AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY. 



A CHEAP STUDIO. 



Editor Recreation. 



Springfield, O. 



For over four years I have been interested in 

 photography, and the charm grows and the inter- 

 est increases in a direct ratio with the lapse of 

 time. Many amateurs confine their operations 

 to landscape photography ; others, in fact, most 

 beginners, become especial! 1 / interested in por- 

 trait photography, wishing to photograph all of 

 their friends in various attitudes. I trust that 

 some of these may profit by my experience in 

 that line. 



After many trials and much tribulation, both 

 to myself and to my iriends, I gradually evolved 

 an ideal amateur's portrait gallery. The 

 whole outfit has cost me but five cents, the 

 materials being mostly found in the laundry and 

 attic. Now, when I wish to make a portrait, 1 

 select a window devoid of curtains and which 

 faces north, roll the shade up to the top. On 

 the left of this window, about three feet from 

 it and a little back, I setup a large old-fashioned 

 clothes-horse, having the sides at right angles 

 to each other. Over the side parallel with the 

 window, I throw a light cloth or sheet, while 

 over the other side I hang an old drab-colored 

 window shade so that the shade-roller will not 

 quite touch the floor. This weight keeps out 

 all wrinkles, allowing me a good plain back- 

 ground. A blanket can be used where a shade 

 is not at hand. Before throwing up the shade 

 on the window I pin to it a yard of cheese 

 cloth, which will cover about two-thirds of the 

 upper part of my window. Over the lower part 

 of the window I tack a cloth, or newspaper, so 

 as to shut off all lower light. 



The subject is seated with his back to the drab 

 shade. On his left is the window, on his right 

 the sheet reflector, which can be moved to and 

 from him as judgment may direct, to soften or 

 obliterate the shadows. Never turn the face 

 toward the window, but from it. As the shad- 

 ing and lighting of a portrait is such an im- 

 portant factor, all this care is necessary in order to 

 get the best results. A shadow at the side of 

 the nose or about an eye will often require a 

 separate small reflector to soften it down. This 

 individual reflector is made thus : — an extra 

 large palm-leaf fan is painted white or covered 

 with some white material. A brown stick is 

 fastened to a wood base, in any way convenient, 

 and the fan tied to this stick so that it may be 

 moved up or down or around so as to throw 

 light in any part of the face. We now have 

 perfect control of an abundance of diffused light, 

 all of which comes from above the sitter. This 

 requires an exposure of about 12 seconds, with a 

 stop one inch in diameter — while on the same 

 day I would need an exposure of one second out 

 of doors, on a landscape view with my smallest 

 stop, which is one-eighth inch in diameter. 



1 would like to show you some samples of my 

 work before and after adopting this 'method. 

 Before, my friends were always so horrified with 

 the caricatures I made of them, that I had almost 

 decided to give it up and take to landscape 

 work. Now they actually order and pay for 



more of their own photos, to give away, and I 

 receive many compliments from the best profes- 

 sional photographers in our city on my portrait 

 work. 



In our Hi^h School Scientific Association we 

 founded an amateur photographic club, of which 

 I was elected president, and we have pecks of 

 fun out of it. Some of us learned, in a short 

 time, that "little things make a big difference 

 in the wonderful art of photography." 



Paul A. Ulrich. 



Mr. A. G. Wallihan, Lay, Colo., has 

 finished up his winter's work photographing big 

 game, has returned home, developed his pla es, 

 and has a veritable casket of jewels. His series 

 now consists of 38 pictures of deer, 12 of elk, 

 9 of antelope, 18 of mountain lions, 1 of cayote. 



7 of wild cats, 3 of rattlesnakes, 2 of sage hens, 

 and many others of camps, hunting scenes, etc. 

 The set complete numbers 94, of which 22 are 



8 x 10, and the others 5x8. 



Some of these pictures are so realistic as to 

 almost make a man's hair stand. The most 

 striking of the lot, perhaps, are those of moun- 

 tain lions. Some of these are perched in low 

 trees so near the audience that you can smell 

 their breath. One has leaped from the tree and 

 the lens caught him in the air with all his sails 

 set. He is coming directly for you and you in- 

 stinctively feel, as you look at the picture, that it 

 is time to get behind the other fellow. 



Then, the old rattlers are coiled so uncom- 

 fortably close to your feet and look so vicious, 

 that you begin to think seriously of swearing off. 

 You can hear them " zizz-z-z," and see their 

 forked tongues darting from their venomous little 

 heads. 



This collection of pictures would afford you 

 and your friends many an hour of deep enjoy- 

 ment. Send for a sample dozen. Then you 

 will buy the others. 



Mr. Wallihan has been unfortunate in the 

 selection of a publisher. His book is beautiful 

 and, if properly handled, would have had a large 

 sale. The original photographs are, however, 

 much finer, stronger, and better every way, than 

 the reproductions. 



Ellensburg, N. Y. 

 Editor Recreation. 



Among the many uses of the bicycle, is that of 

 patrolling the beach by the U. S. Life Saving Corps. 



The past season a large schooner came ashore 

 on Lake Ontario, and seven men were drowned 

 before the L. S. crew could reach the scene. As 

 their bodies did not immediately wash ashore, 

 the captain of the crew ordered the beach pa- 

 trolled for a distance of four miles, three times 

 each 24 hours. 



Without a wheel this would have been a very 

 tedious duty, but the beach of fine sand was 

 packed down hard by the heavy west winds and 

 waves, and several of the crew being expert 

 wheelmen, they were able to patrol this beat 

 three times a day with little inconvenience. 



L. E. Hudson. 



390 



