Owing to the number of questions received and replies given, we are compelled to omit this Department this week.
E. G., of Worthington, Ohio, asks what is the best kind of water to use in photography, and what is done with the different solutions after they have been used. The best kind of water is distilled water, but as this cannot always be obtained, amateurs get along without it. Water which has been filtered through blotting paper is free enough from sediment to make it all right for ordinary purposes such as developing, toning, etc. In washing pictures after toning, or in washing negatives in running water, it is a good idea to tie a flannel bag to the faucet, as this catches all sediment, and prevents gritty particles settling in the soft film. Photographers who use a great deal of material usually save their solutions and separate the gold, but amateurs do not find it of enough value to pay, as the quantity used is so small. Toning solutions are usually thrown away after the gold is exhausted. Developers can be used over several times if fresh is added to keep up the strength. Hypo after being used for a batch of pictures should be thrown away, for dirty hypo will stain negatives, and as it costs but little it is better to have it fresh, and thus ensure good results.
Sir Knight Louis A. Dyar, of Winona, Minn., asks why pictures taken with a camera that makes a picture 3½ x 3½ are not allowed in prize competitions; how to make platinotype prints; if sepia prints are considered artistic; if it is possible for one to take a good instantaneous out-of-door figure study; and if a camera is not perfect, if the manufacturers would repair it. The reason why pictures made with a camera smaller than a 4 x 5 are usually excluded from prize competitions is because the small cameras do not admit of so much scope in the pictures, and while many artistic "bits" are taken with the small camera, they cannot really enter into competition with pictures taken with a larger camera, which requires more care and skill in making. Prints made in sepia tints are considered quite artistic for some pictures. Sepia tints would not be appropriate for snow pictures or for marines, but for some landscapes sepia tones are better than black or gray. It is possible to take a good instantaneous figure study out of doors, but the contrast between the lights and shadows is apt to be too strong if the picture is taken in the sunlight. With a quick plate and lens one may make a good instantaneous with the subject placed in the shadow of a building. If a camera is found to be defective it should be taken to the dealer from whom it was purchased, who will return it to the manufacturers and have the defect remedied.
Sir Knight Leslie T. Redman, Lexington, Massachusetts, says that the film from his negatives has a tendency to rise from the glass, and wishes some remedy. This is what is called "frilling," and is usually caused by the solutions being used at too high a temperature. A little alum in the fixing bath will harden the film. The following is a good formula: Hypo, 16 oz.; water, 64 oz.; pulverized alum, 1 oz. Mix thoroughly till the hypo and alum are dissolved. Let it stand for twenty-four hours till the precipitate formed by the alum has settled at the bottom. Then either syphon off the clear liquid or turn it off carefully, so as not to disturb the sediment at the bottom. The negative should remain in the fixing bath five minutes after the silver has been removed.
F. P., Mok Hill, California, asks for a good formula for an intensifier. F. P. will find in No. 824 (August 13th) three formulas for intensifying a plate, and one in No. 839 (November 26th) in answer to Sir Knight John H. Curtis. If not successful in their use, please write to the editor of the Camera Club.
Sir Knight Robert H. Ewell, sent, last May, directions for making spirit photographs. The publication has been withheld until the present time, as winter seems the best time for trying experiments, there being little of out-door work for the camera. Drape a sheet about a person, letting it fall below the feet. Take a picture of this person standing near or behind a chair with the arm extended, making a short exposure. Close the shutter, leaving the camera in same position, pose some one in the chair—the ghost having, of course, been removed—and take his picture. The first exposure for the spirit should be quite short, while that for the real photograph should be exposed as for any portrait. Develop the plate, and the negative should show the dim outline of the "ghost" standing by the person photographed. The editor has seen many amusing photographs made in this way.
Sir Knight Teebor Rolyat, Newark, N.J., asks if the Night Hawk is a good camera for a beginner, and if it is suitable to take good pictures; what is the simplest and best solution for a beginner to use; and if it would spoil a plate when the sun is shining on the camera from the front. The Night Hawk is considered an excellent camera for beginners, and it will take good pictures if the owner will use care and judgment. Some of the pictures which won prizes in a recent contest were taken with an outfit costing less than twenty dollars. One must use that camera as the painter advised his pupils to mix paints—"With brains, sir!" A beginner would be more successful if he used one of the ready-prepared developers when first learning. They are prepared by expert chemists and accurately mixed. After a little experience in developing, one can then mix his own solutions. Many formulas have already been given, and others are to follow soon. Two formulas for developers are given in No. 844 (December 31). The sun shining into the camera and striking the plate would fog the plate, but if the lens is shaded so that the direct rays of the sun do not strike it, the camera may be pointed directly toward the sun.
FALSE ECONOMY
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