AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY. 



321 



should first try soaking the stained plate 

 or film in a fairly strong solution of so- 

 dium hyposulphite. An ordinary fixing 

 bath will do, but it should be freshly made 

 and kept cool while in use, as a gelatine 

 film will dissolve just as readily in a warm 

 hypo solution as in any other liquid. As 

 soon as the stain is discovered on the plate 

 the remedy should be applied, as a fresh 

 stain is much more easily removed than one 

 which has stood some time. The stained 

 film will require several hours' soaking, 

 but no trouble will follow even if the nega- 

 tive be left in the hypo bath over night 

 There may be some slight general reduction 

 of density in the negative, but this will not 

 be great enough to do any harm. 



In case the foregoing method should not 

 remove the stain, try a weak solution of 

 cyanide of potassium, say 10 or 15 grains 

 to one ounce of water. Soak the stained 

 negative thoroughly to soften the film. 

 Then, with a ball of cotton wool, wet with 

 the cyanide solution, go over the negative, 

 rubbing the stained part well. This solu- 

 tion has a reducing action on the negative, 

 and its effect should be carefully watched. 

 As soon as the stain has disappeared, wash 

 the negative well and dry as usual. 



Cyanide of potash is a violent poison and 

 extreme care should be taken not to get it 

 on the hands, especially on any cuts or 

 scratches. Hold the plate away from the 

 face while swabbing it with the solution ; 

 or, better, work in a current of air. When 

 you have finished with the solution throw 

 it away at once and lock up any of the 

 chemical which you may have left. 



C. M. Whitney, Bayonne, N. J. 



AMATEURS OUGHT TO KNOW. 

 Sometimes a brown, or sepia, tone is 

 more desirable than the regular blacks, as 

 produced on the ordinary developing papers. 

 A black print may be changed to a sepia 

 by the following treatment : After the 

 print is well washed, to free from hypo, 

 bleach with 



Bichloride mercury J / 2 ounce 



Chloride ammonium 2 drams 



Water 10 ounces 



Immerse for 3 minutes in — 



Chloride ammonium 1 ounce 



Water 20 ounces 



Wash 5 minutes and darken with hypo 

 solution, one dram hypo to one pint water. 



Lenses are deceptive, apparently looking 

 clean, but by rubbing the face of one with 

 clean tissue paper, or linen handkerchief, 

 a veil will be removed, which would lessen 

 the speed of the lens. 



Dirty bottles and trays, that can not be 

 cleaned by the ordinary methods, can be 

 readily cleansed with hydrochloric acid. 



For use it should be diluted with an equal 

 quantity of water. 



A bottle of 10 per cent bromide potassium 

 should be in every dark room, in case of 

 excessive over exposure. A drop or 2 add- 

 ed to the developer under such circum- 

 stances will often save a plate that would 

 otherwise have been worthless. A fountain 

 pen filler is useful to control the drops. 



Most amateurs, after using a tray, dump 

 the contents and set the tray away to dry. 

 The next time the tray is used it is merely 

 rinsed and the chemicals that have become 

 crystallized are not removed. The conse- 

 quence is that when prints are made, stains, 

 streaks and all kinds of trouble appear, and 

 the maker of the paper is blamed for bad 

 paper. Wash trays thoroughly, before and 

 after using. 



Printing from wet negatives can easily be 

 done with a little care in handling the nega- 

 tive. After fixing wash the negative under 

 the tap for a few moments. Wet thorough- 

 ly a sheet of any developing paper, slip the 

 negative under the paper, and place face to 

 face. Wipe off the water on the glass side 

 of the negative and expose the negative in 

 the regular way, but the exposure should 

 be increased 25 per cent. 



R. S. Kaufman, Wilkes Barre, Pa. 



WANTS THE WHOLE STORY. 



Recreation's photo department is excel- 

 lent, yet I think it would be better if its 

 contributors described their methods with 

 greater detail. They tell how they pro- 

 ceed after exposing a plate, but say noth- 

 ing as to how the exposure was made. 

 Photos of birds and animals are interest- 

 ing and valuable in proportion as they are 

 difficult to obtain. I have done some work 

 in this line. It requires much time and 

 patience, and failures greatly outnumber 

 successes. 



I once attempted to photograph a lark 

 on its nest in an open meadow. The bird 

 flew as often as I approached within 5 

 rods, and would not return while I re- 

 mained in the field. How could a picture 

 be secured under such conditions? I know 

 it is sometimes done. 



Another tirfie I found a robin's nest 12 

 feet above the ground. The bird would fly 

 when I came nearer than 15 feet. I lashed 

 sticks to the legs of my tripod to raise 

 the camera to the level of the nest, set it 

 at the 5 foot mark, set the shutter at 1-5 

 second, and used largest opening. Though 



1 was using 25 feet of tubing, I had to wait 



2 hours for the robin to return to the nest. 

 When I finally made the exposure the bird 

 flew at the first click of the shutter. I de- 

 veloped the plate and found the depth of 

 focus only 3 or 4 inches. My next attempt 

 was made at 4.30 a. m. I set up the cam- 

 era as before, but put it 4 feet from the 



