Naturalistic Photography for Students of the Art.

by P. H. Emerson

The camera should always extend and close by means of a tail-screw, those opening by means of a rack and pinion are much more liable to get out of order. Of course this remark is not applicable to the smallest-sized cameras. |Spirit levels.| Two small spirit-levels sunk into the tail-piece of the camera are invaluable; one will do if made of the right shape. |Size of camera.| In ordering a camera the two vital points to be considered are the size including the length of the bellows. The size of plate you intend working with determines the size of the camera. We have worked with all sized cameras, from quarter-plate up to one taking twenty-four by twenty-two inch plates, and it is only after long experience and much consideration that we venture to offer an opinion on the size to be chosen. For ordinary work, then, we recommend the half-plate size as the minimum, and the ten by eight inch size as the maximum. Perhaps a whole-plate camera (8½ × 6½ inches) is on the whole as useful as any. The strength required to do a day’s work with a twelve by ten inch camera is beyond any but a strong man. It is assumed, of course, that the pictures of the sizes cited are for albums, portfolios, or book illustrations. It must be remembered, however, that the size of a picture has nothing to do with its artistic value, an artistic quarter-plate picture is worth a hundred commonplace pictures forty by thirty inches in size. For producing large pictures for the wall, however, we consider the camera should be between fifteen by twelve inches and twenty-four by twenty-two inches; we cannot imagine anything larger than twenty-four by twenty-two inches for out-door work, and our memory goes back to a marsh road in Norfolk where we and two peasants had all we could do to carry a twenty-four by twenty-two inch camera when set up, from one marsh to another.

Square cameras.

The student will of course remember that his camera must be square in order to have a reversing frame fitted, but that makes no difference to the dark slides. |Length.| Having then fixed on the size of his camera, a question requiring the greatest thought, he must next tell the maker the length of bellows he requires, which is usually measured from front to back when the camera is racked out to its full length. As we recommend the use of long-focus lenses only, as will be seen in the chapter on lenses, and as no definite law can be laid down for this length, it is advisable to order a camera four or five inches longer than the focal length of the lens which is advertised to cover the next larger-sized plate to that which your dark slide holds.

Size of plate.

And now for a caution against a fallacy still current in photographic circles, which is that one size of plate is more suitable for pictorial purposes than another. Let no such nonsense influence you, the size of the plate has nothing whatever to do with success or beauty. Every composition will demand its own particular size and shape, and though you work with a ten by eight inch camera or any other size, you will find you will often take a nine by four inch or a ten by three inch plate or a dozen other sizes and cut off all the rest. All fanciful rules for fixing on the size of a plate for pictorial reasons cannot be too strongly condemned. Such things must be left to the individuality of each artist, and every picture-gallery in Europe gives the lie to all rules for a choice of size. The artist, must of course, suit his canvas or plate to his subject, not his subject to his canvas or plate.

Studio cameras.

For studio, or indoor work, the camera may of course be heavier for obvious reasons, and a different form of support is necessary, the one usually adopted being very convenient for lowering or raising the lens so that the best point of sight is obtained according to the position of the model. It seems to us, however, that these studio cameras and stands are made a great deal too heavy and cumbersome. |Hood.| For this kind of work a very necessary part of the apparatus is a hood of some dark material fixed on to the front of the camera and extending above and beyond the lens, in order to obviate the effect of the numerous reflections always present in a glass studio. Out of doors this is only necessary when the sun is shining into the lens; otherwise it is never needed, for we have tried it, and have proved that its use has in no way improved either the truth or the artistic quality of the negative. In cases where the sun shines into the lens a hat, a piece of cardboard, a folded newspaper, or anything of the kind, will answer the purpose equally well.

Tripod head.

The tripod head should be preferably of tough wood covered with felt. A metal tripod head is apt to endanger the woodwork of the camera, even when covered with leather. |Tripods.| The legs should be simple and firm, the best we know of being made of two pieces of ash or oak hinged at the bottom, the points shod with iron, and the legs being stiffened, when in position by a bar of iron which is secured by a hinge. Every one should have two pairs of legs at least; one pair, so that when the camera is set up the lens may be on a level with the eye of a man of average height, and one pair shorter, so that the lens is only three feet from the ground. |Supplementary poles.| In addition to these we always have handy three tough poles eight feet long and about the diameter of a broomstick; these are shod with iron heels, and have notches cut at the unshod ends. These are most useful to lash to the long legs when using them in water-ways. |Double-backs.| It is as well to have six double-backs, for by filling them all at one operation the student empties a box of plates, and so avoids a chance of mixing exposed and unexposed plates. |Bags.| The most convenient method of carrying the plates in all cases up to and including the ten by eight size, is to have a bag made which will take the camera, three double-backs and the focussing cloth, and a separate bag for the other three double-backs which can be left or taken out at pleasure.

Clamp.