THE WOMBAT. 35 



The portrait photographer needs a plain cloth back- 

 ground, a blanket will do if not too light colored, but the best 

 thing to be had is one of those washable plain cloth back- 

 grounds kept in stock by most dealers. Place this at one end 

 of the room, suspending it by means of a hook from the 

 ceiling, or in any other way which may be convenient. Its 

 extremity is perhaps a couple of yards from the window ; if 

 it can be three yards away, so much the better. It is desirable, 

 however, that it should not be less than two. If the back- 

 ground is placed partially facing the window, the light falls 

 direct on to it, and it appears to be comparatively light 

 colored. If, however, it is turned very slightly away from 

 the window so that no direct light can reach it, it seems 

 almost black. By thus adjusting the angle of the background 

 then, the portrait photographer can secure almost any shade 

 of background which may be required, and vary the treat- 

 ment of his subject accordingly. 



Next let us deal with the question of the windows. The 

 one adjacent to the background is the one by which the 

 effects are to be produced. The remote window need not 

 have any consideration, it serves merely to light the room 

 generally. Placing a sitter in front of the background, draw 

 the blind of the first window down until all direct light above 

 the level of the sitter's head is shut off, then take a large 

 newspaper and place it across the lower panes of the window, 

 gradually raising it until all direct light below the bust of the 

 sitter is also cut off. We have then this condition of affairs 

 — a distant window supplying a general illumination to the 

 room, a near window from which a shaft of light illuminates 

 the person to be photographed. It will be observed, however, 

 that the side of the face away from the direct light is quite 

 lost in shadow, and if photographed without any further 

 modification would inevitably produce harsh contrasts. Some 

 appliance must be used as a reflector. The most convenient 

 method is to throw a sheet over a screen, or on the back of a 

 high chair, and placing it opposite the light, cause it so to 

 reflect that the side of the face and body away from .the win- 

 dow become illuminated, not to the same extent of course as 

 the opposite side, but sufficiently so to equalize what would 

 otherwise prove to be harsh and inartistic contrasts. 



By increasing or decreasing the width of the beam of 

 light, effects varying from the extreme Rembrandt style to 

 more ordinary ones of general illumination may be accom- 

 plished. 



The camera should be placed opposite or nearly opposite 

 the sitter. In the matter of lenses, one of narrow angle or 

 long focus should be chosen, and a single spectacle lens, 

 cheap though it may be, gives first-class results. Do not be 

 anxious to use a very small stop, certainly there is no need to 



