, cemented to it bymeans Of Canada lsam , with a fine hair stretchedacross the cover glass. The focussing glass isadjuste d till this hair is in focus, and then is usedto determine whether the portion Of the viewincluded by the cover glass is in focus. Very exactfocussing can thus be obtained.Light—D iffused light is better than direct

suns ine, and subjects with a bright light behindthem should be avoided.Magnifications.

-The rule for finding the magnification produced at a given camera extension is


Focus Of ne ative lens=2 inches. D istance fromscreen to bac Of negative lens 12 inches.Then the magnification 12

?1 7 diameters.

To find the F. value of the telephoto system

D ivide the F. value of the positive lens by themagnification . For example

7 diameters. Stop usedEn positive

value of the system7377

Exposure.—The exposure increases directly with

the square of the magnification . For exampleif the exposure for a subject is a second at F. 32

positive lens, and by ding the negativelens, we get 4 mag

nifications, then the exposurewill be i x4f or 6 , that is 8 seconds. This is an

accurate meth but not very easy to work out inthe field. The bestway is to mark 4 or 5 extensionson the baseboard of the camera , say 8, 10, 12, 14,and 16 inches, and then make out a reference card,something like wha t is shown below, and fix it in

the lid of our cam era bag.

(For a tale hoto combination, having a negativelens of 2 inc es focus).

Camera exten. ininches.

Magnifications.

uivalent ApertureBi t 7 in pos. lens.

Do.

at F. 10 in pos. lens.

DO.

at F. 15 in pos. lens.

at F. 22Diiipos. lens. fl110 f /132 fll54 l o 17193

I’

HE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

Photography as an

Aid to the Antiquary.

M'

r. mnxwoon nacxnr r.

N no subject are copious note s and records

a greater necessity than in antiquarianresearch. It is almost impossible to dowithout reproductions in some form or

other Of the Objects under consideration .

Time is saved and laboured verbal descriptions are avoided.For thi s purpose three m ethods are available(a) Sketches ; b) Measured D rawings ; (0 Photographs. The rst two, however, deman specialtraining and considerable time to produce ade

qua te results.

When we invoke the aid of the cam era we findthat, given a sufiicient knowledge of the rudimentsof the art , we can produce accurate reproductionsOf the work under consideration in a m in imum oftime . We have the further advantage that byenlarging we can produce our records Of anydesired size, and can also multiply copies with case.

S’

fCIn choosing instruments for work

we amcra.

of this class the first oint to beconsidered is the size of the camera to used. It

seems to have been an accepted axiom in purelyhotographic circles that record work on any size

fess than whole -

plate (8; x 6 is useless. To thisI must respectfully demur . Ofessor W . FlindersPetrie, in his little work on Methods and A ims in

Arche ology, says : The time and work Of usingwhole-

plate size are scarcely ever repa id by the

results for practica l archaeology.”The questions of rtability and expense are alsovery V i tal ones. on frequently moving fromlace to place in connection with the work thegifierence in weight between quarte r-

plate andwhole-

plate will be appreciated.C t

Again , the cost Of the initial O%11IPm ent in whole-

plate size out t isabout three times that of a quarter-

plate,while thenecessary plates and papers are at least four times

38


where there is any depth of focus it has but littleenetrating power . When it is used it should beurut in somewhat unequal lengths on each side Ofthe camera, ca re being taken that the lens is shadedfrom the actual li ht. I have found in a very darkcorner that 30 inc es at f/11 gave a fully exposednegative . I have experimented with pure magne

sium powder in several different flash lamps, butOwing to their lack of portabili ty or other causes,

I have found them unsuitable. I have satisfactorilyused a certain flash powder tha t is simply shakentogether to m ix , poured into a little t in tray andfired by means Of a bit Of touch paper. It ives ana lmost instantaneous and brilliant flash an leavesvery little smoke , and is of great penetrative power .

M P]A very careful stud of the plan

ap or an.

and hi story of the p ace or Objectto be photographed should be made before arrivinon the scene Of operations. Indiscrim inate woris worse than useless. In working in such buildingsas a ca thedral, church or abbey, a rough planshould be first made and the point Of view as wellas the location of each part shown , marking on itwith a number which corresponds to that of theexposure in the note book.Thiswill be found 8 ecially useful if it be includedwhen making up a co eetion Of the prints of that

particular place.

When photographing details likeL"ht'n"piscina , etc., which may be nu

e ually lighte d, a white screen will equalize thei] um ination . A newspaper Opened out m a beused as a makeshift, and on one occasion I ave

used a tablecloth with excellent results.

In work of this nature it is best to use a fairlysm all stop (f /32) if time will allow. This is

necessary if our negatives are to be subsequentlyenlarged. Professor Petrie recomm ends a stop(f /100) to be always used, but it must beremembered that this is for outdoor work under a

sun .

photogra hing out-Of-door Objects bearingcarving in low re iof which it is required to showaccurately, the lighting must be very carefully

34

PHOTOGRAPHY as AN Al l) To THE ANTIQUARY.

considered. D irect front lighting gives a flatresult. Side lighting should be chosen so thatproper relief is given to the carving. Tim e and an

un lim ited capacit for takin pains alone willensure success in t is branch. hose of my readerswho wish to see a model of investigation in thisclass of work should study the late Miss MargaretStokes’ work on Durrow and CastledermotCrosses.

Her negatives were m ade on quarter-

plate s, the

proper lighting having been obtained. In som e

cases stages were erected to get details. Then12 x 10 brom ide en largements were made and the

subject revisited. The pictures were then touchedup with Indian ink and Chinese white , and the

final negatives made from them .

BBrasses are much better repro

rduced by photo raphy than by

rubbings. An extremely han y cam era wasdesigned for the purpose by the Rev. WalterMarshall, but it is not , ,I think, on the market. It

is of lantern -

plate size , fitted with a 3” Cooke lens,and is Of the fixed focus type . A table shows theexact s ace included when the camera is fixed at aselec height.C

In dealin with carvin s, such asam ag. bench en 8 and poppy eads, con

siderable trouble will be experienced with thelighting, and a background and reflector will Oftenbe necessary.F t

Fonts will nearly always requireon

artificial lighting on some side ,and here a safe flash powder is preferable to

magnesium ribbon , as the latter is liable to

splutte r and burn anything it fa lls on .

The best method of storing prints is to mountthem on suitable sheets Of thick tinted paper andstore them in portfolios, which should be carefullyindexed. If preferred, these sheets ma be roughlybound u in the manner described in O . 4 of TheP ractic P hotographer .

If our prin ts are designed forPm m" deposit in a record collection , ab

solute permanence i s required.85


Architectural Styles. and

How to Distinguish Them.

By s . w. HARVEY PIPER.

HE chief charm in the study of an oldbuilding is the ability to read its historyby scanning its architectural featuresand noting its details . The power toive an approxima te estima te of the

to of a church or cathedral, to ro

nounce decisively on the period w en

an alte ration or addition was made, and to su

ggest

the probable reason for the change , is not di cultof attainment, and a rough and ready appreciationOf the great styles can soon be acquired with a

little application of thegeneral principles Of con

structional evolution , an a comparative study ofexamples.

I“

twill, however , Often need re-adjust

u.” ment or modification by the con

Impressions sideration Of whether the edificeunder examination is situate d on what was in themiddle ages a ma in artery of traflic, on a navigablestream or in a port or harbour, or if the structurewas , when bein built, in a backwate r remote fromthe tideways Of rge centres of population . In thelatter case the t reatment is not infrequently carriedout in a style that lags a eneration or so behindthat then prevalent in ocalities more nearlyabreast with the times. The crude forgeries Of therestorer of a eneration since have also to bewatched for an guarded against—it is disconcerting, after confidently pronouncin a window to bean excellent example of D ecorate tracery execute din 1345, to hear the old sexton explain to the friendswho have accepted you as guide that he helped towork the sunk chamfers on them mullions for OldBriggs, the builder, well nigh fifty years ago, andthat he wrought the mouldings from drawingsdone by a young man sent down from Scott’s officein London .

ARCHITECTURAL STYLES, AND HOW TO DISTINGUISH THEN.

TO the experienced e e, an indefinModernWW I"able but obvious ytameness, a

smoothness and mechan ical regularit a want Ofspir it and go,

”

all betray the mo ern restora

t ionist’

s work, but even the seasoned archite cturalstudent is caught napping sometimes. If Iwere you , I shouldn ’t trouble to sketch thatbratticing in detail,” suggested a bystander to an

archite ct s pupil who was making a m easureddrawing Of Bishop Bronescomb’

s tomb in the LadyChapel of Exeter . And why not sharplyretorted the youth, inte nt on gain ing the PuginMedal, I consider it one of the fin est bits of LateThirteenth Century deta il in the cathedral.” Oulbecause I did the whole of it myselfwhen the tomwas repaired five years a o,

”replied his adviser,

a well-known scul tor in t e ever-faithful city.We pro ose in t is paper to confine our attention

to the arc itectura l styles in vogue in this coun tryduring the middle ages—those comprised in whatis popularl

yknown as the Gothic period, and towhich all t e monastic and ecclesiastical buildings

erected after the Conquest and before the Reformation belong. We shall endeavour to indicate to

the lay reader how he may roughly difierentiatethe art Of one period from another.

F S 1These styles are broadly dividedour ty es.

into a series of four, which imperceptibly me e the one into the next by a naturaland easily entifled gradation . The sequence ofarchite ctural fashions is not an arbitrary theory,but is a logica l evolution , capable of demonstrationby innumerable dated docum ents and historicalrecords, and is as strictly chronological, as clearlydefined, and as well ascertained as the successionof geological strata , or the unceasing cycles ofchanges in the modes Of ladies’ attire.

I

The great architectural styles m ay, rhaps, bethe more readily reco ised and remem red if wecom are them to the our seasons of the year.

inter in such an archite ctural calendar will berepresented by the Saxon and Norman periodsthe former may be regarded as corresponding to


the November, the latter to the D ecember andJanuary Of our almana c of edifices.

S P dA lthough the work of the later

axon erioSaxons hardly comes within our

present scope , some passing reference to itscharacteristi cs will indica te how it influenced andpaved the way for the more refined art whichfollowed. The rema in s Of Saxon buildings are

necessar ily scanty, but are , as Professor Ba ldwinBrown Of Edinburgh has recently shown, more

numerous than was realised thirty or forty yearsa 0 . Most of the Saxon edifices still exist ing areV i la e churches erected during the earlier twothir s of the eleventh century. The constructionis rude and the materials are rough. The churchesare small and low a isleless edifices, constructed Ofrough rubble masonry, but the angles of buildingsand open ings to windows are Of squared ashlar,arranged alternate ly as ion and short stones.

The towers, like the bodies of t e churches, arewithout buttresses, and may have on the centre Of eachface fla t and u right str ips of projecting m asonryset as pilasters y way of ornament. The windowsare sma ll, either round or rectangular O en ings,som etimes with masonry above arrange as an

isosceles triangle, and a singular feature rem in iscentof Roman work is the use of turned balusters Ofstone for mullions between the lights. Theinternal columns in the churches are squat tiers ofdrum s, squared blocks of stone , above and below,representing the capitals and bases. The mouldings and other decorative features are hewn on

the stone with the axe, the chisel not bein thenemployed as a tool. Among the best ownexamples of Saxon work are the churches ofBradford-on -Avon

,Wilts ; Brixworth, Barnack,

and Earls Barton , Northamptonshire ; D eerhurst,near Tewkesbury ; and those Of Sompting andWorth, Sussex.

January and February in theNorman Style. wintry days of art are aptly reprosented b the massive and uncouth works executedin the orman style . This base Of architecturewas introduced soon after the Conquest, and pre

38


find aisles thrown out on either side, shallowtransepts projecting at the crossing, and frequentlythe short choir te rm inates eastwards in an apse,around which a passage run s. This is still thecase at St. John ’

s Chapel in the Tower of Londong). tgical example of an Early Norm an bui lding

t. rtholomew’

s, Smithfield, and the Cathedraof Norwich, Gloucester, and Peterborough, butNorman apses since destro ed in the rage for

lengthen ing and rebuildin c Oirs, formerly existed

at ly, D urham , Lichflel St . Albans, and manyother of our great Minsters.

The naves of churches were at

first covered with flat woodenceilings, as at Peterborough and St . Albans, and at

a later date were roofed over with circular vaults,the side aisles being fin ished with pla in vaultin

havin no ribs. These roofs are carried by rounarche arcades supported in turn by low and broadpiers, either rectangular or Octagona l. Wherecolumns are employed they are round, with a

square abacus, like a flat tile below the capital.

At the Cathedrals of Norwich and D urham, and

the Abbeys of Lindisfarne and Waltham , some of

the columns are carved with fluting, diagonal andzi g sculpture, which has in its settin out no

re tion to the joints of the masonry. he windows are narrow and deeply splayed, the doorwaysmuch recessed, with advancing orders on eitherside, which in later examples is exceedingly rich.Over the flat linte ] is a sem i-circular arch, and thespace between a tympanum is often filled withbold figure carving, frequently as in the wellknown Prior

’

s doorway at Ely, representing our

Lord in Majesty. Fig 15. A great variety of ornamentis em loyed in m ouldings, including the chevron,

the b et, the nail head and double cone.

D t' A favourite method of surface

ecora ion. decoration is to panel over a wallwith a series of flatly carved, round-headed archeson pilasters. Springing from the centre of eachopening, a second sequence of precisely similar

p ilasters, with circular archways above , is carriedalong, the two sets Of arches inte rsecting at equal

40


Century, Lancet and Pointed have also been appliedto it . This elegant and refined mode flourishedduring nearly a hundred and twenty years , fromthe closing da 8 Of the re ign of Henry II., in 1 187,until the trou lous end of the rule Of Edward II.,in 1307. The style possesses all the vigour of ear]

manhood, all the purity of dawning womanhoNo lon er massive, flat-featured and clumsy, thework 0 this period is marked by a severity, a fdom and a chaste beauty never equalled before nor

since , and a refined regard for proportion in the

masses and voids which delights and satisfies theThe radical and most easily noteddifference between theEarlyEnglishstyle and the last, is the substitution of the ointed for the sem i-circular arch, giving

to the who 0 treatment a vertica l tendenci

. Thi r'teenth century art is truly “ tip

-tilted like t e peta lsOf a flower.

”The openings for doors and windows

are now tall and narrow ; the buttresses are boldin their projection, and are crowned by innacles,and the roofs are steep-

pitched. The va ting is inoblong in lieu of square compartments, and theweight of vault and roof on the buttresses inducesthe builder to plan the wall between as a morewebbing or screen . The proportions are more

slender and aspiring. Internally,groups of detachedshafts Of Purbeckmarble ,banded acrosssupport ranges Of pointed arches. The windows, atfirst very plain , are presently arran ed in pairs andtriplets, and are splayed widely, an b

hdegrees the

piercin of the spaces above and etween the

grou s eads to the development of tracery. Themo dings are no longer cramped and uare, butare carved on sloping surfaces and cari

'ie along inbold sweeping lines, with a free alternation of rolls

and fillets, and deeply cut hollows. A characteristic ornamentation for these concave mouldings isa projecting four-getalled flower, with depressedpO ints to peta ls an ra ised centre, absurdly namedthe dog toot decoration . The earlier capitalsand bases consist of a series of deeply hollowedrings resembling up

-turned bells, but at a laterperiod stifi and crisp foliage, curled up like budding

42

ARCHITECTURAL STYLES , AND HOW TO D ISTINGUISH THEH .

fronds of brake fern or celery, is profusely em

ployed for capitals, bases and crockets.

E ITo this Thirteenth Century period

xamp belong the choir, transepts, andeastern bays of the nave of Westminster Abbey,and also its chapter house ; Sa lisbury Cathedra],with the exception of its spire and chapter housethe presbyte ry and galilee form in the eastern andwestern extrem ities of Ely Cathe ral ; the chapterhouses of Oxford and Chester ; the choirs of

Lincoln , Southwell , Rochester , Pershore and St .Saviour’

s, Southwark the north transept of YorkMinster , and innumerable parish churches.

III .

DecoratedThe blazing noontide of summer in

St lEnglish art is like its prototype in

y e.

nature, the most short-lived andbrilliant of our season s. The extrem e duration ofthis period in Gothic architecture, generally knownas the D ecorated or Fourteenth Centurv style, iscom rised within the seventy years of the reig

Ins

of t e Second and Third Edwards, 1307-77. ts

ma in characteristics are an evergrowing freedomand richness of ornamentation evinced in everydetail, and an exuberance especially displayed inthe treatment of vaulting ribs and window tracery.The first signs are ap arent of that attempt toclothe construction wit applied decoration , whichere four

generations had passed away stifled and

choked a progress.

The most striking features are thewide spacing Of bays, the broadening Of all arched open ings, and the

improvement of the lighting. Clerestory windows

are made loftier , wider and m ore numerous, untilthe interven ing stonework becom es almost perilously slender. Another and m ore daring con

structional experim ent is tried a t the very end of

the thirteenth century. The side aisles are greatlyincreased in height, so as to allow of raisin the

piers and a rcades, and thus the triforum ga lery,and even the clerestory is in som e cases, as atBristol Cathedral, dispensed with. One advantagegained by this mode of construction is to afiord a

43


fresh means of providing for the thrust of the stonevault, not with flying buttresses and exte rnal piers,but by bringing into play the contra thrusts ofvaults thrown over the aisles, these being savedfrom sliding outwards by a series of deep buttresses,weighted with pinnacles, or as at Norwich witha ostlos’

statues. The groinin ribs, which in thearly English style accentuate the m eeting places

of difierent planes of vaulting, are now developedinto a spider’

s web of ridge and lierne bands, andthe panelling between these ribs is reduced to a thinconnective tissue of clunch stone or chalk. Thewidened windows are divided b upri ht bars ormullions into several lights, and t e h s are filledwith varied tracery ,flowin reticulated or geom etrica l patterns being adopte for adjoining windowstha t have evidently been executed simultaneously.The doorways are less deeply recessed than in the

preceding cent roofs are lower in p itch, andthe clustered sha ts in piers are no longer disconnected, the whole grou being cut out of a singlestone. A profusion of

'

aper and other carving isintroduced, and there is direct copyism of flowersand foliage, the sculptor’

s motif bein naturalesqueand no longer stifi and conventionafE 1

Examples of this D ecorated stylexamp es.

are , owing to the short time duringwhich it was revalent, less common than instancesof the other t ee periods. The chapter house andchoir screen of Southwell, A lan de Walsin ham ’

s

matchless Octagon and Lady Chapel at E y, theAbbey Gate-house at Bury St . Edmund’s, the choirof Bristol, the Percy Monum ent at Beverley, andthe east windows of Carlisle and Selby may be

specially noted.IV .

P d'

lA glorious autumn, in its coarse

erpen ar.

magnificence giving tokens of ap

proachin deca ma rks the fourth and latest periodof Englis Got ic, that recogn ised as the Perpendicular or fifteenth centu style, and although theglowing hues of sunset ut prelude the com ingextinction of the art in a n ight of classic formalism ,

its latest phases are of great richness, and have a

44

ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.AND HOW TO DISTINGUISH THEH .

grandeur and an originality of their own. So self

suflicient have our craftsmen become that thisculm imatin efl’ort Of our architecture is essentiallyan indepen ent and insular art, national andtinct ive in character , and without parallel on thecontinent. This Perpendicular style held swaydurin one hundred and thirty years, from the daysof Ric ard the Second to those OfHenry the Seventhinclusive .

Ch t tiA t in architectural knowledge

m cw

'

readily distinguish fifteenthcentury work. The de ression in all the archopen ings, begun in the ecorated riod, rapidlydevelo 8 until the heads of arc es are firstobtuse y poin ted, then struck from four centresand finally enclosed under a s uare head. Thereis a tendency to transfer all t e weight Of wallsand vaults from internal piers to outer buttresses.

But the dominant note is struck by the verticalityand growing horizontality of all Vi sible lines, alikein construction and in ornamentation. Windowmullions are carried the full height, are thickenedand crossed by hea bars or transoms, until, inthe great west win ows, with which the more

modest earlier ones are replaced in most of our

cathedrals and large churches, the stoneworkbecomes a mere gridiron for the display of

rectangular panels of ainted glass. Wall surfaces

and even the blockedup and squared triforiaspaces are treated as grounds for skin dee

panelling, the roofs are wider, lower, and ca rri

hammerbeams. The mouldings are wide,9 allow and coarse, and the motif for foliage hasagain reverted to conventiona lism of a mechanicaltype. Carved woodwork is at its best, and screens,sta lls, m isereres, canopies, and the poppy head endsof benches, rovido the sculptor in oak withopportunities or full and vigorous work, too oftenirreverent and even coarse in its humour. D ecoration becomes trivial and stales by re tition , andradually the work, although adm ira ly executedrom a techn ical View point, sinks into themechan ical and commonplace.

The debasement of our art is accelerated by theRenaissance and by the loss of the old religious

45


fervour , and Gothic architecture slowly dies out

with a long drawn out but inefiectual splutte ringamong the embers.

E 1Examples of Perpendicular art

xamp abound. The earliest dated workis that in the south transept of Glouceste r, but thechoirs of that cathedral and those of York Minsterand Cirencester Church recur to us all, whilenotable experiments in veneeri ng Norman struetures are the nave of W inchester and the choir Of

Norwich. In the case of the latter cathedral,which is not so familiar asWilliam of W keham’

swork, one of the latest and most care ul architectural writers dwells lovingly on the daringengineering feat,” involved in supporting the mas

sive Norman walls of triforium and clerestory,whilethe builders of the fifteenth century renewed intheir own style the piers below, whereas close

study of the cathedral choir at Norwich since therecent cleansin from colour wash will showunm istakabl

it t substantial Perpendicular

masonry is ut a dexterous casing of the Normanwith stones at most 2) inches in thickness.

We have endeavoured to indicate to the architectural photographer in the most concise manner

som e of the constructional and decorative principleswhich underlie the successive changes in architectural fashions, but these changes were also largelyinfluenced by reli ious symbolism , the rivalry ofpriests, monks an la ity, the struggles of contending monarchs and barons, and other motive forceswhi ch it has not been possible to enumerate in a

short paper. We trust enough has been sa id toexcite the interest and whet the appetite of som e

who had not previously given the subject muchattention .

The amateur ma also be reA

.

COEmpreh

len

m inded of a great historic buildingsive xamp e.

easily accessible from London inwhich every eriOd of medimval architecture fromSaxon to Tu or is re resented—the church of the

m itred Benedictine bbe Of St . Alban . Here thebeginner will find usefu practice in essa’

ng todiscriminate between the various styles an work sof many dates, Often harshly clashing with each

46


as is often done, let the worker take his camera

fully one-third along the aisle and note how muchbetter a picture it makes, giving an ample sense Ofdistance and length and gaining greatly in deta iland value.

In com sing a picture great careArches.

should taken that no unfinishedor cut-through rounds of arches are included ; theymake unga in ly and very dissatisfying arrangements. A pillar without at least a portion of i ts

capital being included runn ing up through a com

position is to be avoided ; the cut-Ofl"abruptness ismost inartistic and worryin If this cannot bedone without otherwise s

po

'

in the composition ,

see that an ad'

acent illar, ike it ut Inc its capital ,is included. his then show w at the m inusone would be like, and perhaps thus serve to furthersuggest height, etc.

Nothin at all near the cameraN‘" Obj ects.

must bi included in the composition , as distortion , or ,more correctly, undue magnificat ion , will result and prove very unpleasant.Always include as much floor or base to the subjectas is reasonably possible ; if too little is given , a

cut-off or top-heavy feeling is suggested in the

print—a want of ba lance and support to the com

position is sure to result. If an arch is the ma inelem ent controlling the composition , do not havetoo much roof over it, otherwise it will appeardwarfed and the subject lose symmetry.

Never start an exposure withouthaving fully tested the cam era in

every direction with the spiritlevel. Even if this has alreadybeen done, it is as well to go over it again justbefore putting the plate-holder in position , as some

slightmovementma have beenmade and so alteredthe level as to ca ] for correction . If this is

scrupulously seen to, any false lines in the com

Osition can then be righ attributed to the

uilding itself. This will be case Often enoughto make the most careful use of the level an

inflexible rule .

CameraVertical and

48

POINTERS FOR ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHERS.

L’

ht' In choice of lighting, before start

'8 m" in an exposure m ake sure thatthere will be su cient tim e for a full exposurebefore the special effect being tried for has passedaway with the sun

’

s movem en t round the bu ilding.It will somet imes happen that one starts an

exposure too late , and before the shadowed parts

of the subjects are at all properly exposed themoving of the sun has so changed the en tire aspectof the scene (or the sun perhaps cruelly peepsthrough a W indow included in the subject , and so

halates the whole ) , that the negative proves a

fa ilure . D O as little work in the m iddle of the dayas ma be . The sun is m ost nearly vert ical then ,

and t erefore makes all the shadowed port ionsdarker than is easy to deal with. Charm ing effectsare to be seen in the early and qu ite la te hoursbefore n ine and after five—bu t it too often he pensthat then the act in ic power of the light is insu cientfor a f ull exposure to properly rea lize the effectaim ed at . Exper im ents, however , should be m adein these hours as Often as is possible .

LI t would be a good plan for the

enses. worker who desires pictures ratherthan views. tom ake at least one visit to a cathedral,and in stead of the usual 53- inch len s for his i -platecam era , to take an 8 or a 9- inch len s, and com pelhim self to Pii d subjects to su it it , and that w ill com

properly on his ground glass. The lesson will9 a va luable one , showing how much m ore charming hese “ bits

”

will be as pictures, and as souven irsof the visit , than the usua l long length views upand down and across and across. If the on ly lensof that length tha t the worker possesses i s thehalf of a shorter focus lens, let him not fear to use

it though it be a single lens ; no distortion need befeared, the res t length of focus relat ive to the

pla te with w ich it is used will quite prevent anywrong lines at the sides. Few workers on interiorsubjects ca a sufficient variety Of lenses. It isusually so di cult—Often quite impossible—to alterone

’

s point of V iew by m oving the cam era nearer

or farther back. If a change Of focus from the one

usually used to one that exactly or more nearlyfills the plate with the desired sub ject cannot be

4D


made, a eat waste in trimming the print willensue. or a

Tplate camera lenses of foca l length

from 4 to 0 inches should be carried, say,

4 10 foci ; with a 5x4 camera , the foci m aybe 45—6—7—9—10—12. W ith these, all reasonablecompositions can be made to fill the plate satis

factorily in one dimension , and of course it is but

rarely the case that both horizontal and vertica ldimensions can be got perfectly on the late ;trimm ing in at least one dimension must a waystherefore be necessary. For my whole-

plate cam era

I carried 8—inch, lo-inch, 12-inch and 14- inch lenses,with the very rare use of 55- inch for extra difficultsubjects in ve confined positions. W ith my l0x8camera I use t 9 same set , m inus, of course, the 5inch lens, and plus a 19- inch single lens. The 14- inc

is also a single lens, and I endeavour to use the 19

inch as often as I possibly can , as it is, of course , the

golden rule in thi s aspect of our work always touse the longest focus lens that existing conditionswill rmit.

en adjusting the cam era keep it as low as

convenient. It should be remembered that artistsalmost always paint or draw from a sitting position ,

but most photogra hers take their ictures fromas high an a lt i tu e as their tri 0 will permit.This 18 generally a m istake , at east in picturemaking, and often leads to that extremely un

pleasant aspect of the level floor being a ren tlythat of a stee incline. Even when ta ng bitsof detail, and eight is necessary to avoid tiltingand using the swing-back, let i t be as little as

possible. For it must be remembered that allcarvin in a cathedral was made to be observedfrom t 0 floor, and not from a position on a levelWith it “

A f 1 f ths to exposure , a as e ru e or 9Exposure. tyro to adopt would be that whatever the exposure he may have decided on let himgive exactly double , if he will not spend a plate ona lesson by giving two exposures on the sam e subjcet, one with the exposure decided on and one

with treble that tim e.


NThe early work is usually plainer

orman , than the later work, but plain1070-1200 A 'D ' work is not always to be re ardedas early Norman. The arch is semi -circ ar—at

first flush with the wall, and later recessed (Fig.

W indows and door at first sma ll (Fig . Later arelarger and richly ornamented (Figs. 15, 23, 24, 25,W indows at first have only a single light (Fig. 27

The zigzag ornament (23, 24) is a very common

form . But there are a large number of otherform s also frequen tly met with. Figs. 15, 26 showsenriched style. Note the sem i-circular tymanum

”

) carving over the door (see also Fig. 1

gg:The piers are solid masses (left margin Fig.

right margin Fig. which may be 8 uare, roundor square recessed (Fig. Arches a so are oftensquare

-cd ed. Figs. 21 , 22, 27 —Shallow arcading iscommon ,fiike that in 26 , now placed above thedoor. This arcading is usually near the ground,with a shelf or sill for seats. Capita ls often cubica lmasses, erhaps with lower parts rounded or

carved. ige. 23, 24.—The base a squared stone,which may be chamfered or uarter-round, or

slightly ornamented. Fig. 24. owers round or

square. Fi 28.—Buttresses have but slight projection an usually plane (Fig. 28) Por ch

usually does not project more than a few inchesfrom the wall surface, but the doorway is recessed.Figs. 15, 23, 24, 25.

—East end of church often semicircular (apse).

E l E l'

hThe chan e from the solid sub

121

3313351 b stantial orman style , with roundarch and massive masonry, to the

pointed arch and clustered shafts, seems to haveeen as rapid as it is different in character.

General characters Lightness, long narrowlancet” windows, singly or in groups, bold projecting buttresses ; high

-

pitched roof, ointedarches, supported by slender pillars. Figs. 30.Mouldings are chiefly rounds, and often deeplyrecessed, or angles cut with a chamfer. Thesegive a bold light and shade effect. The so-calleddog

-tooth ornament is characteristic of the

period. Fi

g132.—The ornament suggesting an

hep eornate s rd’

s crook and called a crocket” is52


The early En lish st le graduallyIlie

gnéeld

dA D passes by afinost imperceptiblestages into the D ecorated style.

And we may find isolated features, 6 . m ouldings,windows, etc ., which we hesitate to ace in eitherstyle, because partaking largely of th. As thiswell-marked style only lasted for a comparativelyshort tim e examples are not so frequent as mightbe wished. General character—Rich ornam entation, large windows, flowing lines of tracerytrefoils, ci rcles, etc. Here the ornament is not an

addition , but an integral part of the construction .

W indow openings are often cus ed along the insideof the wall thickness. Square eaded windows arenot uncommon . The to

gof the window may also

be a part of a circle, or t e window ma be form edof the segments of a circle. Figs. 35, 47.

Circular W lndOW S are also comm on . Fig. 33.-The

clerestory windows of this period are often.

tri

angular . Fig. 35.—Tracery m ay be geom etn cal,flowing or flamboyant,” i.e.,flame-like. Figs. 37, 38.

The mouldings are not so deeply recessed as inthe Early English period. The quarter round andthe roll moulding are charac teristic. Fig. 58.

Another strong character of this period is theball flower ornam ent well shown m Figs. 36 , 59,running round the inner edge of the windowopen ing. It will also be seen in several lacesin Fi 33. Another frequent ornament 0 thi sperio is a four- leaved flower with ba ll centre, cutsom ewhat boldl giving strong light and shadeeffect. Fig. 60. 1118 is un fortunately not shown inany of our photographs. Battlement’s introduced inthi s period become a strong feature during thePe e dicular period. Pillars seldom have detached911315 . The characteristic treatment of foliage ,fruit, birds is well shown in Fig. 34. Doorwa s are

larger, wider, and often richly ornamented. 39

54

JO‘

I’

TINGS ON ENGLISH CHURCH ARCHITECTURE.

is a simple and early example . They have usuallya dri stone which m ay terminate in heads, bossesof fo

'

age , etc. Fig. 39. The porch m ay be shallow or

projecting, and is sometimes of wood. The arcadinrunn ing alon the walls, see Figs. 33, 36 , 46 , 4

is of a rich y ornam ented character and the

use of elaborated crockets or bunches of foliage ,Figs. 33, 34, is frequen t. The Piscinae or water dra insfor use after washing the commun ion vessels, arefrequently richly ornam ented, Fig. 34. Buttressesare often made a strong feature in the decorationas well as construction of the buildin The Eastend usually has one large window, Fig. Note theelaborately carved corbel from which the archg

rin 3 towards the right-hand upper corner ing. See also the ornate character of the

canopies close to the circular window in thisFig. 33.

Pc ndicularA

.

glance at the trace of the

135?I550 A'

DW lndOW to our left in 1 35. as

compared with 37 and 38 s owe a

chan e is takin place. The central mullion runs

to t 9 top an is accom panied by two othervertical arallel lines. The nam e well describesthis ten ency, i.a., to emphasise pe ndicular

(and horizontal) lines. A rapid glance at t e generaleffect in Figs. 41, 42, 43, 40 will show thiscultivation of the perpendicular as the chieffeature—while the horizontal line is also stronglypronounced. Panelling surfaces in the manner

shown in Figs. 41 , 42, is very common both insideand outside a building. W indows are oftenlar e in size but cut up into a large number of more

or ess equal sized rectangular spaces by verticalmullions and horizontal transoms so that thewindow from the inside almost sug ests a networkof stones. Buildings of this peri domestic andecclesiastical, are frequently embattled and thebattlements richly ornamented with diaper-likedesigns. D oorways are wide and nearly alwayssquare

-headed, embracing a som ewhat depressedarch. Ifi

'

g. 43.—Towers are large and massxve, but

so richly ornamented that their size does not at firstimpress us. The angles frequently have doublebuttresses, and the corners are carried up intopinacles. Porches usually project boldly, and are


panelled inside. The well-known fan tracery” ofthe vaultin needs on ly m en tion . Mouldings are

now more 8 allow, i.s., are broad rather than deep .

Crock et s are frequen tly in use, but take on a

som ewhat square outline . The foliage is often

suggestive of a wreath embracing a pillar or

cap ital. Probably the beginner w ill have less

difficulty in readily distinguishing this style thanany other . I ts general character when on ce seen

is not likely to be m istak en .

D o not attach too much importanceto any one fea ture , i.e the shape

of an arch, or m oulding or orn am ent . In the goodold tim es conven ience was often the determ iningfactor . Moreover , later workers copied earlierdeta ils. The dates given in our divisions are to betaken only as quite approxim ate and conven ientguides. In the sam e year two m arkedly differentstyles of bu ilding m ight be going on within adistance of a day

’

s journey.Practical Points for

Architectural Workers.

By vu uovs con'

rnlsu'

rons.

The point of view in interior photography is a

mat ter of first im portance . It is no exa gerationto say that a few inches to right or left,Ingber orlower, ma make just the difference between a

failure an a success. First , a few words as to theheight of the lens from the ground. No rules canbe laid down , but experience goes to show that, ina broad and general way, the view point of ahorizontal composit ion should be lower than in avert ica l picture . Figs. 46 , 47, may serve to

ez em lify this point . These two views are exactlycomp em entary to one another in the sense that inFig. 47 the lens was oin ting in a direction m ore or

less sou th, while in t e other the lens was pointingin exactly the Opposit e direction . The same pillaris shown in both pictures. In the case of F g. 46 thelens was as high as an ordinary tripod would holdthe cam era , focussing being done while standing up .

In Fig.47 the cam erawas lowered until focussin hadto be done by kneeling on the floor . Rough y we

56

Cautions.

PRACTICAL POINTS FOR ARCHITECTURAL WORKERS.

may as. tha t the view points correspond to standing an seated figures. The di fference in these twoca ses is not very marked, because the most distant

rt of the floor in either case is not very far away.gil t one need not look very far among a collectionof interiorswithout seeing the efiect of a high-viewpoint with a distant floor. This usually suggeststhat the floor is not level, but is rising up towardsthe distance .

Now in order to appreciate the point of the broadprinciple just mentioned, we must cover up aboutone-third of the upper part of our vertica l icture,and a corresponding one-third of the ls t -handportion of the horizontal exam le, thus leaving ustwo sim ilar shaped portions. this be done weshall at once see how the high-view point spreadsout the floor, while the low-view points gives a

much pleasanter suggestion of floor space.

Pictorially these pr mts may give us several usefulhints or warni s. In Fig. 47 we have no less thanthree large win ows facing us . These three atcheeof strong li ht compete with each other or our

attention . i s a com sition it would have beenbetter had we been ab e to hide the window on our

left by a pillar , or b cutting away the left -handthird of the print. this window be covered overby the hand the picture will be seen to gain in unityof effect at once.Here again we see the contrast of chairs and no

chairs—one need hardly say which is preferable .

The rich D ecorated arcading, aumbry and piscinawill be noticed.

In Fi 46 we get a peep of the panelled back of theperpen

'

cular screen shown full face in Fig. 40. We

also catch a narrow glimpse of the upper part of thewatch gallery shown in Fi 41 . The sedilia on our

left,with their foliated an crisped D ecorated work,willbenoticed (Fig. But our chiefpictoria l interestin this case is due to the contrasting of our hi hestli ht with the strong gloom of the roof agove.

is centralising of contrasts generally has thedesirable efiect of keeping one 9 interest in the

picture. 1ndeed one m ight almost lay it down as a

guiding principle thatwindows or other strong lightsshould not occur along the margins of our picture.

57


Photographing Ceilin g—In this connection our

difi cul ties are threefold. First, the ever-

presentquestion of exposure ; second, the position of the

camera ; third, focussing. If now our tripod is of

such a form that the camera can be held with lenspointing vertically upwards we can then managesomehow b

lylying on the floor or on two

chairs—to see t e focussing screen . But if we

cannot see to focus we must adjust the lens byca lculation . The first ste is to ascertain the heightof the ceilin above the oor . The following is a

useful, simp e and practical dodge : Take a halfsheet of note-

pa er with clean -cut edges. ABCD ,

Fig. 6 1 . Now old the corner A over so as to

comcide with the line D C. The crease or

fold DE is neatly and carefully made. In Fi 62

we may imagine H the ceiling and MK the oor.

The operator G ca reful] notes som e ob'

ect , F, onthe wall of the room , suc that it is on a evel withhis efle when in a standing position , i .s., FK is equal

to G H e now holds the folded paper Fig. 6 1 to

his eye so that GC is horizontal, and walks backwards, keeping half an eye along the horizontalline GF, and at the same time looking along GE.

When the line of sight GE just enables him to seeH, the junction of ceilin and wall, his position isnoted. The an le EDC in half a right anglete lls him that F is equal to G or MK.

Fig. 61.

But he will very probably be placing his camera

on the floor so that the distance of floor to ceilingKF plus FH is equal to KF plus FG orZKM . Thisis readily ascertained. We now can easilyjfocus on

some well- lighted object at this distance , either


The Historic Land Marks of a Building—Thearchitectura l photographer who wants to in fuseinto his pictures something of the spirit of thebuilding must first become acquain ted with its pasthistory and associations. He must in im aginationsee the buildin growing and being altered fromtime to tim e. e best m ental aid to this is theexam ination of such “ jun ction lines as may befound. This may be only a slight change in thestyle of the masonry, different jointings, morta r,stones, etc., or it may be a well-marked change instyle and form .

Aga in , pictorial effect may often be greatly aidedby taking advantage of the contrast of one 9with the other, the old and the newer work si o

b

yside, often bringin out the beauties and

c aracters of each ot er by force of juxtaposition and contrast of st les. In this case one

should not attempt to inclu e more than two styles—or the picture 18 apt to become puzzlin ratherthan pleasing. In the two illustrations of Albanshere given , we have selected our view poin ts firstto show as many styles as possible at a glance and

so be useful to the student and at the sam e time wehave exemplified by their a id som e comm on

m istakes from the pictorialist’s aspect of thematte r.

In Ih’

g. 44 we have a bit of the south outer wall ofthe buildin i .s., south aisle extension . The ru ins

of the old om an town (called Verulam ) evidentlysup lied theNormanbuilderswith plant ofmaterialin t 9 form of flat tile or Roman Ericks —wemay see these freely used in the right-hand upperportion of our illustration . These Roman bricksare thinner and wider than English bricks , whichare seen in part of an arch towards the right lowercorner. In the right upper corner we have awindow and two buttresses belonging to theNorman period. On a level with these, to our left,we have three Early English lancet windows(restored) and also notice a violent contrast in the

style of the masonry. Below them is a D ecoratedW lIIdOW , and below a ain are the remains of some

arcading o late D ecorated style whichdoubtless formed part of the cloisters. These60


former casewe have a well-lighted museum gallery.Double-glass top-lights ; exposure,f/16 half aminute.

In the second instance a dark tower-e porch to awell-lighted in terior. Exposure , f/16 one hour ;pla te speed, 200H D ; best summer light. Thesemay be taken as the practical lim its of ordinaryinteriors.

Exposingwith Two different Stops.—This is really

a very useful procedure in dealing with interiors.

The gain is two-fold, via , in shortening exposureand in gi a pleasingly combined efiectness and so uses. The method is as followsSuppose thatwe have determ ined that our exposureshould be equivalent to 15 m inutes with f/16 , butthat for a good 9 all-over negative we oughtto use f/32’ which wo d, of course, mean 60 m in .

exposure . If now we start the exposure with f/32and give 30m in ., then cap the lens and change thestop to say 1716 (cars bein taken not to disturb thecamera ) , and then give 8 . al exposure of 7} min .,

we shall have given a combined exposure equal to15 m in . at 1716 or 60 m in . at f/32, and at the sametime obtained an agreeable combination of detailwith softness. Thus, instead of 60 min. our totaltime would have been 375 m in., an appreciabledifference.

Factors determining E sure in architecturalinteriors The time 0 year. 2) The time of

day sun’

s altitude). (3) State of went er, clouds, etc.

(4) umber, size, position of windows ; colour ofglass in same, their cleanness, etc. (5) Colour ofwalls of buildin e.g., contrast the extremes ofwhite -washed wa and black oak roof. (6 ) Speedof plate . (7) Stop. (8) D egree of contrast required.Halation v. Haze.

—Experience goes to show thathalation-like efiect is accentuated in a bu ilding inwhich there is much dust floating in the air ; alsothat difierent degrees of halation result when equivalent exposures are given to the same objects atdifierent times of day. Thus we et more ha lationif the sun

’

s light be g t rough a windowtowards the camera Wait until after

m id-day before pointing the cam era at the east-endWindow.

a


candle (or match) held by an assistant and movedfrom point to point in our picture will be foundhelpful in accurate focussing. Failing this, any

dar object (e.g., door-key or small book) may belaid on a white surface (handkerchief, aper , etc.)and used for the same ends. Our chie difi culty ,however, is in seeing an

iythi

ng at all when a sma ll

stop is being used. 0 meet this difficulty theaccompanying table has been worked out , and willbe found to meet the case when we can ascertainthe distance of the nearest and . farthest parts of

the pictureTable to assist the adjustment of focus in dark interiors.

(Distances in feet .)

An examplewill make its use apparent. Supposethe nearest object in our picture to be a pillar 2 )

feet away and the most distant a window 100 feetfrom us. In the left -hand near column find 20,and in the hori zontal distant column find 100.

Where these two meet we have 33. Taking our

camera into some well-lighted lace we m easure

some ob'

ect 33 feet from us an focus sharply onthat an clamp the focussing screw. Now we

m easure some object 20 feet away and insert onestop after another until the 20 feet distant object isin sufficiently sharp focus. We now know fromour table that objects 100 feet away will be in a s

sharp focus as those 20 feet from us. We may nowreturn to our original view point and arrange the

p icture with our largest stop (of course , not dis

turbing the focus arrangement) and then insert

the stop we have just found necessary to give adepth of field ranging from 20 to 100 feet.64

No te s a n d N ew s .

Tm: following books relating to subjects treated in th is number

can be furnished postpaid at the prices given

MID D LETON, G. A . T . Architectural Photography. 5 x 7 in

pp. 79; fully i llustrated. 1898 . Cloth boards, 50 cents.

English. Reprinted from The Amateur Photographer

1887-8.

PRRxms, M . A .,Rev . Taoiu s. Handbook to Gothic Archi

tecture. 5 x 71 in. ; pp. 224 ; fully illustrated . 1897. Cloth,

English . Contains a valuable chapter on photographing Eng

lish churches, interiors and exteriors.

PHOTO-MINIA TURE , Tan. No. 55. Architectural Photography.

Fully i llustrated . 1903. Paper, 25 cents.

A practical handbook dealing with perspective as essential ,

the select ion of the point of view, the locat ion of the horizon

line in photograph ing buildings, apparatus, the use of the swing

back composition,lighting, detail work , monuments , structural

work , etc .

MA RR IA GE ,ERNEST . Elementary Telephotography. 51} x 81}

in. ; pp. 1 18 ; forty-nine illustrations. 1901 . Cloth ,

English . The best and most generally useful work on th is

subject . Written for pract ical workers from experience .

PH OTO-MINIA TURE , Tar-z. No. 26 . Telephotography. 1901 .

Paper, 25 cents.

A plainly worded description of the telephotograph ic lens, its

construction and uses in long-d istance photography, portraiture ,

architectural work , etc .,with illustrat ions showing the compara

t ive sizes of images ob tained with ordinary and telephoto lenses

from the same point of view.

J' J' J‘

IT is a well-known and acknowledged fact that the American

A ristotype Company’s exhibit at any convent ion has been the

lead ing attraction,so far as exhib its of photographs are con

cerned . In former years i t has been the custom of the company

to hang an exhibit of photographs in elaborate frames. A t no

convent ion have they ever shown their pictures in a style of

frame ever exhibited before . This year, however, it was decided

that the d isplay of photographs for the New England convention

should be the best evermade by the company in point of quantityas well as quality, and that no frames should be used . A s a

65


consequence, the pictures hung at the Boston convention con

sisted of Carbon-Platino, Collodio-Carbon, and American P latinum

portraits, all in sheet form, hung by the t0p to rich brown cloth

panels. These were twelve in number, each six by eight feet ,

decorated with festoons of drapery at the tap, and with the well

known golden A risto eagle. The exhibit occupied the reception

room of the Mechanics Building, which was well lighted and

furnished with easy chairs and sofas . It became the haven of

rest of the convention, and the visiting photographers found i t

an ideal place for rest and study, and declared that the exhib it

of photographs was far in advance of anything of the kind ever

shown before.

The new electric printing cabinet of the company was shown

at the convention. This is a remarkably well-planned arrange

ment, enabling the photographer to print cheaply, quickly, anduniformly in anyweather. The cabinet holds sixty fra ncs which

all print at once, and the printer can sit in an easy chair and

print all day without moving from his chair. The unanimous

opinion of the seven hundred photographers at the convent ion

was that it was a thoroughly simple and practical piece of

apparatus. The lamps are furnished for any commercial current,

and so are available wherever there is a source of electric supply.

J' J J'

Tm:Camera Club of V ienna announces an international exhibi

tion of artistic photography from February 15 to March 15, 1905.

The committee, which consists of the omcers of the Camera Club ,and of D r. HugoHenneberg, Heinrich Kuhn, F. Matthies-Masuren ,

and D r. F. V . Spitzer, has decided that only the most important

achievements in artistic photography shall be exh ibited . Only a

comparatively small number of work s wi ll be shown, and none

will be eligible which have previously been on view in V ienna.

The jurywi ll consist of Prof. Kolo Moser, the painter Emil Orlik ,

and D r. Julius Hofmann of the V ienna Camera Club . Intending

foreign exhibitors are requested to make their arrangementswithF. Matthies-Masuren, Halle a. S before the end of December of

this year.

THE following report by a well-known scientist is a good and

unprejudiced account of a very valuable plate :

The A ctien-Gesellschaft fuer A nilin-Fabrikation, Berlin, sent

their Isolar D ry P lates (patented by 0 . Magerstedt ) to the

undersigned for the purpose of exhaustive tests.

6 6

THE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER .

and portrai t negatives ; also some excellent negat ives of land

scapes and mountains (winter landscapes with snow) were pro

duced which were quite free from halat ion. Scientific sketches,

medical and other photographs yielded very good negatives with

a very fine effect. The undersigned obtained espec ially excellent

micro-

photographs with Isolar Plates. The negatives obtained

were absolutely free from halation and very finely detailed .

In conclusion, the undersigned is very well satisfied with the

results of his experiments with the Isolar Plates and can recom

mend them as a result of his experience with them.

(Signed ) Dr. R. A . Rmss.

D irector of the Photo-chemical Laboratoryof the University at Lausanne.

”

Jl Jl Jl

Tm: Th ird Marseilles Salon will be held by the Photograph ic

Soc iety of Marseilles from the 28th of January to the 12th of

February, 1905. This Salon will be internat ional in chara cter,

and entries are desired from America. Entries must be made

before December 31 to M . A stier, 1 1 rue de la Grande-Armée,Marseilles

,France, and pictures must arrive at the same address

before the 12th of January.

Pnoroonarm scnn BIB L IOTHEK . Gustav Schmidt , Berlin.

10. D er Gumm idr’

uck . J . Gaedicke. Zweite Aufiage. Mark

1 1 . D as Photographierenm it Films. D r. E.Holm . Mark

19. D ie Farbenphotographie. D r. E. Koenig. Mark

20. D ie Herstellung von D iaposit ive. P . Hanneke . Mark

2 1 . Anleitung zur Stereoskopie. D r.W. Scheft‘

er. Mark

These latest numbers of this l ibrary of photographic text-book s

are fully equal in quality to those which have preceded them and

to which we have referred from t ime to time. They are all scion

t ifically accurate but still popularly-written treatises, sim ilar in

general style to the P hoto M iniature, and cover the subjects

thoroughly and completely .

J' J' J'

LEITFA D EN D ER LA ND SCH A FTS-PHOTOGRAPH IE . Von Fritz

Loescher. Zweite neubearbeitete Aufiage. Mit 24 Tafeln.

Gustav Schm idt , Berlin. Price in paper, Mark in cloth,

Mark

This new edit ion of a book which we have previously reviewed

68

NOTES AND NEWS .

and recommended is thoroughly revised and is now a most com

prehensive work on the whole subject of landscape photography.

It is thoroughly practical and wri tten by a man wi th no fads on

the subject. The illustrations are illuminating, and the book is

well printed . J J JFOTOGRAFIE A LB Kuusr . EENE VERSA MELING xtms

'rrc

'

ro

GRA PIER uE'

r B EGLEID END EN 'rExsr m B ET HOLLANDSCH

EN BUITSCH noon W. H . IDZERD A 'rE’s GRAvm o E EN

F. MA'

r'

rnms-MABUREN TE HA LL ]: A . S. Wilhelm Knapp ,

Halle a. S., J . R. A . Schouten, Amsterdam. Price yearly, 12

gulden ; single copies, gulden.

This beauti ful quarterly is the Dutch edition of a magazine

which is to appear also in German and probably in French and

English. Each number is to contain pictures of one class only.

The present number is devoted to landscape, and the next will

contain portrai t work . The size of the pages is very large, and

the presswork and typography are faultless. The pictures are

partly illustrations on text pages and partly full page, and com

prise some of the best landscape work produced in the world in

the last ten years. J J JW]: are in receipt of a copy of the A ssociation Review, the pro

gramme of the Twenty-fourth Convention of the Photographers

’

A ssociation of America. The book is edited by C. W. Hearn, of

Boston, and reflects great credit on the ab ility of this gentleman

and those who assisted him. The typography is excellent, and

the illustrat ions, which are numerous and well chosen, are

nicely reproduced . On the whole, the Association is to be

heartily congratulated on its souvenir book .

J J J

THE Second Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Asso

ciation of California was held this year at San Francisco on

October 26 , 27, and 28. The Associat ion has a large and growing

membership, and its meetings are always marked by the display

of much enthusiasm. An interesting and well-illustrated sou

venir programme forms a pleasing memorial of the event.

J J J

THE department of photography at the Bristol County Fair

was th is year as successful as ever under the direction of Mrs.

W. A . Chaplain ,whose enthusiasm and ability are in large

09

THE PRACT ICAL PHOTOGRAPHER .

measure responsible for the inception and continuance of this

exhib it . The collection shown this year was large and interest

ing, and included an exhibit, loaned by the P hotoEra, of pictures

by J . R. Peterson, C. F. Clarke, and F. R . Fraprie. This collec

t ion was not entered for competition. The awards in the com

petitive section were as follows : For collections: 1 . C. M . Lee,

Providence ; 2. A . L . Barrows, Whitman ; 3. A . G . Smith , Brock

ton ; 4. William Whitehead , Taunton ; 5. Eben T . Wood,Midd le

boro. Portraits : 1 . M iss E. L . Williams, South Manchester,

Conn. ; 2 . A . L . Barrows ; 3. A . G . Sm ith ; 4. M . B. Schwab ,Philadelph ia. General class : 1 . A . L . Barrows ; 2 . Miss S. A

,

G ifford, Boston ; 3. W. B. Livermore , Reading ; 4. J . Harry

Thomas, Boston. J J JTHE following unique invitat ion was recently sent to members

of the Canton, Mass , Camera Club . Reports are that those who

accepted d id not regret i t.“CAMP MEETING .

The Kamera Klub has but one holy man, a herm it dwelling i n

the pastures of Robert the Welshman,on the shores of the

Reservoir of Peace, which is in Canton, strange to relate.

Moreover, this holy man has about decided to quit h is job .

Too much peace is mak ing him round-shouldered . The Kamera

Klub is therefore invited to come over and whoop him up a litt le

bit and get him acquainted with the ways of the wicked, on

Sunday, October ninth .

Amid the whoops each man is expected to pass the photo

graph ic plate and collect a picture on it . There will be a feast

of reason and a flow of bowl, and a representat ion of hell fire

during the evening. Services Open at 1 1 A .m , and i f you have

not found peace by 7 P . M . you will be put in the reservoir.

When a holyman starts in, there is something doing. You’d

better come.

70

Published Monthly by Photo Era Pub lishing Company , 1 70 Summer

Stn et , Boston, Massachusetts. U . S . A .

Subscription Rates.

U nited States, Canada, and Mexico, a year.

Other countries in the Universal Postal Union,

Single copies, 25 cents at all photographic dealers and news stands.

NO free sample copies.

Entered at the Post Office, Boston, Mass as second-class matter.

Contents of Our Next Number.

The next number Of the PRACT ICA L PHOTOGRAPHER will deal with

Retouching, a subject of very practical nature and one especially timely

at this period of the year, when indoor work is so universal.

The number on Lantern Slide Work .provisionally announced, has

been indefinitely postponed.

Other Numbers to follow and already in active preparation will

deal wi th Winter Work , Gum-bichromate Printing, Portraiture.

Flowers, Animals. Marine and Seascape. Clouds , Genre, Lenses ,

Night Photography , Chemistry , Orthochromatic Photography , Tele

photography , Ozotype, iron Print ing Processes. Opt ical Lantern,

Stereoscopy , Flash-light Work , Finishing the Print . Combinat ion

Printing.Pictorial Composit ion.Photo-micrography , Figure Studies.

Copy ing, etc .

Hints for intending Contributors.

The Editor will be pleased to carefully consider manuscript bearing

on any Of the subjects announced. Preference wi ll be given manuscripts

character ized by the following features

1 . New or little-known methods formula; personally tested.

2. Short sentences and simple language, with diagrams when needed .

3. Brevity, so far as is consistent with clearness. The first and last

pages of the manuscript should bear the sender’s name and address. The

approximate number of words should be stated. Contributors may, if

they please, send a brief outline or synopsis Of their proposed contribution.

The Ed itor cannot undertake any responsibilitywhatever in connection

withmanuscript, but if stamps are sent for return postage, he will endeavor

to return as quick ly as possible any manuscript not accepted for publica

tion. Manuscript should reach the Editor not later than twomonths before

date of publicat ion.

Principal Contents .

PA ( 1 £ 8

The Pictorial Work Of Arthur Burchett, with an Essay by the Editor .

(Eight Illustrations)

Introduct ion to A rchitectural Photography, by Rev. T . Perk ins,

M . A.

Notes on ArchitecturalPhotography, byW. G . Fryer

Notes on InteriorWork , by H . W. Bennett,F . R. P . S.

H ints to A rchitectural Photographers, by C . W. P iper

Architectural Telephotography, by M. Houghton

Photography for the Antiquary, by T . K. Hackett

Architectural Styles, etc., by E. W. Harvey P iper

Pictorial Pointers, etc. , by F. H . Evans

Jottings, etc . , by the Editor

Pract ical Points, by Various Contributors

Notes and News

FIGURES Illustrations . FA C ING P AG ES

La Belle Bretonne . A . Burchett

The Knight ."

1

2

3. Caller

4. Hampstead Heath.

5 Winter.

”

6“ Ceres.

”

7 . The M id-day Hour.

8 . Chrysanthemums.

”

9, 10, 1 1 . Architecture. T . Perk ins

12, 13, 14.

15. Prior’

s Door, Ely. F. C. Lambert16

,Telephoto Studies. M . Houghton

19. Saxon A rch,S. Benet

’s, Cambridge . F C L .

20, Saxon D etails, St . A lbans.

23, 24, 25. Norman Doorways. C. Gresty, G . Evans

28. D etails. F. C L

Early Engli sh Examples.

31 , 32. Modern33, 34, 35. Decorated Period .

36 , 37, 38 , 39. D etails.

40. The Screen, St . A lbans.

41 , 42, 43. PerpendicularD etails

44. South Side, St. A lbans.

45. North46 . Retro Choir,47 6 6

48 , 49. Typical Exposures.

50. A . B. After-treatment . W. G . Fryer

51 - 63. Vw ious D iagrams.

T he Nude in Photography( LA P H OTOGR A PB I E D U NU ) B Y 0 . K LA R Y

The various parts of this book by the most famous art ist -photogra

contain many Of The Nudephars in all countries of the world.

in Photography,”showing the art istic

results that are to be obtained.

The Nude In Photography is a

The Nude In Photography con‘ unique and curious collection of pic

tains one hundred illustrations that torial Obtained from

are reproductions of pictures made nature with living models.

Price of the book LA PHOTOGRAPHIE DU NU

(The Nude In Photography). Two Dollars. post-paid

C . KLARY , Editor of“ L e Photogramm e

M onth ly R eview of Photography

1 7 rue de M aubeuge , Paris

Send all orders toPHOTO BRA PUBLISHING CO ,Wentworth Building Dew

Square , Boston enclosing 82 on No orders taken on account . Books will

FOR SETTING OFF PLATINUM PRINTS

TO GOOD ADVANTAGE THE

0 0 m I’

IS

AREWITHOUT A PEER

For the convenience of our customers in select

ing and ordering mounts, we have prepared a

number of assortments of our mounting papers,suited for various special purposes, and arranged

in neat portfolios, which are very well suited for

preserving prints.

Themounts are in quarter

sheets, averaging about

9 x 13. Each is sold at

fifty cents, except G,

which costs seventy-five

cents, and l, which costs

two dollars. Ten cents

must be added for postage

on A, F, G , and H, twentycents for B, C ,

D, and E,

and fifty cents for 1.

Photo Era Pub lishingCompany

1 70 S U M M E R S T R E E T

BOSTON, MA SSAC HUSETTS

The Following Assert

ments may he Ordered

A Fine Japanese vellums. themostbeautiful moun t s for platinumprints . Eight sheets in portfolio

B FrenchandEnglish papers.rou hand laid ; mostly light shades ; su table for general work. Twentysheets .

c Whites, grays. and blacks. sultable for platinum prints . Twentyfour sheets.

I) Whites. creams , and browns.adapted for septa and brown prints .

Twenty-four sheets.

E General utility assortment. containing all g ra d e s and colors.

Twenty- four sheets.

I‘

Novelty assortment. containingoddities and s t r i k in g effects.

Twelve sheets.

G White and vellum papers for

gumbichromate and platinum coat

ing. Ten sheets, price seventyfive cents .

1! Silk tissues for p rot e c t ingprints . Sixty sheets .

1 Sample sets of our entire assort

ment of mounts . Seventy -fivesheets, price two dollars.

Kindl y mention The P racti cal P hotographer .

THEVELOX DEVELOP

ING MACHINE

One good thing leads to ah

A natural result of the success

of the Kodak D eveloping Ma

chine is the Velox D eveloping

Machine. This new machine is

exceedingly simple in operation,

saves the necessity of putting the

fingers in the developer, and

avoids bubbles and streaks.

It marks another step towards

cleanliness and convenience in

photographic work.

TO OPERATE.

Print in the usual manner, then pro

ceed to develop as follows :

1 . Pour into the machine three

ounces of Velox L iquid D eveloper,diluted accordmg to the kind of Velox

used. Provide a tray of sufi cient size,

5 x 7 for 4 x 5 and smaller prints, 6”x 854 for 5 x 7 prints. Nearly fill this

tray with clear water and place it in

front (the front is the end on which

the word KO D AK appears) of the

machine. Pour a sufficient quantity ofacid fixing solut ion into a second tray.

2 . You are now ready to developthe prints. Stand at front of machine ;insert the end of print , surface up, in

the slot of the drum, then turn the

crank slowly to the right , and the print

will be drawn through the developer.

Continue to turn the crank , watchingthe appearance of the print as it comesinto VleW. A fter deve lopment is com

plete continue to turn the crank until

the free end of the print 18 about an

inch pas t the pom ted end of the hinged

flap Now quick ly reverse the motion

and turn the crank to the left , when

the flap will automatically pick the

print from the drum and throw it intothe tray of water A llow the print to

stay in the water a second or two. then

THE PRICE .

Velox D eveloping Machine , for

prints of any size up to and

including 5 x 7 8

AMATEUR POR

TRAITURE BY FLASH

LIGHT”

Attracted by the delightful por

traits made with Kodak and

Flash-light by Mr. Wm. S. Ritch,

we arranged with him to write

and illustrate for us a booklet en

titled Amateur Portraiture by

Flash-light.”

Mr. Ritch has some very origi

nal ideas on the subject of flashlight portraiture, and his method ,

we feel sure, will be of great help

to the amateur in following up

this delightful and interesting

phase of photographic work.

The little book contains, in ad

dition to the cleverly and clearly

Kindly mention The P rac t ica l P hotographer .”

place it in the fixing solution face up.

Now proceed with next print in similarmanner. Care should be taken that

the prints are wholly immersed in the

fixing solution, which may be accom

plished by the aid of a small woodenstick . Fixing and washing are com

pleted in the ordinary manner.If a large number of prints are de

ve10ped m succession it will be neces

sary to oceasionally add an ounce or

two of developer, as a slight amount isabsorbed by each print . The machine,however, will be found very economica lin operation, as it is possible to developa 5x 7 print in two ounces of developer.

When through using the machine it

should be thoroughly rinsed and wipedwell

, and set away to dry.

months will result from them .

B ritzslz j ournal of Photography .

EASTMAN KO DAK COMPANY ,

ROCHESTER , N. Y.

I have recent] returned from Man

churia , where I ave been serving as

war correspondent for the London

D ai ly Cbromd e. While there I used

your Pocket Folding Kodak , and wish

to testif to the general success which

attende my efforts with it. In In

story of Manchurian Adventures,whic

appeared in the July Sunset Magazi ne,

illustra ted by photos taken by myself,I wish to state that all of the aforesaid

pictures were taken by the use of the

Eastman, including the photo of myself, which James F J. A rchibald took

for me. a a a a

Very truly yours ,is at the front.

GEORGE F. BRONSON-H OWARD .

The truth from the seat of warAM QI

is that the Kodak and the KodakTHE D GER SIGN

D eveloping Machine are carrying

everything before them . Colonel

Archibald, to whom Mr. Bronson

Howard refers above, is a most

enthusiastic devotee of the Kodak,

and, so far as we know, was the

first of the war correspondents to

make use of the D eveloping Ma

chine, he having used it with

marked success in the late dith

culty between V enezuela and

Germany.

Wm. D inwiddie, who is still at

the front, carried a Kodak through

the Spanish war, using it daily

under the most trying circum

stances in the Cuban and Porto

Kind ly mention The P ract ica l P hotographer .

Rican campaigns, und expressing

himself enthusiastically over the

results after his return. George

Kennan, the famous writer on

Russian topics, is also at the

front , and from him we have al

ready published an endorsement

of the Kodak and Machine .

Perhaps the photographic situ

ation in the Far East is best

summed up by the statement of

Collier’s Weekly that ninety per

cent. of the pictures of important

events at the seat of war received

by them are on films.

In war, as in peace, the Kodak

When the photographer fixes a

negative, he can tell from its ap

pearance whether or not it is

fixed. With prints he has never

had any such guide, and manyfaded ones have been the result.

But the newN. A . Velox Liquid

D eveloper puts out a danger sig

nal. It turns the print a canary

yellow, and the color does not

disappear until fixing is complete.

Fifteen minutes in the Acid

Fixing bath will remove this color

every time, unless the bath has

been weakened by overworking,

or has been too much diluted .

If the color remains, the print

is n’t fixed if it disappears, it is

fixed ; and, moreover, it will be

permanent.

The yellow color on the prints

has led some people to believe

that there is cyanide in the N. A .

D eveloper. This is positively

not the case. It contains no

cyanide orotherdangerous poison.

Velox,Velox Liquid D eveloper,

Velox H ardener theywork best

together.

NEPERA D IVISION,

Eastman Kodak Co.

STILL THEY COME

ANOTHER WELL-KNOWN WORKER

SURRENDERS To THE KOD AK

D EVELOPING MACH INE.

The time method of develop

ment has won. The Kodak D e

veIOping Machine has led the

forces in favor of it, and the skep

tics are routed. It is not only

films now, but plates too. The

authorities are beginning to agree,

and the photographic magazines

are full of articles advocating the

“ time system. In the October

Camera, Felix Raymer touches

the subject of development in his

article on Flash-light Photog

There has been much said about

the developing of a plate , but In my

Opinion there has been a greater bugga

boo made over it than the importance

of the case warrants. If the exposure

has been anywhere near right, even a

child can develop the negative. In

fact , all that is necessary will be for

some one to place the plate in the

developer and time ft, and when tlce

proper tune Izas been passed, take Me

plate out. There is no necessity for

examining it while developing, and in

fact it has been my experience the more

you examine the plate during the progress of development the less of a rich

quality is there secured.

I have lately also been trying your

Kodak D eveloping Machine, and am

glad to say that the results Obtained

were most surpnsmg A lthough Iknew the theory was correct, still I

have been somewhat skeptical, but

after my experience wi th It am con

vinced that its use is the only rational

way to develop a film .

H ARRY CO t 'TANT .

Kindly mention The P ract ica l Photographer .

”

One of the best known and most

progressive of the many earnest

workers in the NewYork Camera

Club is Mr. H arry Coutant. Mr.

Coutant is intensely practical. A

theory does not satisfy him, and

so he has been making some care

ful tests of the working of the

Kodak D eveloping Machine. In

a recent letter to the Nepera D i

vision, in which he spoke most

enthusiastically of the new N. A .

Velox Liquid D eveloper, he also

had this to say of the Kodak

D eveloping Machine :

The Practical Photographer - Forgotten Books

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