New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-27
SPORT WITH THE CAMERA.
TIFF rASCiNATIONs OF AMATEUR PHOTOG-
PsP!il.


d;nrot fable aud lawn party. at dog show and
hoo race amid the cficIvesccnt iollity which
bathcs he geek of an ocean yacht or Surmounts the
tollv-ho one is constantly catching hints when
testify to the rapid spread Of that popular craze
amateur photography. The hnntsnan backs M MS
Thrilling narrative Of adventure with he assertion:
4" can show You picture of that bear, winch
took myself on the spot" reckless college man
tells of his hreakneck climb to the summit OF
crag to capture coveted view. Some fair en-
thusiast. who loves the lakes and woods more than
Waiting aud opera if possible, and who, with the
septimcnt' of her seX deveoped strong attach
ncnt for the beautiful environment of
her last summers residence. Will emu
crate the souvenirs which her camera
enabled her 20 bring home The tourist with lit
erary gifts who is going to e write up" his dis
coveries. Will confde to you possibly, that ae is to
Illustrate the proposed article or book with bis own
photographs. And the professional artist, whose
work you admire at the Academy every spring
could perhaps reveal how he mas been able TO econ
omizc time. while skctchlng. by employing pho
torraphv to capture minor details for future use.
Not alone in the bland and halcyon period from
June to October, nor away from home. Is thlS las
cmatrng diversion pursued; nor, indeed. is inc ART
utilized only for pleasure. Many amateurs operate
In the city and in winter. Pet ANIMALS, hunting
dors bouse dogs horses cats and birds are favorite
subjects Tor some OF tt-c tlSlS Holn' i"iV an"
fine work is also done in the interior of handsome
bonscs Dwellers in Fifth-ave. and other mansions
often want photographs of their drawng-rooms,
art galleries. con>ervatOrics and other apartments
70 send to frieDds take away with them; and
fresh views are desired with every Encouragement
Of furniture Iu some cases members of the family
have learned to do. this work themselves.
Scientific men, notably doctors and college profess
sors are using photography to record and illus
trate phases of healthy or diseased life or other
natural phenomena Some OF these men prepare
magic. lantern slides to employ during lectures.
certain surgeon in town just now is photographing
pnlsltons of a heart. Manufacturers of jewelry,
SILVER plate and other ornate wares who want pct
urc of their designs to exhibit for business pur-
poses, are also coming to utilize photography ana
conduct the process themselves. Aud the children
hundreds of them have gone wild over the art.
Presented with outfits that cost not far from $40,
and investing their pocket money III dozel plates
nj a time. they lavish no end of time on their
cameras often taking excellent pictures, educating
their perceptions OF the peautliui ana getting no
end of fun out of it.
Amateur photography received its great impulse
from the invention of the dry plate" So long as
the wet process" was emp Dyed. he plate on which
n picture was to he taken could be prepared only
few minutes before and the artist had to bother
with difficult chemical work The DRY plate is
ready-made sensitive film. which may be used Mt
any time months years after II Is procured. and
can be carried lbout Commemorative Its usefulness
has been greatly extended too. by increasing Its
snsitiveness so that good negative can be male
mstantaneously. Taking about raDd work.
man Of much experience mentioned the other dav
his recent successful attempts to photograph
cannon ball. The projectile was fired from the
the dynamite gun at Fort Lafayette. An ex-
press train travelling forty miles an hour goes
about sixty feet a second. And IL Is considered
lively work to take a picture of one which shall
be toleraby clear. But army officers estimate that
the conical shat from the dynamite gun flew
through the air at the rate OF 800 feet or
more second: yet the NEGATIVE
showed the projcctc plainly, though somewhat
blurred In this instance. the plate was exposed for
about 10 9th of q second. For work of tins
lind-phoiograPhng animals IN notion tnnI t
an mae of fugitive. or other unsus2ectine
persons "a device Is used called tn iustan'aneouS
shutter Were one to enjoy ,e r ibc ,n6 %
the camera. he could not tluc the exposure" Just
night; and there would be other object '0lS 10 mat
method, especially for dctectlve work Inc llS'dh-
tane0uS shutter opens and closes IKE Hash, upon
touching a sprug; and the device IN cameras SO
constructed. can bc made 10 regulate lhc lchsth "a
eXDOSure with precision.
An instrument for amateurs. when confines
most of the recent improvements ara l. III favor
with many r~OnS he ineS me cl&SS ini Wh"lh IA ~
o-tcusihlV designed Is " the detective cancla. II
looks Ike an ordinary leather travelling bag OF
n,rd,um size: decidedly innocent IN app alance,
Irht in weight and conveniently handled. 1t re-
cure, 10 tripod. or support, beng operated cllufi
from ones lap If be Is sitting. or while hed una
the arm. Turning az index concealed on me DOT
tom adjusts the focus to any distance, without
sighting. The opera or simply estimates no" lar
away the object or per on is that he WISHES 10
Photograph, and puts jhe pointer al a colIrr>pon"-
ing iigurc a dIai. lten, without bendhg over
the camera or placing ms eye near IT, ne Gi nee
casually at an aperture pear one corner OF the p0A'
and bV meauS Of an ingenious arrangement OF a
snail mIrrOT and lens concealed therein. he takes
perfect AIN. he working ens, SCI lnlo ne emu @
The camera, bat covered With leather SIDE, is
now exposed with touch OF the nnger; IN
less than a second, pressure upon sprl"g opeT-
are, the instantaneous S.uticr ana the game :
Laggcd. Little privacy ana only a few seconds are
AT. n>c Several plate holders. If the pho"graphcr
b. using 81 ss plates, can he carried IN the pocket
unobscrvcd. thus. IA criminal. "enspect,' a
passing beauty. a person IN any comlcal attitude
or predicament Gladstone IN the midst OF an
ELOQUENT Grafton. President on his wed ing tour,
a secret council OF the Home Club and endless
other indiyduals and assemblies can thus be Ihoto-
graphed even in spite OF great precautions against
such "a pussibi itv. Cam ris can be made sIpdli
enough 10 carry IN the ?Ock or even To be con-
ccaed II and operated from ones hat: but the
form of camera here described is the one generally
preferred for such work.
Little experience is neccs ,ary to take fairly good
pictures with modern apparatus. The fact that so
many children engage IN photography shows this.
The novice often. and sometimes the expert VINO
wants to save timc, sends his plates to profession
al artist to "deveop them, ana PRINT from
most amateurs prefer TO conduct both OF these pro-
cesses themselves, so fascinating are all branches
OF the work. The tourist. however, often leaves
his plates carefully packed away weeks anu even
months after in the camera before develop
Ing " them. The necessary apparatus ana plates
for viewing can be slowed away into LITTLE con-
pass when travelling, and one hates TO burden NM
sell with the chemicals and other articles neces-
sary to developing" However. IN order u Judge
whether the plates are good and are being exposed
tleright length of time and to discover II any
thing is gong wrong the tourist doe well to carry
- .inx. all, AM
Tor occas onal tests even if he waits until return
ilir before finishing up the rest OF hs plates