196 



• KNOWLEDGE 



[Aua. 18, 1882. 



with hind steering wheels are unsjifo when ridinc; down 

 hill. It seems to me that tlie makers ha%-e themselves to 

 thank for this belief ; they mostly make the hind steering- 

 wlieel too small, and they always, for the sake of appear- 

 ance, put the steering-wheel too close to the rider. This is 

 in every way prejudicial to the working of the machine. 

 Hy making the steering wheel larger a better contact is 

 obtaine<l and more hold is taken of the ground. 



This point has been admirably carried out in tlie well- 

 known '• Facile " bicycle. Again, by making the backbone 

 which carries the hind steering-wheel about nine or ten 

 inches longer, the wheel would keep down better on the 

 ground when running down hill ; it would also pass more 

 easily over obstructions on a rough road, and it would 

 ooiumunicate much less vibration to the rider, because 

 when rising itself it would, being farther from him, raise 

 him through a smaller height The longer the backbone is 

 the better the machine will carry luggage, and it should be 

 mentio«ed in this connection that, when laden with luggage 

 for touring, a hind-wheel steering tricycle is made steadier 

 and sifer, and steers better, while the very reverse obtains 

 with the front-wheel steering machines. 



This season I have been riding only rear-steerers, with 

 great pleasure and benefit myself, and I cannot help thiuk- 

 in:j that if manufacturers will make the two small, yet 

 all important, alterations in them I have indicated, that 

 the-y have a great future before them. It may be that 

 they will require a little more time and attention to learn 

 to ride them well tlian front-wheel steering machines, yet 

 that will not be begrudged by those who wish to become 

 experts, if they know that an advantage is to be gained 

 thereby. 



Hind wheel steering machines are the most gi-aceful in 

 .ippearance, ha\-ing nothing of the Bath-chair about them, 

 and they are by far the easiest to mount and dismount 

 from. They can be made lighter than front-steering 

 machines, and lend themselves more readily to novel varia- 

 tions in construction. Every front-steering tricycle re- 

 sembles strongly the first front-steerer introduced, the 

 Salvo, whilst no such similarity exists among rear-steerers. 



It may be that from being more readily ridden without 

 any science, and from its being a stronger machine and 

 more proof against ill-usage, that the greater number of 

 the cheaper class of tricycles will be frontrwheel steerers ; 

 but, as the desire will increase to catch up with their more 

 nimble-footed brethren, the bicycles, while preserving as 

 far as pos.siljIe their own advantages, I think it most 

 probable that the hind-wheel steering machines will be 

 the high-class tricycles of the future. 



PHOTOGRAPHY FOR AMATEURS. 



Bv A. Brotueks, F.R.A.S. 



THE portrait of a friend taken by one's self, even if less 

 perfect than one done in the carefully-arranged light 

 of the professional photographer's room, is certain to 

 powjcss more interest from the fact of its being our own 

 work ; and the amateur will have no difficulty in finding 

 material on which to exercise his skill. 



The desire to take portraits we may say is almost 

 'uiiversal with the beginner in photography; and we pro- 

 ]>ov now to show how lie may obtain the best results. 

 Something more than a map of the face is required, and it 

 is not sufficient to place the sitter in the open air and with- 

 out further preparation " take " the picture. The sitter 



should never be placed in full sunlight. Preferably the 

 light should come from the north, and it should be arranged 

 that one side of the face should be in shade. The outline 

 of the nose should be seen against the check. The proper 

 etlect may be assisted by placing a screen on the shade side, 

 and too niucli light from the top may be avoided by holding 

 a screen covered with some light material over the head, 

 ar.d by careful arrangement of the two screens the best 

 eflect may bo easily seen. Assistance may bo required to 

 unc.ip the lens, but if the screen be provided with a long 

 handle, the operator may do without an assistant 



A word or two about Jucnssin;/ may be useful here. 

 With portrait lenses all parts of tlio subject cannot be in 

 perfect focus, therefore we must take an average, and this 

 is best obtiiined by seeing that tlio eye nearest the lens is 

 perfectly sharp, and the rest of the subject will be in fair 

 average focus. The hands often give some difficulty. See 

 that the sitter does not sit directly facing the camera, and 

 that the hands ar(> not too far forward. Let the figure be 

 turned jartly to the side if the hands are to be included, 

 and see also that they arc suitably "posed." The hands form 

 an important part in a well-arranged portrait A vignette 

 presents few difficulties. 



The background is an important matter. Foliage some- 

 times may be utilized, but if only a vignette be required, a 

 large sheet of brown paper ii.\ed at a suitable distance may 

 be sufficieiit The tone or colour of the background should 

 be selected to suit the eflect desired. Backgrounds painted 

 on both sides in different colours can be purchased, and are 

 very suitable. Sometimes a porch or conservatory may be 

 utilized. Of course, with the quick gelatine plates, no head- 

 rest will 1)0 required. Neither is it necessary to use a 

 portrait lens, as in a good light a landscape lens will give 

 very good results, although if the amateur possess the 

 portrait lens he would use it for vignettes. The landscape lens 

 should be preferred if foliage or otlicr surrounding objects 

 are to be introduced, owing to tlio greater depth of focus 

 which such lenses give. 



E.xcellent portraits may sometimes be obtained in an 

 ordinary room, careful attention being given to lighting the 

 subject The sitter should not be too near the window, 

 anci the dark side of the face can bo relieved by means of a 

 reflector, which may be a sheet of white paper held at a 

 suitable distance. 



Before proceeding to print a portrait, the negative should 

 be carefully examined, and all defects should be removed 

 by means of lead-pencil or with some suitable pigment in 

 water-colour, the object being to stop out the defects to the 

 depth of the surrounding parts. Considerable skill is 

 retjuircd to " retouch " a negative. There can be no doubt 

 that a " retouched " portrait may be made smoother and 

 prettier than an untouched print. Whether such re- 

 touching is legitimate may 1)6 a matter of question, but as 

 the practice is now universal, an untouched portrait when 

 placed beside one " improved " is apt to be compared un- 

 favourably ; therefore, if the amat(mr desire his work to be 

 placed side by side with retouched portraits, ho must work 

 upon his negatives to produce the fashionable eflect The 

 retouching is efTected by working on the negative with lead- 

 pencil cut to a very fine point and then rubbed on fine 

 sand or emery paper. The negative must bo rested on a 

 suitable stand, with a strong light reflected through it 

 Obvious defects must first b(! removed, and then the skill 

 of the retoucher must be exercised to produce the desired 

 smootliness. Thi^ is done l)y carefully filling in the trans- 

 parent places ; and if increased high liglitsare required, the 

 lead pencil is applied to darken the parts. Our advice is 

 to do as little as possible beyond removing real defects ; a 

 perfect photograph ought riot to require the assistance of 



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