7 6 



RECREATION. 



the prize-winning pictures as published, you 

 will find that in several cases the ist to 5th 

 prizes have been awarded to other than ani- 

 mal or bird pictures. Of course, many 

 prizes have been given to pictures of live 

 things ; but they have not taken all by any 

 means, nor even all the best prizes. 



If I can hit on any plan of improving the 

 present method of offering and distributing 

 prizes so as to give the unfortunate stay-at- 

 homes a better show, I shall be glad to do 

 it. I realize that many expert amateur pho- 

 tographers can not afford the time and ex- 

 pense of going into the woods and making 

 pictures of live wild animals or birds, and 

 that they must therefore depend on subjects 

 which can be reached within the bounds of 

 civilization. — Editor. 



or trays. By care one can prevent trouble 

 from these causes. 



R. L. Wadhams, M. D., 

 Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 



A DEVELOPER FOR CYKO. 



Not being satisfied with my results on 



Cyko with metol hydroquinone, after trying 



a great many combinations I have settled on 



2 satisfying formulas : 



A. 



Water 4 ounces 



Sodium sulphite (anhydrous)... 1 dram 



Acetone sulphite 4 grains 



Edinal 18 



Sodium carbonate (anhydrous) . 45 



Potassium bromide, 5 per cent, solution, 

 as needed. 



15. 



Water 4 ounces 



Sodium sulphite (anhydrous)... 2 drams 



Acetone sulphite 4 grains 



Edinal 18 



Potassium carbonate 1 dram 



Potassium, 5 per cent, solution, as needed. 



The potassium bromide is not made up 

 with the stock solution, but is added with a 

 dropper at time of development, as needed. 



Edinal is extremely sensitive to bromide's 

 drop. One of a 5 per cent, solution in 

 formula A is generally enough to hold the 

 whites ; but this varies somewhat. Devel- 

 opment is moderately slow, there is no 

 choking of the high lights and the detail 

 in the shadows is well brought out. The 

 acetone sulphite restrains the development 

 and gives a pleasant grayness to the half 

 tones. It also tends to prevent the green- 

 ish tinge given the black by the bromide. 



In formula B a little more bromide is re- 

 quired. This formula gives a bluish tinge 

 to the blacks, but this can be controlled by 

 the addition of potassium, bromide, which, 

 if added in sufficient quantity, will give pure 

 blacks, but if added in excess will give 

 greenish blacks. I use the regular cyko 

 acid, fixing both, and get no blisters. The 

 greater percentage of my failures were 

 caused by iron or sulphur in the water, sul- 

 phur in the air, or hypo from the hands 



SNAP SHOTS. 

 What is the matter with my lens? If I 

 focus on the center of the ground glass the 

 sides are out of focus and if I focus on the 

 sides the center is out of focus. I fitted the 

 lens in the shutter myself. 



Ira Schryver, Deer Creek, Minn. 



ANSWER. 



If you will observe the manner in which 

 your lens is ground you will see that its 

 center is. actually nearer objects than its 

 sides. The focal planes of center and sides 

 are different; therefore, objects appearing 

 at the sides will not be sharp when you 

 focus with center of your lens. By stop- 

 ping down with diaphragms so as to make 

 most of the light rays pass through center 

 of lens, sharper focus can be obtained. As 

 you have not given the name of your lens, 

 I can say little about its quality; but if the 

 differences between the focal results of sides 

 and center are great you can take it for 

 granted that your lens is not of the late 

 and improved sort. — Editor. 



I see that Stephen Mars, of Taunton, 

 Mass., inquires if others are using Argo 

 papers. I use it exclusively. I used Cyco 

 a while, but it stained badly and was in- 

 clined to develop unevenly, especially if de- 

 veloper did not flow instantly over the en- 

 tire surface of paper. I have the same 

 trouble with Velox, in my developer, which 

 is as follows : 



Water (distilled or soft) 4 ounces 



Metol 30 grains 



Shake well and add — 



Sodium sulphite (crystals).... ]/ 2 ounce 

 Sodium carbonate (granular) . . % ounce 

 Potassium bromide 2 l / 2 grains 



Shake until dissolved and use with 3 parts 

 water. This is enough for 100 cabinet 

 prints. 



C. E. Pleas, Chipley, Fla. 



A photographic expedition, organized 

 and headed by G. O. Shields, editor of 

 Recreation, will leave Donald, B. C, July 

 28th. Mr. Shields contemplates a trip that 

 for adventure and endurance will make 

 better reading matter than has yet been 

 provided by the intrepid explorer of the 

 Northland. His route is North from 

 Donald and West through the Yellowhead 

 pass, thence South and East, coming out at 

 Banff or Laggan. Four different summits 

 have to be crossed. Mr. Shields will take 

 photographs of wild animals and scenery. 

 — B. C. paper. 



