PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEEKLY "Dorothy's First Piece" By Arthur H. Farrow 51 Richelieu Terrace Newark, N. J. Data: Seneca; Sym. lens; Stand. Ortho; Rytol; soft Cyko, M-Q; exp. 30 sec. at F 16. Honorable Commend PAGE 529 these I now usually spend my evenings at home and give my family the benefit of my company and protection, even though they cannot enter sympathetically into the enjoyment of my evening dark-room entertainments. Really and truly it is to me worth while. I am sending you a print for criticism. I have of course my own opinion of the defects, but should like to know the views of some others. (The print referred to is the new criticism picture this week.-Ed.) shorten the focal length of the regular lens, which for our purpose is equivalent to increasing the bellows extension. To ascertain if the portrait lens will serve the purpose, take off the camera back with no film in place, put a piece of ground glass, ground side toward the lens. in the place the film occupies when in position for exposure, extend the lens over which the portrait lens has been placed as far as possible regardless of the focussing scale, place upon a table some object which is light in color and has points upon it which may be easily measured and easily seen upon the WINNING ANSWER TO QUESTION ground glass, place the camera with shutter There are two difficulties to overcome in using a roll film camera for copying, by which I assume we mean reproducing other pictures, etc., on the same scale as the original or smaller. These difficulties are lack of sufficient bellows extension and inability to focus on a ground glass. The first may be overcome by the use of a supplementary lens, either a portrait attachment if the camera has a fairly long bellows extension, or a copying lens if the extension is short. These lenses are cheap and if one has neither I would advise purchasing a copying lens, but if a portrait lens is already available a trial may show that it will serve the purpose alone. The effect of both of these lenses is to open on the table and move it toward the object until it comes to a sharp focus on the ground glass. If the image then is as large or larger than the object the portrait lens will do, or if the pictures, etc., are not to be copied THIS WEEK'S AWARDS Reader's Criticism No. 106: Frank D. King, 3101 Clinton St., Bellaire, Weekly Question No. 198: Ray L. Swift, 776 Post Ave., Rochester, Honorable Commend: "Dorothy's First Piece," by A. H. Farrow, Newark, N. J. "Tiffany Falls," by Russell L. Winget, 157 Chadwick Ave., Newark, N. J. "A Glimpse of the Potomac," by H. G. Hoke, 539 Farlson Square, Pittsburgh, Pa. PAGE 530 "A Glimpse of the Potomac" Data: No. 3 Kodak, 5-inch Dagor lens; 1/25th at F 6.8; hazy sun; 4 p. m., October, 1917; N-C film; tank dev. in Rytol; printed through enlarging lantern on Prof. Cyko; Rytol for print. Honorable Commend full size it will be sufficient if the image on the ground glass is as large in proportion to the object as the copy to be made is to the original. If only an occasional copy is to be made the object to be copied may be focussed on the piece of ground glass, the camera secured in place, a film inserted and the exposure made, after which the remainder of the film may be used for ordinary exposures, or, if other objects are to be copied in the same scale, they may be placed in exactly the same place that the first one occupied and the exposures made without again using the ground glass. Otherwise in using this method it will be necessary to wait until the film is used up before the ground glass may again be used for focussing. If it is desired to make copies without using the ground glass each time the camera is set up or the scale of the copy is changed it may be done by measurement, and the same method PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEEKLY may be used for photographing small objects, such as flowers. First it is necessary to learn the focal length of the combined lens. To do this proceed as at first described with a piece of ground glass in place of the film and adjust the camera and extension until the image on the ground glass is exactly the same size as the object. Then measure the distance from the ground glass to the object and divide by four, which will give the focal length of the lens. For convenience it will be well to also focus upon some distant object, using the ground glass, and then mark upon the camera bed the point at which the focussing pointer comes. This will give the infinity mark for the combined lens. The camera may now be set for copying by calculation at any time by the aid of an accurate tape measure, without removing the back and using the ground glass. If a full size copy is to be made set the pointer ahead from the new infinity mark a distance equal to the focal length of the lens and place the picture to be copied at a point from the lens equal to two focal lengths. If the object to be copied is larger than the film, reduction is of course necessary and the calculation of distances is not quite so simple but may easily be done as follows: Determine by measurement the diameter of the object and the film and divide the larger by the smaller to obtain the factor to be used. For instance, if the film is 4 x 5 and the object 8 x 10 the factor will be 2. To determine the distance of the lens from the film divide the focal length by the factor and set the pointer that distance ahead of the infinity mark. Now multiply the focal length by the factor and add one focal length to get the distance the object must be from the lens, measuring, ordinarily, from the diaphragm. To illustrate, if a 16 x 20 picture is to be reduced to 4 x 5 the factor will be 4. Now suppose the focal length to be 4 inches the dis PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEEKLY tance of the lens from the film will be 4 4+45, which will be most easily fixed by merely setting the pointer ahead from the infinity mark one inch which will be equivalent to adding that distance to the focal length. The distance from the lens as so placed to the object will be 4 X 4+4 or 20 inches. By making these calculations and measurements and stopping down to U. S. 32 or smaller, sharp copies will be assured. In making copies by measurement only see that the lens is opposite the center of both the film and the object to be copied as, because of its measures, the view-finder is apt to be an unreliable guide.-Ray L. Swift, 776 Post Ave., Rochester, N. Y. READER'S CRITICISM No. 106 WINNING CRITICISM The picture "Mad as a March Hare" can be criticised under three heads. Two of these may be termed "What the photographer did do," and the third may be stated as "What the photographer did not do." What the photographer did do he did well. The critic sees this at the first glance. Take, for instance, the first fault under this heading, -the amputation of the feet. To adequately depict the surgical trimness of the operation it would take the ironic pen of the Intensifier, yet I will say that the fault is a most glaring one. In almost any photographic magazine one may pick up, the same fault can be discerned in some reproduction from a print entered for criticism. In this print the mistake is most apparent, particularly so because the costume of the subject is so unique that we find ourselves unduly curious regarding the subject-matter cut off. Instead of being "Mad as a March Hare" the victim seems to be crying vigorously over the terrible accident that has happened to his lower extremities. In fact his (?) right hand is pointing downward in order to apprise us of the cause of the salty flood. If Mr. Gibbs had but taken heed to the pointing forefinger he would have eliminated one fault of the picture. Second among the "did-do's" is the background. The two perpendicular white lines just back of the little model are so closely allied in color with the child's costume that the suggestion of atmosphere at the head is partially destroyed. A hard lead pencil applied to the streak at the left will improve matters considerably. Then, the horizontal white streak to the right of the model's eyes gives the beholder the idea that someone just out of the picture radius is holding a broom-handle in readiness, and if the subject doesn't "just be have beautifully, and watch the birdie in Papa's camera closely" the said holder will punch the said model along side the ear with the same said broom-stick. Remedy: penciling down. Under the "did-not-do's" we have the fault that is most glaring of all. The photographer neglected to provide the model's hands with something to do and as a result the said model determined to find something for them to do anyway. As the garment worn had no visible pockets, the hands were forthwith thrust into the nearest opening, which happened to be the owner's mouth, in order to get them out of sight. (Under these circumstances I think I can be forgiven if I call it a him!) It is plainly apparent the model is ill at ease. There are two ways that quickly suggest themselves to the photographer to keep a child interested. One of these is to give the child a ball or toy of some kind to play with, and the other is to toss the ball oneself until the model is oblivious to all else but the sport going on for his edification. When his face is all awrinkle with smiles and dimples, and his hands are reaching out, perhaps, for possession of the toy, let 'er go!-Frank D. King, 3101 Clinton St., Bellaire, Ohio. VARIOUS MATTERS The picture in this issue by Mr. Winget is worth some study. The subject is one that does not lend itself readily to pictorial treatment, there are so many striking elements in the composition, yet the print is to our mind very successful. The picture is a record, but it is well put together. This is in line with what was recently said in Sketch-Book Leaves about the purpose of a picture. As amateurs. we are not wholly concerned with obtaining pictorial effects, so called. There are many times when the job is to make a picture of a particular place or thing of which we or someone else wants a photograph; the problem then is not to decide whether the subject is as suitable as we might wish, but to make the most of it as we find it. Pictures-successful pictures-of scenes in public parks are not by any means the easiest to obtain. A lake dotted with rowboats and canoes looks beautiful from a distance, but when you attempt to select certain parts of it for a composition the general result is likely to be disappointing. The cover picture this week is a fair example of this. We venture to say that it was somewhat of a disappointment to the maker. The fact of the matter is that most parks are laid out with regard for the general effect which the whole is to convey-a thing which it is very difficult for photography to record. There is better fortune for the amateur in those bits of country where the landscape artist has not been so consciously at work. A few years ago there was on the market a cane made in three pieces which could be opened out into the form of a tripod, but it seems to have met the fate of many minor products, good in themselves but not in sufficient demand to be profitably pushed. However, such an article should prove very useful to the owner of a small hand camera, especially at this time of year, and there is no reason why an amateur mechanically inclined should not be able to make one for himself. "Tiffany Falls" By Russell L. Winget, 157 Chadwick Ave. Data: 3 x 44 Ensign Popular Reflex, Ensign Mr. Farrow informs us that the picture of his which we reproduce this week is one of his first attempts at indoor portraiture. It is commendable, but not without faults. A corner of the piano has been amputated, and the vertical line at the left is slightly out of plumb. It would have been better to divide the error in this matter between the right and the left margin, instead of making the piano carry all of it. This is a point that it is well to keep in mind, for by division or the error the latter can sometimes be almost entirely concealed. The Eastman Kodak Company has recently added to its wares the Kodak Self-Timer, a device for making exposures automatically. The idea is not new, but the device is an improvement over similar ones in simplicity and convenience and adaptability to any push release. It is designed to be used with the automatically-controlled exposures, not with "bulb" or "time." PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEEKLY PAGE 533 ACHOE Local Manipulation"! CAN'T help feeling at times that the editor is a little careless in his use of words. For the most part, he is merely seductive, but every now and then he introduces some word that calls up the most unhappy images to the mind. Recently he spoke of the amateur photographer as having a "hunch" about the suitability of some subject for purposes pictorial. I have no fault to find with his statement, whatever it was, but why be so unkind as to refer to the amateur's proneness to a "hunch?" The hunch is the amateur's curse, and it is exceedingly painful to be reminded of the circumstance by an editorial utterance. If it were not for the accursed hunch, the amateur could be very happy and contented. But the hunch won't let him. It is getting after him all the time, and he no sooner becomes comfortably settled in his ways when along comes Mr. Hunch to turn him inside out and disturb all his hard-won equanimity. This Mr. Hunch is the most chameleon-like creature that was never created. One day he is one thing, the next he is another. He may not last in one form more than a few weeks, but while he assumes any given form he has so virulent and insidious a nature that he gets in enough dirty work to make up for his shortlived existence many times over. You know how it goes. You are having a happy and contented time with your 3A film camera, making a few pictures every week and building up a delightful album of select views. You think how satisfactory photography is, and what a lot of good it is doing your immortal soul. Then, in an unlucky moment, your dealer puts into your hands a new camera catalog, or you read one of those enticing articles of personal experience, and suddenly all your contentment is gone. The 3A seems big and cumbersome, and you have the hunch that you must get a vest-pocket camera. This you can carry with you at all times, making pictures when no one is looking, wherever you happen to be. Yes, there is no putting up without that vest-pocket camera. You have the hunch that with it you can do wonders, and the hunch gets you so hard that you rest not night or day until it is yours. After you have got it and given yourself to it as to some great ideal in unreserved surrender, one would naturally expect the old con tentment to return. Maybe it does, but only for a while, for pretty soon along comes another hunch which is just as violent and irresistible. It is the hunch that you must have a first-class enlarging camera. This hunch eats into your vitals for several weeks, or maybe months, until the family become worried about your emaciated look and think you ought to go south for the winter. When things have reached this pass you realize that it is useless to resist the demands of nature any longer, and the money which the family want you to put into Cod Liver Oil you put into an enlarger instead; unless meanwhile you have got a new hunch that it would be a good idea to buy a stereopticon, thus enabling yourself to go in for slide work as well as enlarging. This is a good example of two hunches which are worse than one, for as time goes on you are kept in torment by their conflicting demands upon your already wasted energies. era. After you have got your fill of enlarging, which after a succession of nightly orgies has caused the family to find you one bright morning sleeping the sleep of exhaustion on the kitchen floor, where you have dropped about dead in your tracks, you decide that enlarging is very nice but not for you. Just about then, when you ought to be thoroughly cured of all vain desires, you suddenly get the hunch that the best thing, after all, is a nice big view camWith this you can take a few select views now and then, using a motor truck or packhorse to cart your baggage around for you, and then make just the contact prints you want. Enlarging then will be no longer necessary, unless as you now see to be quite unlikely there should be a demand for one of your masterpieces in enlarged form to hang upon the wall, to cover up some of the holes in the plaster that would not be there if you had not dodged just in time. A pest on hunches. Pray leave me to my rut. The Intensifier. |