Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-09
USING THE CAMERA.
A Lesson in Photography That Will
Help Out Many an Amateur.
THE POINTS OF THE INSTRUMENT.
Directions for Selecting, Focusing, Expos
ing and Developing.
EFFECTS OF SUNLIGHT AND SHADE
WRITTEN FOR THE D1srAroH.,

IWhLIIEH fOh TILE DIbfATCH.I
81 have ridden some sort of hobby all my
life," said a well-known New YorkerHthe
other day, sand that is one reason why time
has never hung heavily on my hands, and
why have seldom known what it is to be
discontented. My latest is amateur pho
Biography, and have been at it for several
years now. The more do at.it the better I
like il, and the more attractive it becomes. I"
And he is right. Photography is the
most interesting pastime a man or woman
may select, and as it has been brought to
such degree of simplicity, any one may
take it up, and with little care at the be-
ginning attain perfection that will be a
source of continual satisfaction. It is the
purpose of the writer to outline sort of ele-
mentary guide to those who wish to adopt
photography, as well as those who have
done So but met with Indifferent success,
owing to the lack of comprehensive instruc-
tions.
CHEMISTRY OF THE ART.
Theaverage person understands little of
the chemical properties of the various So
lutions used in the manipulations of plates
and prints, and it is not at all necessary that
he or she should in order to become expert
at the art. All the baths required are now
prepared and sold ready for use, and they
need only little caution and exercise of
judgment in their use. The judgment will
be attained rapidly if the novice puts his
mind to his work.
The first important step to take is in the
proper exposure of the plate. The only
thing about this feature that seems difficult
at first is the value of the light. The opera
- kzl- 4. ~e
the light into calculation with every
picture made. But that point will be
considered later on. In buying a
camera, like anything else. it is always ad-
visable to get good one. Money spent for
cheap and unreliable instruments is practi-
cally thrown away. 1t has been the ex-
perience of nine-tenths of the amateur pho
tographers who bought a cheap camera
'just to begin with, you know" that they
regretted the outlay later oD. In buying a
camera it is we'll to learn from the dealer
just what sort of lens you are getting. Ask
him whether it is rapid or slow, that is to
say whether it will transmit the image to the
plate quickly or not. It is better to get a
rapid lens for general purposes. Next find
out the angle at which the lens is set,
whether wide or long. A wide angle lens
will take in much more on plate than one
of long angle. and will also permit larger
group pictures taken at a short distance.
Therefore, it is advisable to secure one Of
the former.
REGULATING THE EXPOSURE.
Taking it for granted that the intending
photographer understands this much about
the lens, the next thing to master is the use
of the stops or diaphragms. These are the
little black partitions with holes of gradu-
- - = Al i IL -
the lens tubes, midway between the lenses, to
help regulate the exposure. At first it is
well to use the middle size stop. As the
operator progresses the others may be brought
into use. The smallest stop is to be used
only for pictures taken on very bright
day with time exposure. The reason for
this is that the smaller the stop the longer it
takes for the image to take on the sensitized
surface of the plate. There is great virtue
in these slow exposures, however, in that
they bring out the detail of picture much
more infinitely and clearly than is the rule
with instantaneous exposures.
On clear but slightly overcast day the
stop of medium size should invariably be
used, and the larger ones should be put in,
proportionately to the degree Of darkness.
On a cloudy day the lens should be used
without any stop, or what is known as a
s'full opening" The length of exposure
must also be regulated in accordance with
the degree of light. Good instantaneous
effects can be had on clear day, but if the
light is poor the operator must allow from
one to four and sometimes five seconds for
the exposure. The cap on the lens is used
for this purpose. The "shutter" is called in
to play for instantaneous pictures. All
these hints apply to exposures made in the
open air. The novice will do we'll to avoid
indoor exposures until he has become fa-
miliar with outdoor manipulation.
GETTING THE FOCUS.
Now comes the focusing, which is really
one Of the simplest factors. A lens Is sim
liar in Photographic use to the one you are
accustomed to use in your opera glasses. In
order to bring an object clearly before your
eve you must regulate the distance of the
glasses. In photography the plate takes
the place of the eye, and to insure sharp
impression on it the plate must be at the
proper distance from the lens. The nearer
the subject is to the lens the further away
must the plate be, and vice versa.
To determine the correct distance, or
focus every camera has slide of ground
glass, which is placed at the exact point
where the plate will be when exposed. By
throwing dark cloth over his head, the
operator sees the image OF his desired sub
ject reproduced on the ground glass. Ii it
is indistinct or "woolly," all he has to do is
to push tine back OF the camera in, or pull it
out until the detail of the picture becomes
perfectly clear and sharp. The lens, OF
course, must be uncapped during this, pro-
ceeding. The back of the camera is then
secured at the correct distance, the lens
covered and the plate holder inserted in its
proper place. Everything is then in readi-
ness for the exposure. If it is to be an in
stantaneous picture, pull out the slide of
your plate, hold and snap the shutter, re-
turning the slide of the holder Immediately
after. For time exposure, the slide is to
be Withdrawn in the same manner and the
lens uncapped for the length Of time deter
mined on. The slide of the plate holder
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