The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-09-29

PHOTOGRAPH SIrrERs.-The public does not
appreciate the fact that very careful dressing
is required to obtain satisfactory audience of
the sun. Sol is even more memorable than
any court funkey in such matters. The pub
lie seems to think that the sun takes cogniz-
ance of any color that may be presented to
him, and finds out its mistake when too late.
Yellow or orange may suit the brunette, and
mauve, or the lighter shades of blue and gray,
may harmonic with the blonde but in the
camera it is far otherwise. The yellow ray of
the spectrum does not affect the silver plate,
while mauves, purples and blues do most ac-
lively /; thus when the printing process reverses
the shades on the Photographic plate, the yell
low becomes black, and the delicate light col
ors above mentioned print nearly pure white.
Thus sitters sometimes become so altered in
their Photographic portrait that they scarcely
recognize themselves. Gloriana with golden
hair comes forth with raven tresses, and the
yellow rose in Re5ecca's coiffure is as black as
the locks they adorn. A certain class of people,
again, like the sun to register their finery.
Ladies who but seldom go to court, wish to
make the most Of the occasion, quite regardless
of the fact that stiff brocades, especially during
the crinolne fashion, give anything but an
elegant contour to the figure. There has been
of late, however, very great improvement in
this respect, and all the better-class photo
graphers have learned to impress upon their
sitters the value of simplicity, both as regards
pose and dress. In certain quarters Of the
town, however, the rage for pretence is as
great as ever, both on the part of the sitter and
the photographer. 1t will be observed that
the lower the neighborhood the more varied
the amount of properties and scenic decora-
tiOns to be found in the studio. Possibly the
carpenter would prefer being working at his
bench, but the photographer, who artfully pre-
fers pleasing Jones' wife, places him upon
terrace with far-stretching landscape as a
background. Servantmaids, again, are seat
ed in splendid boudoirs, and respectable trades
men are placed in extensive libraries, whereas
the only books they feel at home with, are their
day books and ledgers. All this is the mere
snobbery Of the art, which we rarely see prac-
tised in better-class studios. A fiat gray back
ground, which throws up the figure without
cutting up its lines, is now almost universally
employed. Nevertheless the ignorance that is
occasionally displayed by people of the better
class with respect to the manner of taking the
photograph would scarcely be believed. On
one occasion two ladies eptered the sitting
room of a studio, and placing themselves be-
fore a mirror, after some time wished to know
if the portraits were not finished, evidently
thinking the looking-glass was the operating
agent. In another case we heard that young
lady intimated her desire that her hair should
be made little longer; and it has been desired
that even jewelry should be omitted in thepor-
trait, the sitter making no attempt to remove
it herself. 0neiold gentleman, in the country,
even sent up the color of his hair to the color
ing artist of the Stereoscopic Company, and
called four days afterward the inquire if the
portrait was donel Young lady sitters during
the present fashion of dressing the hair are
not photographed to advantage, the ehignon
affording very unsubstantial foundation for
the head-rest.-From Good Words.