192 



Proceedings. 



[No 11, NEW SEMES. 



mere, Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Central India, Bombay, Aurunga- 

 bad, and Elephanta, with excellent groups of Indian figures in 

 easy and natural attitudes. This valuable series was collected by 

 an English gentleman of taste, F. Cheetham, Esq. , who is now 

 travelling in the East and who kindly lent his portfolio for two or 

 three days, and made some extensive purchases of Photographs 

 taken in this Presidency by Captain Tripe and Mr. Nicholas. 

 Those who had the pleasure of seeing this collection were much 

 struck with the taste and judgment evinced in its selection. To 

 give an adequate idea of the variety and beauty of many of the 

 pictures would occupy too much time, so we must attempt a de- 

 scription of some of the best still on view at the School of Indus- 

 trial Arts. 



Among the landscapes is a series of 16 large views at Ootaca- 

 mund, printed from Collodion negatives by Col. Ross. The at-, 

 mospheric effect in some of these is well rendered, and there is a 

 great look of nature about them ; but the subjects would have 

 looked more picturesque had the Camera been placed nearer the 

 ground, so as to show more sky and less of uninteresting fore- 

 ground and low middle distance in bad perspective. The result 

 of this error has been to give an insignificant effect to the hill 

 scenery, from all the objects having been looked down upon. 

 Photographers are apt to overlook this simple rule, which is ap- 

 plicable to almost every branch of the Art, and may be epitomized 

 in the following pithy words. If you w r ant to give importance to a 

 figure or a landscape, view it from below, with plenty of sky to set 

 it off. Get above an object or figure, and look down upon it and 

 it immediately looks insignificant. Some of the beautiful views in 

 Scotland, Wales, and the Pyrenees, in other collections, show the 

 importance of avoiding high points of sight. 



The Photographic manipulation and the focussing in Colonel 

 Ross's views, are excellent with one exception, which has been 

 judiciously withdrawn, as some figures that were introduced be- 

 low the line of horizon spoilt the effect, and were out of focus, 

 from the figures having moved. To those who have visited the 

 Neilgherries these photographs recall pleasing reminiscences of 

 the localities, and it has afforded great amusement to hear how 



