Mr. Latimer Expresses His Views Somewhat at Length
In the olden days I used to lug around big cameras. I even went so far as to have 14×17 hand camera, made to take to sea with me to make large direct marines. In the days of the old Boston Camera Club it was called “the dog-house.” But I soon found out that it was “too much pork for a shilling.” Now I use small cameras and enlarge. My small cameras are mostly of the stereo-panoram variety, and [pg 13] a pocket Ansco, all fitted with fast lenses and with direct vision finders, which I consider much more practicable than the old style finders. For instance, I was on a steamer a few months ago, waiting to leave the dock, and a lot of gulls were flying around. I said to myself, “Here's a good opportunity to test my shutter and finder, and see if I can stop them,” so I used up one roll of film on them. I made direct hits and stops on every one.
My picture “In an Italian Village” was made with my Voigtlander 45×107 mm. stereo camera. I was on an auto trip in Italy; had nearly used up my three months allowed by the Italian Government, and had three days to get out or lose my deposit for duty on my car. I was on my way to the French frontier, and ran through this Italian village—Todi I think the name was. When I saw this picturesque old wall with some of the villagers, I said, “I've got to get this whether I lose my deposit or not.” So I stopped the car, got out my stereo, stood up in the car, leaned on the windshield, and shot before they woke up to what I was doing. Then what happened? The whole village seemed to want to get into the plate, and I had a mob instead of a picture. I made several more shots, but the first one was the best. In nine cases out of ten in like conditions I find the first shot the best. Shoot quick and don't give 'em time to pose. I suppose if I had trained movie models, though, it might be different. I've tried studio work, but I prefer the small camera and the quick snapshot. Luck counts, I admit, but when it is good, the snapshot seems to me more spontaneous than anything I can do in the studio.
My usual method of enlarging from small camera shots is this. I enlarge a transparency (positive) up to 6½×8½ or 8×10. “In an Italian Village” was an 8×10 positive, sharp lens. Then, either with a soft focus or a sharp focus lens, I enlarge to whatever size I want and whatever effect I'm after. The advantage of enlarging the positive is that you can do any faking you want to better advantage, and when your enlarged negative is done you can print in any medium you wish, so I always make enlarged negatives. I don't think I've made a bromide enlargement in twenty years. “In an Italian Village” was enlarged from a part of a 45×107 mm. stereo, a little larger than my thumb-nail. The enlarged negative is 11×14. It was printed in multiple gum, four printings, pigment 50-50 lampblack and indigo.
H. A. Latimer.