Morning journal and courier., 1883-11-24
Taking Pictures for Fun.

Taking Pictures for Fun.
 The IncreRsing Army of Amateur Photo
 graphera-FaEcfnatfo of the New Fur
 suit, Means Provided for It's EnJoymen
 and Uses to which 1t is Put.
 From the New York Times
 ssPlease take me?'
 The request came from a bright little Rix
 who stood looking wistfully, from pair o
 blue eyes, at an artist busily engaged in at
 tempting properly to focus landscape viey
 with his camera. Hat in hand, with he
 golden tressss all tangled by the wind, ant
 clad in dark rough-and-tumble mountaiI
 dress, she made pretty picture.
 "Of course I'll take y6u, said the younl photographer, as he threw the black clotl
 from off his head and stopped to survey tn young miss before him. 'FYou are just wha 1 I want in this picture. Stand over there b,
 those rocks. Not so far back, you would bt l lost in the shadows and no solution in th,
 world could ever bring you out. Now, steady
 don't move muscle. All right. my littl l miss, you may go, and tomorrow will sent you the picture"
 'tBut, sir, will 1t cost much ?" and the lit tie girl made movement as toward hel ! pocket
 'Oh, it won't cost you anything. I an | not 8 regular, you know. am an amateur and do not take pictures for money but fo | pleasure. You shall have a copy of the pic I ture, and are welcome to 1t; that is, of course
 if don't spoil the plate in developing it." ''That is the way with them alI,'' said th4 been 8 witness of the scene and had not beer asked to occupy place in the picture Every one that gets into one of my pictures seems to think he or she must pay for it Even those who do not know they are in un ] til after print is made want to pay. Only yesterday was taking a view of that little church on the rock yonder when gentleman with party of young ladies drove up and blurted out pll take half dozen. How much do you charge ?'" This young man was the son of Wall street millionaire, and a member of the rapidly increasing army o1 amateur photographers for recreation and pleasure.
 A few years ago one would not have found dozen of these young men who take pic lures for fun. African explorers and west ern travellers have always taken an apparatus of some kind, but it is only recently that pic lures have been taken by private persons simply for the pleasure of it. Now the SUD- plying of amateur outfits has become one of the most important departments in the big photographic materials supply stores in the city. Special cameras of all grades, sizes and prices are made simply for amateurs. The large houses in New York even issue bulletins and papers giving specimens of amateur work. Last summer 1t was a common sight to see nicely dressed young fellows loaded down with cameras and tripods at the trains and steamboats. There is hardly a bit of romantic landscape, river or mountain side, but has bsen photographed. If the craze continues with as much interest shown as in the past two years it will not be long before the whole world will be photographed OF can bs reproduced in the stereopticon.
 s'It is most fascinating work" said the young artist above mentioned, as he folded up the camera in 8 neat box and made the support into walking stick. ''When you once get started and can do fairly good work you are not apt to give 1t up, and with the latest improvements it is clean work. At first the experimenter usually has hard time of 1t, for no matter how carefully he may follow out the instructions some little thing will happen to spoil his plate. It takes little time to learn the proper amount of exposure to give the plate in the different lights but if the amateur has common sense he will soon be able to take a fairly good picture, and afterward each picture will suE- pass the previous one.
 ''Thsn the amateur photographer has al- ways something to show for his work, which is just enough to make it interesting. If the pictures are not the best at first, they will serve their purpose in recalling the scenes of recreation and call to mind the pleasures ex- perienced. Only yesterday I made an cid ishsrman happy by taking photograph of a big trout he had caught in the lake. The plate did not develop very well and vas light struck little around the edges, but 1t showed the trout, and that made it just as valuable to the fisherman as if the contrasts of foliage on the bank of the lake and the shadows in the water had been perfectly de- veloped. Now, instead of 8 rough drawing of his fish on birch bark or the outline on paper, he has the photograph Ladies also khoa lay ov1d foHn nk delight in them, too. Light outfits are made specially for their It was not an infre- quent sight last summer at the watering places and seaside to see young beauty trip ping of from the hotel with dainty little camera in one hand and the folded tripod in the other. The latter she knows she can make use of in case of snakes, and therefore feels secure In her close-ftting dress, made for the purpose, and with cheeks glowing with healthy enthusiasm, you can't help hoping that she will manage to photograph herself before she gets back. They take beautiful pictures, too, and in many photo graphic galleries are to be found specimens of amateur work that has been done by ls- dies Sometimes they put the accomplish ment to good use, and sell their pictures, which generally find ready purchasers
 The interest in amateur photography has been caused, in great measure, by the i'm provements made in the apparatus. These began with the introduction of the dry plates. These are the sensitive gelatInc bromide dry plates, and they can be carried about with little trouble. Formerly, when the vet plates were in use, it was necessary for an amateur to carry around with him chemical laboratory and an extemporized darkroom. Solutions had to be ready beforehand. In working the plates the photographer general ly got all covered with chemicals, and it was not pleasant. With dry plates it is not necessary to bother with chemicals while on the field. All that is necessary is to keep the plates, after the exposure, from the light. They can be packed away in cases to be developed in the dark room at home. If the amateur wishes to mako his picture at ths time, dark closet or room can be rigged up in the hotel where he is staying Only two solutions are necessary, and they can be carried in small bottles. Many artists devel- op their plates when they get back at night from days photogrsphing tramp. Others save their plates and take them to profes- sional in the city to be developed. The greatest fun of all is to take instantaneous pictures. Shooting photographs" is get ting to be common. One literally and truly ss9ets the drop" on persons with the instan- taneous apparatus. There are many ways to rig up the camera for it, but all it essentially consists of is shutter for covering the lens, peculiar plate, and perfected lens. It is most exciting work at first, and invariably the amateur drops the slide too soon. 'sThe first time tried il, :" says one young artist, Twas to catch boy who was jumping oil g chimney. He jumped and let go the drop. When the plate was developed the boy hadn't left the chimney"
 One of the latest of instantaneous cameras consists of 8 wooden box little larger than cigar box, which can be carried easily un- der the arm, and looks simple and inoffensive enough. Inside the box is the lens through which the picture is taksn. This Is covered by shutter, which by the mere pressing of little knob on the outside uncovers the lens fer an instant. On the upper side is anoth- CT cheap lens. and underneath ground-glass plate. This Is simply to enable the pho togrepher to sec the image he wishes to take. When it falls on the right spot in the plate he presses the little knob for less than twentieth of @ second, the dry plate is exposed and the picture is taken. Am other form of amateur apparatus of recent invention is the gun camera. All 1t con- sists of is 8 camera, with lens for taking instantaneous pictures, mounted on gum barrel or rod. A sight is fixed on tho ca mera, and the artist takes aim and ''shoots" the object. Birds on the wing are taken. Bursting bombs have thus been photo grophed, and objects in rapid motion. In fact, amateur instantaneous photographing has reached so fine a point that it is not