AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY 



TRIALS OF AN AMATEUR. 



J. N. BEECHER. 



Come into the garden Maud, 



Bring the kodak — largest size. 

 And we'll take some stunning pictures 

 Maud, 



For Recreation's prize. 



Sixty days ago I didn't know a hand 

 camera from a hay baler; but in reading 

 Recreation I ran against your photo prize 

 contest. Then the camera craze struck 

 me square between the eyes and mush- 

 roomed. I resolved then and there that I 

 would capture your first prize if I had to 

 load a cartridge kodak plum to the muzzle 

 to do it. How well I have succeeded the 

 picture I send you, with this, will decide. 

 But oh! the trials of an amateur! 



First buying a good 4x5 camera I went 

 to work and ran the whole shooting match 

 myself, from posing to pasting, and if there 

 are any chemicals listed that I haven't ex- 

 perimented with, or any photo supply 

 house, East of the Rocky mountains, that 

 hasn't heard from me, it's simply an over- 

 sight on my part — that's all. 



And the subjects! I knew wild animals 

 would make striking pictures; and being 

 something of a trapper I decided to com- 

 mence on the gentle coyote; for I knew by 

 experience just how pleasant a coyote can 

 look when he has a paw in a No. 2 New- 

 house trap. He can then open his jaws 

 wide enough to swallow his whole body. 



When I set my traps every wolf in the 

 hills seemed to know I wanted a prize pict- 

 ure, and it was just 3 weeks later that my 

 " assistant trapper " rushed in on me, at 

 3 p.m., shouting: 



" Hurry up. Big coyote in the trap! " 



I snatched my camera, saddled the pinto, 

 " tied the dog loose," and we hit the trail. 

 Gee! but it would have done you good to 

 have seen that pony and dog. They knew 

 something was up for they had been there 

 before; and as, we dashed through town, 

 out into the mountains, everybody knew 

 " Beecher had gone crazy again." 



We had to make time or the sun would 

 be too low for a snap shot and it wasn't 

 long till we got there. I jumped to the 

 ground, threw the check strap to " Tiger's" 

 collar — words won't hold that old dog 

 when he smells a coyote — and we slid cau- 

 tiously up the hill; Tiger pulling on the 

 lead till he caught sight of the wolf. Then 

 he gave a lunge that lifted me nearly off my 

 feet, and a howl that struck terror to the 

 heart of Mr. Coyote. The latter didn't 

 stand on the order of going, but went. 



One bound into the air — trap and all — 

 when snap! went the chain and off went 



the cussed old coyote with one of my best 

 steel traps on his foot. I turned old Tiger 

 loose and he didn't need any urging. He 

 bounded to one side of the trail while I 

 took the other, and the pace, for a few rno- 

 ments, was rather too lively for even a 

 snap shot — shortest time — big stop. 



The coyote didn't go far till the trap 

 caught in a bush. I jumped in front of him 

 and gave him one between the eyes, from 

 my revolver, just as a starter. Then Tige 

 came in on the other side and had him by 

 the neck so quick he barely escaped my 

 shot. We soon got even with the brute for 

 breaking away and spoiling our photo con- 

 test. 



My partner kicked just because, as he 

 said, " I was shooting pretty close toward 

 him." I told him if he thought I was go- 

 ing to take any chances on losing a good 

 coyote skin, and one of my best steel traps, 

 just because he happened to be standing 

 around in the way, he must take me for a 

 tenderfoot; that as long as I hit the coyote 

 I was shooting at, he needn't kick. Then 

 he got mad and said I " could run the 

 dogoned amateur kodunk biz myself, after 

 this." Did I get a good picture? Well, no; 

 for when we called the outfit to order and 

 sorted out the dog, and horse, and dead 

 coyote, from the camera, it was too dark for 

 snap shots. And that's why I didn't get first 

 prize in Recreation's amateur contest. 

 Still, as I write this my tired feet rest on a 

 large and handsome coyote rug, and ol\ 

 Tige had a pile of fun! 



To C. P'. S., Cleveland, Ohio, who asks 

 how to get the carbon finish on photos, I 

 beg to say you will be obliged to get Velox 

 or Delta matt printing paper. No glace pa- 

 per will produce a carbon finish. The matt 

 is always in dull finish. Velox paper is 

 developed after printing. 



On taking it from your printing frame, 

 it will bear no trace or outline of plate or 

 negative. You then place it in your de- 

 veloping tray and pour (quickly) your ton- 

 ing developer on it, taking care that it 

 covers it at one sweep. Then proceed as 

 in developing other plates, only that you 

 can do this by gas or daylight. When it 

 has reached the desired tone or shade do 

 not rinse in water but toss it in your hypo 

 fixing bath. All directions come with the 

 paper. You can see at once that Velox 

 must be the coming carbon paper. It can 

 be toned any shade, in olive or black. It 

 is very sensitive and prints in 5 seconds, 

 when exposed to gaslight, and in 7 seconds 

 by daylight. You must be governed by 

 the depth of your negative, as to whether 

 it be thick or thin. 



Mrs. C. W. K., New Haven, Conn. 



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