The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-01-17
SCREENS AND POSES.
Devices which Photographers Use to
Make Good Looking Pictures.

Make Good Looking Pictures.
"Now, then. sir said the sitting ar
fist of photograph gallery, forcing
the back of the reporters head INTO the
wise, keep the head about so with the
chin up; and just try and smile, Will
you?"
The reporter attempted to smile but
didn't see why he should hold up his
chin so high.
That is to prevent deep shadow
under the lower jaw. You see, our
light comes through the roof. Some
times we have to fix screen to throw
the light under the chin. We use side
screens for people who like white
line all along the nose. Others are
troubled with hollow cheeks, and we
have to throw light from the screens
into these cavities, and fatten them up,
so to speak, with sunlight. Now keep
quiet, and look at this corner. Wink,
not often, but naturally. Now smile.
You are speaking of screens. continued
the artist, growing laxative. as the
operation was over We'll. the chief
things l lave to know are how to use
! those screens and how TO pose custom
ers. If a somewhat lean lady comes
here for picture I must fill her out;
| if she has wrinkles | must smooth
them. Suppose l reflect screen light
across lady's wrinkles; they will look
almost like painted lines in the finished
picture. But let me fill the creases
with light, and they will become deli
II o,,oot,,otal {ruoipnc And of
course, such an operation would take
ten or fifteen years off her pre-
sumable age. A brilliant photo
graphic artist in Sixth avenue
said to me the other night: Give
me Just the light l want and the proper
screens, and l will make you Venus
de Milo out of an old hag, provided she
has simply the structural proportions
of that statue In principle he was
right though he might not be able to
hit the mark exactly in practice
$50 if we go to real Photographic
artist said the reporter, 1--WE are more
likely to get a pretty picture than
faithful likeness"
That doesn't follow. Our power of
modifying persons appearance must
be used with judgment. And you must
remember that to photograph people
just as they are is precisely the way to
make poor likeness. When you meet
persons you are acquainted with they
talk and smile, express some emotion.
or evince a certain amount OF animation
in their faces, which, unfortunately,
they leave behind them at the photog-
rapher's door. That's why l always
advise people to take friend with them
when they go to a gallery. And that's
why I've often taken a better pic
ture of mother while she was holding
child in position for photograph
than when she was sitting for her own
picture only. When caring for the
child she appears just as her friends see
her. You know that we seldom see
faces as they really are; we only see an
appearance. Get an absolutely exact
picture of lady who is sitting alone,
engaged in doing something which does
not interest her, and compare it with
her appearance in general. In the first
instance, the eyes are more sunken, the
corners of the lips lowered, the mouth
more compressed, the cheeks hang
slightly. the jaw has dropped a little,
the eyebrows are straighter and their
lines are less varied. All these changes
may, to professional observer,
appear unimportant; but their COM
bined influence in making up picture
would be very marked. Now, while it
is true that our screens and poses and
the animated conversation We some
times start up with customer do not
restore his habitual appearance, they
90 far to compensate for the loss OF it."
Bisrui nnd Griddie- Cakes on the
UAns hi til