AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY. 



CHINESE PHOTOGRAPHY. 



The " Chicago Record " tells this story: 

 " On one occasion, while he was prosecut- 

 ing attorney, Luther Laflin Mills came on 

 an indictment returned against a Chinese 

 laundryman, on the charge of having as- 

 saulted an Irish policeman, with intent to 

 kill. Mills thought this a curious case, and 

 on examining the prosecuting witness, and 

 others, he threw out the indictment as be- 

 ing wholly absurd. The compatriots of the 

 Chinaman were grateful, and, in pigeon 

 English, assured Mr. Mills that they would 

 not forget his kindness. 



" Five or 6 years after this the affair was 

 recalled to Mr. Mills' attention by 2 car- 

 riages rolling up to his house carrying a 

 delegation of Chinamen, attired in native 

 costumes. One, who was attired in silks, 

 addressed Mr. Mills and recalled the affair 

 of his persecuted countryman. ' I have just 

 returned from China,' said he, ' and have 

 brought with me certain articles which I 

 crave permission to present to your family 

 as evidences of my appreciation of your 

 kindness to one of my countrymen when in 

 trouble.' 



" The delegation was ushered into the 

 house, bearing numerous packages of teas, 

 fans, silks, etc., which were distributed 

 among the several members of the family. 

 Before taking his departure the spokesman 

 asked Mr. Mills to let him have a cabinet 

 photograph he saw on the mantel. This 

 was a picture of the Mills children, prettily 

 grouped. Mr. Mills thought the request a 

 strange one, but under the circumstances 

 could hardly deny it. 



' By and by you will know why I want 

 it/ said the Chinese gentleman. 



" Recently, there arrived a parcel from 

 Hong Kong containing an enlarged water 

 color reproduction of the photograph, giv- 

 ing the details of expression and color with 

 startling fidelity. 



" ' This is our present to you,' said the 

 Chinaman. 



' But how was it possible for the artist 

 on the other side of the globe to know what 

 shade of color to give to the hair and eyes 

 of these children, whom he never saw? ' 

 asked Mr. Mills. 



" The Chinaman replied that the art of 

 photography was so thoroughly under- 

 stood in China that it was easy to deter- 

 mine, from the revelations of the magnify- 

 ing glass, just what color, what shade and 

 what tint were represented by such and 

 such impressions as the photograph re- 

 tained and exhibited. Among the many 

 beautiful works of art in which the Mills 

 mansion abounds there is none more ex- 

 quisite than this example of Chinese skill, 



and, naturally enough, with all the associa- 

 tions which its history involves, it is Mr. 

 Mills' most precious possession." 



THE NIAGARA FALLS AS A PHOTOGRAPHIC 

 SUBJECT. 



F. H. Z. 



Travel where you will North, South, 

 East or West and you will not succeed in 

 discovering a spot so much visited by pho- 

 tographers, amateurs and professionals 

 alike, as is Niagara Falls. It is indeed the 

 photographic Mecca of the world, for at 

 all seasons of the year, and at times when 

 it is utterly impossible to obtain a good 

 negative, you may see photographers hur- 

 rying along, with cameras in their hands, 

 eager to obtain a shot at the mighty cat- 

 aract. 



On arriving at Prospect Park, usually 

 the first point visited by the average fiend, 

 he leans over the stone wall, takes one 

 admiring glance and, as the beauty of the 

 scene adds to his eagerness to make the 

 picture, he hurriedly sets up his camera, 

 focusses, adjusts the stop and shutter, 

 presses the bulb and imagines the deed is 

 done. 



These same tactics are repeated at all the 

 different points of interest and, on his re- 

 turn home, when developing the plates, dis- 

 appointment may be read all over his coun- 

 tenance. The hopes he had built on the 

 fine negatives, which were to result from 

 his day's work at Niagara, are dissipated 

 and the reasons for his failure began to 

 dawn on him. 



To begin with, the day was not so clear 

 and bright as it must necessarily be to get 

 a good instantaneous negative. He made 

 the exposures too early, or too late in the 

 day; and good, strong high-lights are 

 missing. He did not observe that the wind 

 was blowing the spray, in gusts, in front of 

 the falls; so that a clear negative was im- 

 possible. These, with many other minor 

 points, escaped his notice and, as a result, 

 he must try again. 



The local professionals, of Niagara Falls, 

 are among the few who have strictly first- 

 class negatives of the falls. It is indeed a 

 deep subject, and one must needs be posted 

 on the time of year, the hour of the day and 

 the kind of a day for making the exposure, 

 on different subjects. During the early 

 summer, about the middle of June, and af- 

 ter a thunder shower, when the atmosphere 

 is clear and when there is little or no wind 

 blowing, you are always sure to see these 

 men, between 12 and 2 o'clock, at some 

 of the different points. Seldom, if ever, do 



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