AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY. 



POINTS FOR AMATEURS. 



As stated in a previous article, too many 

 would-be amateurs are not careful enough 

 in details. Photography is an art — a fine art 

 — and to produce a fine picture, one full of 

 life, feeling and effect, requires a good degree 

 of artistic taste and skill, as well as care in 

 all the details. ' 



To point the camera at an object and fire 

 away without focussing, timing, or using any 

 judgment is simply absurd. If you obtain 

 an occasional good picture in this way, it is 

 simply an accident. In getting ready to 

 take a landscape or an out-door picture of 

 any kind, we should have in view the gen- 

 eral effect to be obtained and not let one 

 part of the exposure stand out too sharp on 

 the ground glass, and by its promine nee de- 

 stroy the general effect desired. In other 

 words we should strive to make all parts of 

 the picture harmonize. Of course a fore- 

 ground is just as necessary in a picture as a 

 mid-ground or distance. Many amateurs 

 think too much of the foreground; overload 

 it and make it too prominent, thereby des- 

 troying the desired effect. In focussing if it 

 be impossible to get both distance and'fore- 

 ground sharp, divide the focus; but give 

 the foreground the preference, as this should 

 be the sharpest. If there are figures in the 

 picture have them in natural attitudes, re- 

 presenting work. Give each of them some- 

 thing to do, pleasure or sport. Don't allow 

 them to stare at the camera. 



Dr. Wm. H. Steele. 



Sarony speaking of the status of women 

 in professional photography, says: 



"We require the -finest talent that can be 

 had in the country. The operators, who do 

 nearly all the mechanical work, are, of 

 course, at the top. Next in order are the 

 negative retouchers. This is fine, delicate 

 work, well adapted to a woman, and they 

 earn from $15 to $30 a week. The printers 

 receive from $12 to $25 a week; mounters, 

 about $7 to $12 a week, and the spotters — 

 those who remove blemishes — also from $7 

 to $12 a week." 



If any woman could find a way to 

 really remove blemishes from the faces of 

 the customers she could no doubt earn a 

 salary of $100 a week. 



Fixing Bath. Thirty-two ounces of 

 Sulphite of Soda (Hydrometer test 60), add 

 to this 1 ounce of Sulphuric Acid, very 

 slowly, and 8 ounces solution of Chrome 

 Alum (Hydrometer test 60), then add the 

 whole to 2 gallons saturated solution of 

 Hypo, and it is ready for use. 



much of street fakirs' "cure alls." Use, say 

 two kinds of developers, as, for instance, 

 Metol for rapid work, and use it just as the 

 manufacturer directs. It will bring up any 

 thing that the light has ever had access to. 

 Hydrochinonine for very slow plates, such as 

 those of a sensitometer of 12 to 16 or 20, 

 that have had a liberal exposure. 



W. R. L. Dwyer, M. D. 



Powdered aluminum, for flash-light work, 

 has been recommended. The following is a 

 formula : Powdered aluminum, 30 parts; 

 potassium chlorate, 70 parts. After mixing, 

 the compound should be handled carefully, 

 as there is always a danger of explosion. 

 The aluminum powder should be heated in 

 an iron pan sufficiently to drive away all 

 greasy matter. A combination of magnesi- 

 um and aluminum has been recommended 

 by Wladiminsky, in the Photographische 

 Rundschau : 70 parts of potassium chlorate; 

 40 parts of potassium perchlorate; 45 parts 

 of magnesium, and 20 parts of aluminum, 

 are powdered separately, and, after a careful 

 mixture, made up into small cartridges. A 

 small tuft of gun cotton is placed at the bot- 

 tom, and acts as a fuse. — Photographic 

 Times. 



Prof. Boys, in his recent experiments in 

 photographing flying projectiles, makes an 

 exposure of less than the millionth of a sec- 

 ond, the first tenth part of this period being 

 sufficient to produce the image of the projec- 

 tile. This is accomplished by means of an 

 electric spark as brilliant and as short as 

 possible, the bullet itself completing the cir- 

 cuit. The action of the air in the path of a 

 flying projectile is similar to that of the wa- 

 ter in the wake of a swiftly moving boat. 

 These air waves, however, are only formed 

 when the speed of the projectile is greater 

 than that of sound. Prof. Boys' experi- 

 ments were made with one of the new mag- 

 azine rifles recently issued to the English 

 troops. 



The Seattle Camera Club has now attained 

 a membership of nearly 60, among whom 

 are a good many who would like to exchange 

 with brother amateurs of the Eastern States. 

 Any one desirous of arranging for such ex- 

 changes should address the Secretary of the 

 society, Mr. Emil de Neuf. 



When you have occasion to make guide 

 marks on your ground glass, do it with slate 

 pencil. Then you can see the mark from 

 the outside. 



J. H. J. Do not combine any two develop- 

 ing agents in one developer. It savors too 



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