The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-06-18
sa TAKING PICTURES: Wa
Ministers, Doctors, Naval Ohicers, and
Tourists as Amateur Photographers.

es& TAKING PICTURES H2@
Ministers, Doctors, Naval Officers, and
Tourists as Amateur Photographers.
1t is not unusual nowadays for q
visitor to the country to see half
dozen cameras surrounding any
picturesque or historical spot, and it is
common indeed, while sitting toward
nightfall on the hotel veranda, to see |
many of the guests walk wearily in,
carrying the tripod, camera, and plate
box that go to make up the amateur
photographer outfit. The amateur
photography craze has spread all over
the United States, and has even flowed |
over on the West India Islands, and
into south America. The manufacture |
of amateur photographers outfits has
become a business in itself, and is daily |
increasing in magnitude.
Three or four years ago amateur
photographers were almost as rare as
black swans, but now they are nearly
as abundant as sparrows. At that
time amateurs had to have almost as
much chemicals and paraphernalia as
the professional. The cumbersome
silverbath, in which the solution had to
be just so or the plates would come out
cloudy, the developer, which had to be
made from half dozen chemicals, and
a dozen other things which were neces-
sary to taking photographs, were
enough to frighten out almost any
novice.
A new process appeared 1t did
away with the silver bath and many
other things. 1t was called the dry
plate process. All that the amateur
A.H - hKrrT k, 1afa lob
were already prepared. slap them in
to the camera, and make the exposure.
The developer came in bottles with
directions for its use. Anybody with
ordinary intelligence could take photo
graphs. OF course the photographs
mighs not be very good, but still anna
teurs could take them.
There was a general rush to buy
Photographic outfits, but, as cameras,
lenses, and stands were very large and
expensive, only the rich could indulge
in them. Besides, they were too cum
bersome to carry around. and as tour
lists made up the large part of the
amateurs there came a demand for
light and cheap apparatus.
Now amateur outfits can be bought
at almost any price. A very respecta-
ulc OubAts COhoiotAhS VA Wow SdnCL a.
with single lense, for making by
inch pictures, adouble ry-plate holder,
folding tripod and carrying case, a
dozen dry-plates, bottle Of developer,
sensitized paper, and printing frame
costs SIG A similar outfit, only with
the camera of smaller size, costs $40.
Either portraits or views can bs taken
with them.
- ho lar 1oa lorS in
photographers outfits, whose store
rooms in Fulton street hold cameras,
lenses, tripods. and plates of every size
and kind, says that it is with difficulty
| that he can promptly fill his many
orders.
almost everybody who goes into
the country, nowadays" he said,
wants to take Photographic apparatus
along. They like to take pictures of
! the places that they visit. so that they
can show them to their friends when
| they return home. You have no idea
of the rivalry that exists between some
of those amateurs. They not only
want to have the best pictures. but the
most. They can take lot, too. One
of the advantages of dry plates is that
YOU needn't develop them for months.
graph, plant your tripod, get the focus,
and put in your dry plate. After the
| exposure, you put the plate into your
carrying-box. 1t may be developed
lust as we'll three months later as the
next day. I'll tell you privately that a
large majority just bring the plates
home, and then get some photographer
to develop them and print the photo
graphs.
Tourists are not the only amateurs
who dabble in photography. There are
! ministers, doctors, naval officers, SOL
diers, and persons in almost every pro-
fession. There are lady amateurs, too.
Engineer Henry, of the City of Angus
ia, and the engineer of the Tallahassee
have been making photographs for
years. There is q Catholic priest in
this city who is an artist. / could give
| you the names of dozen ministers in
towns and villages within radius of
fifty miles of this city who are amateur
photographers, and not bad ones,
either.
81 have noticed one thing" the deal
er continued. '.In almost every in
stance, as the amateur gets more in
terested, lie buys more expensive ap-
paratus. He begins with a cheap out
fit, but it is not long before the desire
to get the better of his friends induces
him to buy first a better camera and
lenses and then other things. Our
orders are from all over the country.
This week we have sent outfits to Flor
ida, California. Ohio, and other far
away states. Not long ago we sent a
lot OF apparatus to Trinidad. We have
also sent to Cuba and South America.
Although good deal of photograph
ing Is done III winter, 1t is nothing like
what is done in warmer weather. There
are some who have passion for winter
scenes, and often ON the coldest days
you may find them taking pictures of
snoW-coVered trees and frozen streams.
There have been more winter views
taken OF places in Central park than
would fill dozen galleries. | don't
think this craze for photographing by
amateurs has hurt the business of the
professional photographers much. 1t
has brought down the prices of the
plates and chemicals, so that the pro-
fession have protited.
Amateur outfits cost anywhere from
SO to 5000. l have seen as sharp and
clean picture made with SIG outfit
as any person could desire. The dry
plates are sold in packages containing
a dozen each. They cost from As cents
a dozen up, depending on the size.
They are of glass coated with sensitized
gelatine. After the exposure and
development the plate becomes
negative from which as many photo
graphs may be printed as one W ants"
NeU York Sam