Photography reference
American Photographer 1913 July 1912 Product booklet
Product booklet for American Photographer 1913 July 1912. 42 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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- Brand
- American
- Model / document
- American Photographer 1913 July 1912
- Document type
- Product booklet
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 42
- File size
- 5.3 MB
- Category
- Photography reference
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 3 · Read text
n :ii,l,#t *:t,,f,lil#is,,H'-the - - sensitive iecord-er of that indefinablo CYKO"
mcthlug in cvcry artistic"i":l#mnlk acgatlve. - Fra AInfu,
Good negatives may be divided
:into three classes: soft, norrnal andt'contrasty."
The result dependson the paper
used for printing.
Any of these good negatives, if
printed on the wrong paper, will pro-
duce poor prints, and all will yietd
beautiful prints on the right grade of
la- 'Ln Pdr l.rrVIS.U I a.O€f # -*-
Cyko'iS made in three grades of tone
gradation for amateur printing, cor-
responding inversely to the class of
negatives for which each grade is
intended.
Contrast (Blue Label)_ For weak and soft negatirrc*
Normal (Yelow Label) For normal negatives of cvrn
soft (Rear.at.r) *"*"'?lXtil;V nceatives,
Scnd for Cyko'Manual, the key to prize+rvinningpicfirrcg.
AE|ltctD (Qilurngrllr, Binghambn, N. Y.
r[lnN ooBrlspoNDqto w.nE ADVEEtlslra ptEAttE tttt{'rloN AlrIalcAN pEomorl?Er
www.orphancameras.comView original page 3Page 4 · Read text
d
"/T\HE child with a eamera habit is no longer an interloper
I between earth and sky. If e is never lonesome,wherever
he is, becausehe feels the kinship that exists betq'een
himself and all living things, " says Elbert Hubbard.
The Ansco Camera is so simple in construction and easy
to work, that with it a child can make as good outdoor
tilt I photographs as a professional.
, i:,ri
There is On? camera that makes a picture of every well directed l:.;ii
posure and puts the user out of the guessing class. That camera is
The Superb Ansso
Alrvays use Ansco film with an Ansco or Print your qictrlres on Cyko paper-the *Usedpfize- with any other camera. It ha_s the right speed winner at tll photograpliic eihibitions.
and the correct chromatic balance to rnake !v pro{essionals everywhere because it biol good results doubly sure. duces best results.
T,tuenllt^tty.let of Ans.co Cameratrlfrom $z to 555, _are thoqtn in our catalog,
"The Settled Fact." It ,will cort !0u nothing ,f lou arc really intcresteZ
ANSCO CO]}I'PANY, Blnghamton, N.Y.
WEEN CORRDSPONDING WITII ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION AMERICAN PEOTOGRAPEI IIIView original page 4Page 5 · Read text
iffi' r
Flammer Drrr-Plates u f
hold the reeord of superiority, not for the heat and t,r-iaity .uro{ of.the Tropics, but for the most trying hot weath". .onditio.r. ;f ;;i
climate. Their keeping -qualities-a.J une*celed, and they a;";i;b
quickly with firm, tough films and with minimum of tendencyti frili.
rrammer's Speciq/Extra Fast (red /abe/) and Extra Fast (blue /a\e/)
flFt
oHroAVENU"Tfl:"T',y;,t3:l"J Hammer Dry Plate Co.
Ifammer's Little Book, " A Short Talk on NegatiaeMaking,,, mailed free
Ideal Yacation Photos
Run no risks with your exposures. Develop thenr
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It will give ),()u magnilicent negatives :rnd prints. .fhe !-fl
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' used l{vror' only to develop his I)elhi I)urbar
negatlves. Jg cents per carton, of ail deaters
Write for helptul booklet entitled
" Se l f - H e l p i n -ff*r Photography ,, u'4t
B u n n o u c l r s W E L r . c o M E & C o . k
-L4J A, Dept.. 35, Wesr 33rrl Srreet, N rw Vonr Crty
or A. Dept., 101, Coristine liuilding, ,\l oNTREAT,
WEN COMSPOMNG WIM ADVERTISERS PEASE MENTION AMEfuCAN PEOTOGRAPE}
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F
PHOTO-PIIRE
CHE,MICALS
The term Chemically Pure, as applied to chemicalsfor
photographic purposes,is a misnomer. The photog-
rapher knows that he does not necessarilysecurethe
best results by the use of chemicals of gg%purity ;
what he wants are chemicals which are proved by
test to be best for his photographic purposes,chem-
icals which are Photographically Pure. Defender
Chemicalsare compoundedwith this in view-to se-
cure for the workman best results. The photographic
workman is not interested in the chemical purity but
in the photo-purity of his chemicals,and looks for the
DEFENDER DIAMOND
IITTEIIDER
DBpBNDERPHoro SUpPLYCo.
ARGO PARK ROCHESTER, N. Y.
WEEN COruSPOMING WIE &VERNSRS PBSE TNIION AIIEIICAN PEOTOCI'APET
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The SensiblePrice Lens ' th,9very highest degree
of photographic efficiency
at the very lowest price in thl
(G. Rodenstock, Munich, Germany)
It possessesthe best optical qualities and
makes the most of every exposure.
You can secure our lenses from vour dealer or
direct from us for thorough trial without any pay-
ment in advance.
OURGUARANTEE:QUALITYUNEXCELLED,PRICEUNEQUALLED
Send to-day for our new catalog. (Postage 4 cents.) It contains much lens information you should know
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TEARN A PAYING PROFESSION
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X WEEN CORRESPONDING WITE ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION AMERICAN PEOTOGRAPEY
www.orphancameras.comView original page 11Page 12 · Read text
Do You Want To Improvg
Work? Jrour
You are going to take a lot of pietures that you will possibly gelrer
have another-opportunity to obtain. Now isn't it a lot of satisfac-
tion to be prepared for any emergeney? You haven't the time to
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FIRST: You want a plate that is months, one that will stand rough
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one that will render a harmonious blend : one that is easv to a""i,.ii to the highlights theing from ^^}TS"LY responding to anv simple - *il plate which ashadows g#. , 9:::l:l' oeveloper'beautiful tt"guitin", even if you do not
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NAME
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WSEN CORRESPONDING WITE ADVERTISERS PLEASE IIENTION AMERICAN PEOTOGRAPEYView original page 12Page 14 · Read text
THE IDEAL HOT WEATHER PLATE
Cramcr Crown
does not soften or frill, but retains its fine
qualities under the most adverseconditions
Largely useclin the PanatnaCanal Zone
Beautiful Sepia Tones surely and easih' obtained
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Crown Anastigmats are made in three series,
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WHEN CORRnSPONDING tr\TTTII ADVERTISERS I'LDASL I"IENTION ANIFIRICAN PIIOTO(IR;\PEY XIIIView original page 14Page 17 · Read text
UNIQUE! ^A,RTISTICI
*ANTIQUE"
SELTONA
Antique Seltona is a daylight printing paper of delicate texture.
It has an even, fine-grain surface, which gives mellowness to
the print without injury to detail or definition. The fine Sepia
tone obtained by fixing only has all the beauty and softness
usually associated with
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For stereoscopic work Antique Seltona has no rival on
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Antique Seltona is made in White and Cream, and has all the
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varieties.
NEEDS FIXING ONLY
send for a copy of our " Treatise on Photographic specialties n
SOLD BY DEALERSEVERYWFIERE
3 V t x 4 y 4 . . . . . . . . 1 8cents per dozen
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4 x 5 . . . 2 5 ( a ( a ( 3
S ot-t U5- a a a ( 5 x 7 . . . 3 8
POSTCARDS, 30 cents
XVI ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION AMERICAN PEOTOGRAPE!
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A NOTE ON ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
F. WESTON
UDGING from a large proportion of the architectural work seenat local photographic
exhibitions and in club portfolios, there are many workers who fail altogether to
grasp the essential qualities which make up a successfulpictorial representation
of architecture. They have perhaps been struck at some time or other by the
beauty of work of men like Evans, Kimber, or Cliffe, and without analyzing this
beauty or striving to ascertain wherein it lies, they have essayedto do likewise.
Magnificent architecture of the ecclesiasticaltype, some well-known cathedral for choice,
is generally selectedby these workers for their efforts, perhaps owing to the force of example,
but more likely becauseit seemsto them that architecture of such obvious beauty is sure to make
a beautiful picture. The result is that they often fail to get a picture at aII, although they obtain
plenty of mere records. Every detail is there, for the stop used is always a small one, so that
the eye wanders along the flowing lines, lingering over this piece of carving and wondering
at that delicate tracery. The exclamation rises to one's lips, " What beautiful architecture ! "
but alas! one seldom says, "What a beautiful picture!"
In fact, one soon wearies of these records. Where is thequality which seizesand holds one?
where is the spirit, the soul of the building, the feeling that creepsover one in columned aisles
like the harmonies of some vast symphony?
This is the feeling aroused by such works as Evans' "In Sure and Certain Hope," Kimber's
"Until the Day Breaks," and Cliffe's "A Piilared Shade High-overarched." Now wherein do
works such as these differ from the large number of architectural photographs turned out every
year and having no pictorial interest whatever? , ,.
If we think a moment, we find that the sameSensationcan be aroused at one time by music,
at another by architecture, and at yet another by a picture; but the qualities which call forth
this sensation are different in each case. No one imagines for a moment that the qualities of
music are the same as those of pictorial art, and yet many will strive to convey the impression
inspired within them by architecture, with its vastness and its three dimensions, by simply
depicting its details in two dimensionson a small piece of paper.
They forget, or rather have never realized, that in attempting to make a picture they have
left the world of form and have entered another, the language of which is altogether different -
a world which conveys impressionssolely by means of light and tone. It is to these that their
attention should be given and not the architectural detail. What form is to sculpture and A
architecture, light is to pictorial art; for, as Monet, the French artist, said, "The principal'
person in a picture is the light."
Now, upon again studying the photographs I have mentioned which are known to most of
us, or any other successfulrendering of architecture, we at once see that their appeal lies in the
effect of lighting and not in the architectural detail. The feeling that was arousedby the building
itself, with its vastness,its atmosphere,and the dim shadowshaunted by the spirit of solemnity
and awe, is reproduced in the caseof the picture by the lighting alone.
Such a note as this ought to be unnecessarynowadays, but unfortunately the larger pro-
portion of architectural points that one seesin exhibitions and portfolios proclaims the necessity
for continually driving home thedbobvious truths.
Cathedrals-the epics of architecture-we can leave to the great onesto depict;but in every
countryside there are beautiful little lyrics-buildings which, at some time of the day or night,
under favorable conditions of lighting, will make satisfying pictures.
37o
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RISING FRONT AND SWING BACK IN USE
PHIL M. RILEY
LMOST every folding camera on the market to-day has a rising and falling front.
There are but a few exceptions, and those mostly among the very smallest film
cameras. Above quarter plate size (311 x 4,%) it is common to instruments intended
for plates, roll films, and filmpacks.
This device consists of a movable frontboard, carrying the lens, which slides
vertically between two upright guides of wood or metal. On roll-film cameras,
which do not permit of a reversible back, the whole camera front, uprights and all, is usually
constructed to slide from side to side laterally. Such camerasmust be used sidewiseto change
the picture from vertical to horizontal, or vice tsersaas the case may be, and when so turned,
this lateral adjustment acts as a rising and falling front.
A beginner quickly learns that the lens of a camera is normally placed opposite the center
of the sensitive plate or film, and that when in this position the view sometimes has more or
less sky or foreground than is desirable; also that if the camera is tilted upward or downward
in securing the desired view, vertical lines will be distorted by the lens, so that in the photograph
they converge upward or downward instead of appearing parallel as they really are. Now,
by means of the rising and falling front, tilting of the camera is avoided in all save extreme
cases. With it the lens is moved upward or downward from its usual position, so that the pro-
portions of sky and foreground are varied at will, the variation of only a fractional part of an
inch in the image corresponding to several feet in the subject itself, depending upon the view
angle of the lens and its distance from the subject. The rise is also used to bring the tops of
high buildings into the view.
Extreme rise or fall necessitatesgreat care to insure good definition, and the lens must be
one of ample covering power, or else a small diaphragm will have to be put in. A lens which
barely covers the plate at full aperture gives no opportunity for the use of a rising front, unless
the length of exposuredue to a small diaphragm is no object. It is obvious to any one that the
moment a lens is moved from a position opposite the center of the plate, more of the image is
formed by marginal rays which, becauseof aberrations due to the form of the lens and the glass
of which it is made, never come to exactly the same focus as those which pass through it near
the center, along the axis of the lens. In the best anastigmats, however, the difference in focus
between axial and marginal rays has been brought to a minimum, so that the full rise or fall of
a camera can usually be employed with safety at f :16.
With cameras intended for plates or filmpacks one can see on the ground-glass focusing
screenexactly what effect any movement of the rising front has had upon the image to be pho-
tographed; but in the case of roll-film cameras, with which one has only a finder as a guide,
there is considerableuncertainty. With cameras of this sort, or any quarter plate, postcard,
or 4 x 5 instrument intended for quick work in the hand, it would be a great convenience if
manufacturers would attach a scale, showing at what distance the foreground is cut by the
base line of the plate or film at various positions of a lens of given focus when the camera is
held level at a definite height, s&y four feet from ground to lens axis. A proper place for this
would be on one of the upright guides of the frontboard, with an arrow pointer on the front-
board itself, and in the case of a reversible back camera there might well be a scale on each
upright, one for vertical and the other for horizontal views.
Such a scalewould not tell if there were rise enough to include the top of a church steeple,
it is true; but with a telemeter to measuredistances,itwould tell the least amount of foreground
which one could get along with, and so insure securing all the height possible with the rising
front alone at any given distance from the subject. And this is all that can justly be expected
3 7 2
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:F
Frcunn 1
in a hand camera. Architecturai photography is a specializedsubject which really requires a
stand camera with ground glass and swing back to insure ,u...rr.
Any one can make a rising front scalefor himself, and it is really worth his while, even when
doing so with a film camera requires making about a dozen exposures. Only a little time is
required, and many failures are likely to be avoided. A convenientmethod is to divide the total
distance of rise and fall into one-eighth or one-quarter inch spaces,according to the size of the
camera' and then ascertainthe proper marking for each. This can be done by selectinga smooth,
level surface,such as a cement walk, and laying sticks of wood down at measuredintervals of
ten feet, beginning to measure from a point directly underneath the lens. Knowing the total
number of sticks laid down, one can tell, by counting on the focusing screenor in the film nega-
tives at each adjustment of the rising front, the distance {rom the camera to the nearest stick
to be seen at the bottom of the vierv.
As a rule, the rising front alone in'ill not include the tops of high buildings in a photograph,
unlessit is possibleto place the camera at a considerabledistance away. What the rising front
does is to raise the horizontal line of sight, which is an imaginary level line from the optical
center of the lens to the subject being photographed. Doing this also raisesthe circle of illumi-
nation; and as the edgeof the lens then forms a considerableportion of the image in the camera,
it is evident that if the lens is raised too far, the edge of the circle of illumination rnill cut ofl
the corners of the plate or film, and those portions will bear no image in the finished negative,
causing dark corners in the print. When there has been an attempt to make a lens cover a
larger plate than it was intended for, this same darkening of the print is also seen,only at all
four cornersinstead of two. Thus it is that the circle of illumination, and the fact that the image
formed by the extreme edge of the lens is never so good as that formed by its center, limit the
usefulnessof the rising front, and other means must be resorted to in extreme cases.
It will be observedthat when the camera is level, the use of the rising front does not alter
the coincidenceof the line of sight with the axis of the lens. The axis of a rectilinear or anastig-
mat lens, it may be well to state, is an imaginary straight line through the optical center of
the lens and the centersof curvature of both front and back elementsof the doublet. In extreme
Frcunp 2
374
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Frcunp 3
casesof architectural work it is necessaryto incline the axis of the lens upward by tilting the
camera upward or using other means so as to include the tops of high buildings. Iitras already
been stated that doing this wilt cause distortion of the image in the form of vertical lines con-
verging upward in the photograph. As a matter of f.act, tiatis exactly what our eyes see, for
all flat surfaces appear to diminish in size as they recede from us; but in the case of vertical
spaces our minds, knowing the lines to be parallel, do not accept the real perspective as true.
In fact, we see not what the eyes transmit to us, but rather what the brain tells us is a fact,
and in our photographs we want vertical lines to appear as such. Some preventive measure,
therefore, must be taken. Before considering what that shall be, however, let us see how the
distortion of the image is caused, as shown by the accompanying diagrams, which are some-
what exaggerated to make the facts clearer.
Figure 1 shows a camera set up before a high building in the normal way. The diagonal
lines represent the directions which rays of light take in pasring through the lens from points
corresponding in distance apart to the top and bottom of the building. The central line i.p..-
sents the axis of the lens. In this figure it is evident that the top of the building is not included
on the plate at the back of the camera. Figure 2 shows how, with the lens raiied by means of
the rising front, an image of the whole building is secured in the camera.
In Fig. 3 is seen the result of tilting the camera instead of raising the lens. The top of the
building is brought into the picture, but the diagram shows that the rays of light from the top
of the building are intercepted by the sensitive plate or film nearer the lens than are those from
the bottom' In other words, they are shorter, not having space enough inside the camera to
diverge as much, and that causesthe narrowing of the image ut th. top, which looks untruthful
to us in the photograph.
Nevertheless the whole image is usually in approximate focus, unless the lens is of rather
long focal length, because,the top of the building being farther from the lens than the bottom,
Frcunn 4
376
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YOUNG CiIRL (ATI'II1R JAN VER MEER)
WILI,IA]\{ H. ('ASTLE
P holol4rtfhic .\ttticl1, oJ PhiLtulclphioView original page 28Page 29 · Read text
its image comes to a focus nearer the lens than does that of the bottom, and tilting the whole
camera upward brings the sensitive plate into such a position that these conditions prevail.
The distorted image is corrected and parallel vertical lines are secured by u swing back,
centrally pivoted, which can be swung forward or backward at the top or bottom, so lhat the
plate or film can be made vertical, whatever the inclination of the camera. The sliding bed
of some American cameras,which incline the lens upward or downward while the camera back
remains vertical, accomplishesthe same result; so also does the English camera, with a front-
board carrying the lens, which can be inclined forward or backward without affecting the camera
back. Many American 4 x 5 cameras and most larger instruments have the swing back in
addition to the rising front. Figure 4 shows how the swing back brings the sensitive plate to
a vertical position and makes more nearly equal the lengths of the light rays from top and bot-
tom of the building. The sameis true when the rising front is used in addition to the swing back.
Referring again for a moment to Fig. 1, in which adjustment the camera records vertical
lines as vertical, it is seenthat the sensitiveplate is at right anglesto the horizontal line of sight.
This is the one essential to correct perspective,whatever direction the lens axis may take;
whether it coincideswith the line of sight, as in this particular instance,or whether it assumes
such an upward direction that the horizontal line of sight passesobliquely through the lens,
as when the camera is tilted and the swing back is used as in Fig. 4.
So much for distortion of the image. There is yet to managethe matter of focus. Referring
to Fig. 3, it is obvious that if the image is in focus when the camera is tilted without using the
swing back, it cannot be after distortion of the image has been corrected,as in Fig. 4. This latter
adjustment of the swing back intercepts the rays before they comq to a focus, and does not
intercept the shorter rays until after they have passedbeyond their focal points. All that can
be done when the swing back is in useis to employ a diaphragmin the lens small enoughto secure
the desired degree of definition, first focusing sharply across the center of the image with the
lens wide open, and then watching the top and bottom of the image for enough detail as the
diaphragm is gradually made smaller. In this way the best average approximation is secured.
In landscapework there is still another use of the swing back which would not be possible
were there prominent vertical lines, but which when they are absent does not cause enough
distortion to be noticeable. We all know that short-focuslensespossessgreat depth of focus,
becausethe differencebetween the focal points for near and distant objects is very slight. In
the caseof long-focus lensesfor large cameras,it is impossible {o get anywhere near equal focus
for near and distant objects at the same time without putti4g in a small diaphragm. This
increases exposure considerably, which is a d.isadvantagein *inay weather, when there is a
prominent foreground of trees or anything else which will show the slightest motion.
Knowing that the focal point for near objects is farther from the lens than for distant
objects, as shown by any camera focusing scale, it is an easy matter to swing the camera back
so that that portion of the sensitive plate which catches the image of the foreground will be far-
ther from the lens than that which catchesthe image of the distance; in other words, to move
the top backward and the bottom forward. Doing this will yield very nearly equal definition
for near and distant objects, when that is desirable,and with this adjustment the lens can be
used at full working aperture. Thus it is that while the ordinary use of a swing back requires
the employment of a small diaphragm, the present one avoids it.
As the effi.ciencyof one's camera is more than doubled by a knowledge of its adjustments,
so this little " dodge" in landscapework is of inestimablevalue when depth of focusis an essential.
378 |',
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THE QUESTION OF TONES
ARTITTTR HAMMOND
HEN the photographer has mastered the initial difficulties of his craft arid under-
stands enough about exposure and development to enable him to secure a fair
proportion of good negatives, if he is at all ambitious and wishes to do really good
work, he begins then to think about the artistic qualities of his pictures, realizing
that something more than mere technique is called for in a work of art. In just the
same way a painter or an illustrator has to start in by learning how to use his
brushes and colors or his pencil before he can give much thought to such things as composition,
values, atmosphere, and so on.
On account of the fatal facility of photography, and also partly owing to the low standard
by which photographs sometimesare judged, many people think, when they get to the stagewhere
they can produce what are described as " good clear photographs " without very many failures,
that they know it all, and do not consider they have anything more to learn. But photography
does not by any means end at this stage. There is a lot more to learn, and, in fact, the true
enthusiast never gets through learning. Every picture presentsfresh problems, and to my mind
one of the greatest fascinations of photography is that there is always something more to learn,
something new to find out.
Now, the chief virtue of photography as an artistic medium is its power of reproducing
gradation or shading. There is no other medium that can so truthfully and so delicately depict
the infinite variety of tones,the subtle gradations,and the values of color contrast as can a prop-
erly exposedand developeddryplate. In his book, "The Artistic Side of Photography," A. J.
Anderson refers to this opJity of tone rendering as being the specialvirtue of photography which
distinguishesit from other means of artistic expression,and not - as is very commonly supposed
- its power of depicting fine detail, for the drawing of fine detail is a quality of only one kind of
photography. A pinhole doesnot draw fine detail, and yet apicture taken with a pinhole instead
of a lens is just as much photography as the work of the finest anastigmat.
It is in this rendering of tones and gradation that the photographer has control over his
medium, for variations in the exposure of the plate and in the development of the negative all
have effect on the tones and the scale of gradation in the resulting picture. The drawing of fine
detail is purely mechanical, and depends almost entirely on the quality of the lens. V"ry little
skill is required to securesharpnessof definition, but considerableskitl and experienceare needed
to securegood tones.
Now, when I refer to tonesin this way f do not mean the color of the print, the tones secured
by redeveloping a gaslight print, or by plating a silver print with gold. I refer to the translation
into monochromeof the various colors or degreesof brightness in the subject.
The scale of tones in many subjects is really not as long as one would think, for the lightest
tones are seldomas light as possible,nor are the darkest tones as dark as possible. The brightness
or darkness of the picture is more a question of "key," and dependsupon whether light tones or
dark tones predominate.
In order to explain what f mean by tones, let me refer to the little picture of a boy on the
beach reproduced on page 382. In this subject the lightest tone is the boy's white jersey, yet
even this has shadowsand gradation; so our lightest tone must be just the highlights on the jer-
sey. The tone of the skin is many degreeslower than white. Even the highlights on the skin
are not as white as the highlights on the jersey. Compare the highlights on the boy's shoulders,
knees, and feet with the lights on the jersey on the sunny side. The jersey in the shadow is
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the next tone, foilorvecl by the darker flesh tones. The face, though dark, seems to me to be
about right, for not only is it in shadow, but the rvhiteness of the jersey makes it appear dark
by contrast. (Cover the rvhite jersey ancl see horv much lighter the face looks.) Then we go on
dor,vn tl-re scale of tones - the shadou,s on the arms, the neck, the dark tights, the seau'eed, the
hair, and the darkest shadorn'in the hair - rvhich is the end of the scale.
All these gradations of tone are clcarlv diflerentiated, and yet the',vhole scale of tones, from
thc highest light to the clarkest shadorv, is not r.'ery long, for there is no printing process yct
ar-ailable (with the possible exception of a transparency on a thickly coated plate) that will give
as long iL range of tones as it is possible to secure in the negative; but as long as the lightest
tonc and the clarkcst tonc are corrcctly rendered, the middlc tones will take care of themselves.
The photographer often has to compress thc scale of tones in the subject into a shorter
scale, for it is of no usc to gct in the ncgative lvhat it is impossible to reproduce in the print.
If the negatir,e llossessestoo long er range for the printing process selected, either the highlights
or the shadorvs must be sacrificed, for if we print for the highlights, the shadorn'will be overprinted
and rvill bc black and solicl; and if rve print till the shadows are right, there will be no detail or
gradation in the highiights. Keep the negative thin enough to enable both these tones to be
repr:sented in the print, the very highest highlight by white paper and the deepest shadow by
the blackcst ;rossible deposit of silver or platinum, or r,vhatever it may be, and the middle tones
will {it themselr.es in. Some of them may be left out, but they will look right. A negative with
bare glass in the shaclorvsand very dense highlights will never give a good print. Study your
subject carefully and note the highest light and the darkest shadow, and then try to show
both correctly in the print.
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The sea and sky in this little snapshot are naturally darker in tone than the white jersey.
A blank white-paper sky would have spoiled everything and put the whole thing out of tone.
The lighthouse (Annisquam Light) and the white houses in the distance are, on account of
the atmosphere,darker than the white object close to, for atmosphere between the lens and
distant objects has the effect of evening up the tones and reducing contrastl so that a *hite object
appearsdarker and grayer, and a black object appearslighter, so much so that a white object and
a black object might, under certain conditions, appear to be of similar tone.
Now, i' order to securegood tones, one must study the subject and note whether the light
tones or the dark tones are the more important, and the exposure must be made accordingly,
remembering that an exposureslightly less than normal will give delicate gradation in the high-
lights at the expenseof the shadows.
On the other hand, a full exposure,slightly more than normal, will give rich shadowsfull of
detail, but the highlights may become hard and chalky. A normal exposurewill give the maxi-
mum gradation throughout the highlights, halftones, and shadows; and if the negative be kept
rather thin and soft, so that the scale of tones in the negative is not greater than the chosen
printing processwill be capable of reproducing (and this is merely a question of skill in develop-
ment), it will be possibleto represent in the print both the highest light and the darkest shadow,
which rendering will tend to make the tones look right
The normal exposureand full scaleof gradation should, as a rule, be aimed at, and the grada-
tions should never be tampered with uniess there be a good reason. As A. J. Anderson expresses 'expose it, "The artist's maxim is, for the tones that are most desired."'
Sometimesthe subject consistsentirely of light tones, and there are no very dark shad.ows-
open sea and sky, snow sceneswith no dark objects or very dark shadowsl and for such subjects
the exposuremust be timed to secure the maximum gradation in the highlights. On the other
hand, a subject consisting almost entirely of dark shadows must have an exposurelong enough
to register detail and gradation in the shadows. A double-coated orthochromatic plate will
usually give good gradations, and a light ray filter will improve the tones when blue and yellow
are the predominating colors. Slow development with a dilute developer will generally tend to
produce a negative showing satisfactory tonegradation,forthe shadowswillhavetime to develop
up a little before the highlights have become unduly dense.
The data regarding the picture here reproduced may perhaps be worth recording. It was
taken with a 4 x 5 Adams Reflex Camera, frtted with a Spencer soft-focus lens of nine-inch
focal length, stop/:7 (approximate,about halfway betweenf:4.5 and/:9), in July just after
mid-day, very slightly diffused sunlight, strong enough to throw a good shadow,but not as bright
as possible. The exposure was one twenty-fifth second on Cramer double-coated fnst. Iso.
plate, and a Cramer three-times ray filter was used. The negative was developedin metol-hydro,
and the print was made on Artura Grade A.
I do not take any credit for the tones-they are due to the remarkable excellenceof the
modern dryplate, but I do take credit for seeingthem and knowing I have got them; also,to same
extent, for knowing why and how I got them.
The photographer who wants to do good work must train his eye to seeand appreciate tones.
Chalky highlights and dense,solid shadowsare all too commonl they are the rule rather than the
exception; and yet very few peoplercalizehow utterly untruthful such pictures are as representa-
tions of nature. If a water-color painter were to paint the landscapepart of a picture and leave
the sky white paper, the picture would not look finished; yet many photographers forget to
paint their skies. Orthochromatic plates and a ray filter whenever possible, full exposure,and
careful development will be found to do wonders in the way of painting the sky and putting
detail and gradation into the trees.
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'
SURF H' T' HETSER
Photographicsociety oJ Phitailclphia
THtr PINHOLtr STOP IN PICTURtr I\4AKING
F . C . L A M B E R T , M . A . , F . R . P . S .
ICTORIAL expression is largely a matter of the emphasis of personal preference,
that is, the picture maker sees something rvhich takes his fancy or makes a strong
appeal to his imagination. This gives rise to the wish to make a record of it - to
secure it for further study and enjoyment. This may or may not be accomparried
by the further rvish to communicate his esthetic emotions to others; and it
should not be forgotten that when the desire to lvork for others becomes unduly
promincnt it is r-ery likely to influence harmfully the personality of the work, ultimately result-
ing in thc making of "pot-boilers" for a market.
No\\', although the number of tools used is no measure of thc quality of the rvork - for
often the best craftsman employs the fervest and simplest tools - yet the more one can vary
the use of any one tool, tl-rebetter chance one has, or ought to have, of getting the best value out
oI it. This does not mean that a pocket knife is a clesirabletool for felling a forest trce; but if a
sturdy branch has to be cut off, the expert user of such a knife scores over him r,vho has never
before uscd his knife for anything but sharpening his pocket pencil.
Turning to our lens as a tool of prime importancc in photography, the more we know about
what it rvill do thc better. But first a word about depth of focus and depth of field - two terms
frequentlv confused, rvith unfortunate results. Depth of field or subject refers to the nearest
and farthcrmost parts of the object that is being photographed; that is, the foreground and
distance, rvhich are sharp enough for practical purposes. Depth of focus is the comparatively
small distance through rvhich we can rack the focusing screen toward and from the lens lvithout
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getting outside the region of practical and acceptable definition. Now, it is common knowledge
that the smaller the stop the greater the depth of field and also the greater the depth of focus.
It is therefore an easy and natural step from the smallest stop provided by the lens-maker to a
home-made large pinhole stop.
It is also comnron knowledge that the size of the image increases or diminishes as we increase
or diminish the distance between the lens and the plate. Also, the nearer the lens is to the plate
the smaller the scale and the rn'ider the angle of field embraced by our plate.
This question arises, " Can we, by using a pinhole stop in our lens, set sufficient range or
depth of focus to show a practical difference in the scale and angle of the picture with one and
the same lens rnithout shifting the camera?" I think the best way to answer this question is to
shorv the results of some experiments. I need hardly say the subject was not chosen because of
its soul-stirring eighty-one tone poetic value, but because it shorn'sus plenty of lines and details
in all parts, and also shows a fair degree of depth of subject.
In Fig. 1 rve have the result obtained by focusing as sharply as possible u.ith the largest
stop provided r,vith a rapid symmetrical eight-inch focus lens. A thin sheet of copper was cut
to give an easy lit inside the lens tube. In the center of this copper disc a hole with a No. 1
needle rvas made. The diameter of the hole fitting the thickest part of the needle is just about
one trventieth of an inch. This pinhole stop, which was used for Figs. 1, 3, and 4, u'as pushed
close up to the stop of the lens. Figure 1 is a print frorn the resulting negative. (N.B. With
the lens eight inches from the plate this one-twentieth inch stop is practically f:160.) Figure
2 is the result of a one fort1.-fourth inch diameter yrinhole without an\. lens, also at eight inches
fronr the plate.
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ST. GEORGES, I]ER}IU])I\ ED\\'ART) H. S]II'IH
P hotograph'i'c Society oJ Philadel pltia
Next the eight-inch lens ancl one-twentieth inch stop were used at six inches from the plate,
ancl Fig. 3 shor,vsus the result (f : I20). Finally, the eight-inch lens and one-turentieth inch stol>
rvere used eleven inches Irom the plate, rvith the result shorn'nin Fig. a ff:220). In other words'
this eight-inch lens lvas used two inches ncarer and three inches farther away from thc plate than
its normal u,orking clistance; that is, with such astop as/:8 for instance, or comparing eleven
and six inches, lve havc a ratio of nearly trn'o to one.
First, as to scale ancl angle: of course the elcven-inch lens distance (Fig.4) givcs the smallest
angle ancl thelargestscaleof presentation. In Fig. 1, I have indicated by the lincs A B t.hc rn'idth
of iubject inclucled in Fig. 4; similarly, in Fig. 3, A B shorvs the eleven-inch view angle, and
C D the eight-inch view angle of Figs. 1 and 2. Or, as before said, the six-inch position of the
lens includes nearly twice as much vierv angle as the eleven-inch position docs'
,,Cui bono?" asks the reacler. Why not use lenses of different focal length? For one thing,
the r,vorker may not possess morc than one lens. Next, the method permits not mcrely a six'
an eight, and an eleven-inch lens clistance, but anything one fancies ltetween six and eleven.
Next, as to clefinition: Of course one must make due allorn'ancclor the inevitable loss due to
halftone (dot) reproduction. But rvhen that is clone I am in hopes that cnough will comc through
to show that, at any rate for pictor'ial purposes, Fig. 3 is'sharp enough. In the case of Fig. 4
we erregetting to about the limit of practical definition, if there is any idea of using the negative
for anything treyond trvo diameters enlargement.
The beginner might pardonably imagine that by using a stop smaller than one-twentieth
inch he would get a gieater depth of focus;but for reasons we need not now enter upon, this is
doubtful, as di{Iraction effects r,vould be likely to become apparent.
One need hardly add that there is nothing magical about a lens of eight inches focal length
and that, mutatis mutandis, one can apply the foregoing to other lenses. Thus, using a six-inch
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