AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY. 



4S5 



or pony style is more compact and portable. 

 With a camera of this sort, and a supple- 

 mentary Ideal wide angle, an Ideal portrait 

 lens and Ideal ray filter, one can do almost 

 any kind of work the average amateur will 

 care to undertake. 



I have found a good developer in ortol ; 

 especially good for an amateur, because it 

 can be purchased in tubes all ready to be 

 dissolved, and with soda and ortol com- 

 pounds seperate. It is equally good for 

 plates or papers, giving negatives of fine 

 printing quality, and of any desired detail 

 or density, according to strength of solu- 

 tion and length of time it is used. It acts 

 slowly on gaslight papers, giving plenty of 

 time to stop development at any desired 

 point. Dissolve contents of ortol tube in 

 20 ounces of water and of soda tube in 20 

 ounces of water. For plates, one part soda 

 solution, one part ortol solution and one 

 part water is a good normal developer. To 

 tell when a plate is sufficiently developed, 

 count the number of seconds from time de- 

 veloper is poured on to time high lights be- 

 gin to appear, and leave plate in developer 

 10 times as long as it takes image to begin 

 to appear. That is, if high lights begin to 

 show in 30 seconds, leave in developer 5 

 minutes altogether. This will give good, 

 strong negatives ; but if they are too dense 

 to suit your taste, leave in 8 or 9 times 

 number of seconds it takes high lights to 

 appear, or whatever length of .time may suit 

 your taste. For papers use one part ortol 

 .solution, one part soda solution and 4 

 parts water. Add a drop or 2 of 10 per 

 sent solution bromide potassium to each 4 

 ounces developer. 



I have had none of the trouble with Cyko 

 paper blistering mentioned by some of 

 your correspondents, and think they can 

 not follow directions closely, or perhaps do 

 not use an acid fixing bath. It is possible 

 they have some of the solutions too warm. 

 If fixed sufficiently and thoroughly washed, 

 it is probably as nearly permanent as any 

 paper made. 



How many amateurs test their dark room 

 lamp? It should be done by all means. Put 

 a rapid plate in your holder. Pull the 

 slide half way, and hold in front of your 

 lamp, at about the distance you hold your 

 plate to examine it while developing, 5 min- 

 utes. Then develop the plate in regular de- 

 veloper. I think the result will convince 

 you that you should keep your plate out of 

 the light as much as possible while develop- 

 ing. At least I had that result, and my 

 lamp is fitted with both orange and deep 

 ruby classes and is none too bright to see 

 by. Why would it not be a good plan to 

 develop plates by time method alone, as is 

 done with the Eastman developing machine, 

 using a developer of a certain strength and 

 temperature and plates of one brand, and 



after (rial finding what length of time it 

 takes to develop to proper density? Thus 

 there would be no danger of fogging by ex- 

 posure to red light and negatives would 

 consequei cly be clearer and crisper. After 

 2 years' experience and developing hun- 

 dreds of plates, I find it yet difficult to tell 

 by examining the negative just when to 

 take it out of the developer. The timing 

 method seems to give as good results as 

 the old method with films. Why not with 

 plates? 



Jack Johnson, Hammond, Ind. 



IMPROVEMENT OF NEGATIVES. 



Although there are commonplace pro- 

 cesses well understood by most photog- 

 raphers, some amateurs who are taking 

 their first steps in photography will un- 

 doubtedly find a brief description of simple 

 methods valuable. Not being satisfied with" 

 the results of the bichloride of mercury 

 method of intensification, and wishing a 

 more convenient method, I tried uranium 

 and {ound it satisfactory. I make 2 stock 

 solutions and keep them in dark bottles. 

 The solutions are as follows: 



A. — Water, 4 ounces. 



Uranium nitrate, 3 ounces. 

 Nitric acid, c. p., 1 dram. 



B. — Water, 4 ounces. 



Ferricyanide potash, 2 drams. 



For use take one dram of A, one dram 

 of B, and 4 ounces of water. Soak the 

 negative, if dry, half an hour or more in 

 water; if just developed and fixed, simply 

 •wash it thoroughly before intensifying it. 

 Put the negative in a tray, with the solution, 

 and keep in constant motion, 'examining it 

 frequently to see whether it is dark enough. 

 When the desired density has been ob- 

 tained wash the negative half an hour 

 in clear water. If the intensification has 

 gone too far it qan be reduced to any de- 

 gree by soaking the negative in water to 

 which has been added a few drops of am- 

 monia. 



For the reduction of negatives I use 2 

 methods. First, the old hyposulphite of 

 soda and ferricyanide of potassium solu- 

 tion for over exposed or over developed 

 negatives ; and, second, ammonium persul- 

 phate when it is essential to keep the de- 

 tail in the shadows. 



For the first method, according to the 

 books, make 2 stock solutions: 

 A. — Water, 1 pint. 

 Hypo, 1 ounce. 

 B. — Water, 4 ounces. 



Ferricyanide potassium, 2 ounces. 



For use take of A 8 ounces and of B one 

 ounce. Put the well soaked negative in the 



