To take pictures with this panoramic outfit, load the camera in the usual way, but do not wind it up to exposure No. 1; stop at a point where the beginning of the film will be nearly opposite the narrow slot in the black paper, or rubber. This would be to stop the turning at about the time the hand pointer appears in the small back window. Attach the camera firmly to the board and brace up the lens end so that it will not easily shake with the movement of the car. Place the board across the backs of two adjacent seats, so that the camera will point out of the window at exactly right angles to the car.
When ready to expose, open the shutter wide, turn the crank that is hooked into the wing nut, and slowly wind up the film while the train is running. This will give a panoramic picture, continuous in character, and if the speed of turning is well judged, some very splendid views can be made.
The speed of turning the crank will be governed by the focal length of the lens and the speed of the train. For an average lens, the crank should be given one turn per second when the car is traveling about 15 miles an hour, or the average speed of a street car, A train traveling 30 miles an hour will require two turns of the crank per second. A good method of trying this out is to use one film as a test and turn the crank a few times and note its speed by the second, then stop and begin again at another speed for a few turns and so on, until the entire film is exposed, always noting the turns and time for each change, also the speed of the train. When the film is developed the one that shows best will give the proper number of turns per second.
The following points must be considered: The track should not be rough, and the camera must be perfectly steady and not twisted out of position by turning the crank, otherwise the resulting picture will be wavy. If the slot in the back board is not smooth and true, the picture will be streaked. Turning the film too fast will make the picture elongated, and too slowly, condensed. Should the camera be pointed otherwise than at right angles the picture will be distorted. This arrangement cannot be used to take moving objects except under special conditions. A picture of a passing train of cars can be made if the camera is stationary, but the wheels and drive rods will appear twisted out of shape. It is best for the experimenter to confine himself to scenery at the beginning, avoiding architectural objects, because a variation in speed of turning the crank to wind the film naturally distorts the architecture, which variation is not so noticeable in a scenic view.
A Photographic Worktable for Small Quarters
By K. V. Reed
Flat dwellers have no space at their disposal for a person to work at photography, and the bathroom must take the place of a dark room. As this was very inconvenient in my case, I constructed a table, that from all appearances was nothing more than a large-size kitchen worktable, and such a table can be used in case the builder does not care to construct it.
The table is turned upside down and the top removed by taking out the screws. The top is made of several pieces glued together and will remain in one piece. It is then hinged at one side to the top edge of the rail, so that it can be turned back like a trunk, or box, cover.
Boards are then nailed to the under edge of the rails. If a very neat job is required, these boards should be set inside on strips nailed to the inside surfaces of the rails, at the proper place to make the boards come flush with the under edges of the rails.