Popular Science Monthly 



127 



The Making of Photographic 

 Silhouettes 



THE quaint portraits which our great- 

 grandparents knew and deUghted in 

 as "silhouettes" have long since passed out 

 of fashion. But a form of photography 

 showing "shadow photographs" which has 

 recently attracted attention is in many 

 respects a revival of the old-time art. The 

 old-fashioned silhouettes were cut out, of 

 paper with scissors, and mounted upon a 

 heavy card, or in some other appropriate 

 way. Certain 

 artists at- \ 

 tained such 

 skill that 

 they dis- 

 pensed en- 

 tirely with 

 preliminary 

 outlining or 

 sketching. 

 Photo- 

 graphic 

 imitation of 

 silhouettes 

 does not call 

 for much in- 

 herent skill 

 on the part 

 of the work- 

 er. A little patience, plus a 

 modicum of common sense, 

 will soon be rewarded by 

 charmingly successful re- 

 sults. Then, too, the pictures 

 can be secured quickly as 

 negatives, and any number of 

 copies can be rendered avail- 

 able subsequently by print- 

 ing out, developing and 

 fixing. Thus, at the time 

 when the portrait is taken, 

 the operator is free to con- 

 centrate his undivided attention upon' the 

 sitter. 



Shadow or silhouette photographs may 

 be taken either at night or by day. At 

 night, all that is needed is a semi-trans- 

 parent screen, which can be made from an 

 old linen sheet, or even from paper, sup- 

 ported upon a wood framework. For 

 general purposes the screen should be 

 white, or nearly so, although on occasion 

 a good effect may be gained by employing 

 a screen of neutral tint, or one in which 

 transmitted light reveals a certain graining 

 or irregularity of substance. In other 

 words, the background of the finished 



Silhouette photographs of 

 still life and of living 

 models may be made 



picture need not always be dead white, but 

 may be varied in tone to suit the subject. 

 The screen is supported vertically, and the 

 sitter or subject is placed before it. The 

 outline or profile must be very sharply 

 focused; and for this purpose a fairly 

 strong and steady light is needed. But 

 as soon as the focusing is complete, this 

 light must be extinguished. The exposure 

 is then made by burning magnesium ribbon, 

 or a flash lamp, behind the screen. If 

 magnesium ribbon is used, about i ft. of 



it should be 

 burnt, the 

 aperture of 

 the lens be- 

 ing left wide 

 open. 



On the 

 whole the 

 shadow 

 photographs 

 may be 

 made more 

 satisfactori- 

 ly by day be- 

 cause artifi- 

 cial light 

 can then be 

 dispensed 

 with from 

 start to finish, while focusing 

 becomes much easier, and 

 can be prolonged until the 

 operator has found, by ex- 

 periment, the exact position 

 in which his subject shows 

 to greatest advantage. A 

 window having a single pane 

 of glass not less than 2 ft. 

 by 2>^ ft. should be chosen. 

 This must not be too high 

 above the floor; if possible 

 itshouldface north, although 

 this is not essential. To the window-frame 

 a screen of linen or paper may be fixed with 

 tacks or pins. Any transverse light may 

 be shut out by means of blinds or screens. 

 When this has been done, everything will 

 be in readiness. If the day is clear and the 

 light brilliant, a snapshot will be possible; 

 and when children or animals are sitting, 

 this is a great advantage. In dull weather, 

 an exposure of several seconds may be 

 necessary. Everything depends upon the 

 density of the screen that is used. 



Every effort should be made to secure 

 vigorous outlines, although all avoidable 

 hardness should be eliminated. Remember 



