, 1890-04-30
COLOR IN PHOTOGRAPHY.
REPRODUCTION OF THE BEAUTIFUL
SHADES OF NATURE.


The Science stin Far from P~erfeet-Prog-
res. of the orthoehromatIe Braneh Of
Si"tnihG ootAiheo-
or.ho.n.t
ranbv h ths nearsxt .nnroscb ubicb pbotos-
amber have VET m.ds tow.rJ nroJncing ne
hesDtjfpI and varjo,s color ,bsdas n, netnrs
in tbe camera Wacan nbotograDb he color
v.lnes In almost a trps RELATION but a. vet
the nrohlan 10 nbotogranb sIactIv the col
os themselves remains u~nsoIyed
Psrbans no n,har branch ~ nbotogranbv
ha, reoeiyed 20 much attention as ibis No
othar Is - irtar.v+ing r. - fnl of pro,nise
II has bean the dream Of photogrnphers 10 re-
nroduca with THAR cameras the beautiful
color Of nature as accurately as thew are
sbIe To denict n form and lights and shadows
ever since Dapuerre the ambitious Young
scenic painter OF Paris. exclaimed. on success
fully completing his first wonderful photo
graphic experiments. why cannot 1 retain
these inimitable wonders which the SUMS RAYS
draw TO the focus OF my lensl WHY cannot
| hr the image, engrave 1t foreverr'
Experiments have been numerous and rom.
tinuous in this direction ever since the birth
Of photography, hfty-one years ago. Often
it has been announced that at last the great
secret was discovered, but alwnys to result
only In disappointment. for as vet there has
been found no way by which the coIors them
selves can be photographed.
SOM ADVANCEMENT
Much has been accomplished, however,
even II the natural colors themselves cannot,
as vet. be exactly reproduced by lens and dry
plnte. We can photograph yellow green
and red 50 that they can easily be distiu-
guished In the finished picture. whereas. for
merly, no difference whatever could be seen
between these colors in the photograph In
like manner. blue. violet md INDIGO may now
be photographed so that a difference is shown
in color values, instead Of reproducing them
all perfectly white, which was formerly the
case.
A bright yellow color ON the old ordinary
plate was always photographed a dull black.
and very dark and dull blues would appear
clenr whites, though In the natural subject
they were much darker thnn the yellow.
which appeared quite black in the pboto-
graph. This unique result was obtained ON
the old plate because yellow, like green and
red. are non actinic. or photograpbically in
active colors, while blue and the colors at the
other end OF the spectrum are very powerful
in actinic rays.
1t therefore happened that the non .nctinic
colors whether bright or duI immersed tho
sensitive plats but feebly and in the Same de.
gree. because so little Photographic lirht was
transmitted from these colors: while the blue.
tho violet and the indigo shades no matter
how dun they might appear in nature being
very active pbotoerapbicauv Impressed the
sensitIve plate 10 n great degree and came
ont in the PHOTOGRAPH much brighter than
the vellows and reds which were In reaIihv
mora brilliant colora
NOW cornR ia opr.rNrD
So IL WINS thai tine beautiful tints ~ ,rt,,m,
foliage or the glorious colors Of an October
v,p.st couId mot NJ all he accurn,aIv donic,oJ
nv tho c,mera For tho same raas., a Mint.
inc could not be trutbfulIv conicd. ami n
gre.t defect was annorent in n nrocess ether
Swiss onite nerfect
The problem was IN nrenare N s~ensitiva mr..
face so that the difrercnt colors while not inn.
nrcssinp their exart shades on the plate wouId
at least impress themselves differently mud
in n wnv tbat tbsv oouId he distipg,isbod on.
from en,thor This ms nj last ,ctunIIv heen
accomnlishcd
There are sevoraI metboas Inv which the
correct values of nature,s haautifpl coIoring
NAV he preserved in n nbotogranh INT naT'
hans tho most efrcctive as we'll ns ths simnlest
process ia the one perfectea Inv Professor
Charles Fhrmann. OF the Chautanoua school
Of Photography. and associate editor of The
Photographic Times. By his method any
Mate NAV be rendered orthochromatic mr.
color sensitive. by simply bathing itin certain
solutions and exposing it in the camera, with
a color screen interposed between it and the
lens The process originated in Germany.
but was greatly improved by Professor Ehr-
mann.
Two solutions are required: One, a prelimi-
nary bath, consisting Of one dram Of ammo
mia to seven drains of water; and the other,
the "color" bath, which contains one and a
half drains Of erythrosine-a ye-tw drains
Of ammonia and FIVE and a half ounces of
water.
The plate is first immersed in the prelimi-
nary bath and allowed to remain therein for
about three minutes. 1t is thon removed from
this solution and allowed to drain. Without
washing 1t is then plunged in the coloring
bath, where It Is allowed to remain not longer
than seventy-Rve seconds. The plate is then
st up in u dark, dry place until ready for use.
CARR OF THE PLATES
1t may be exposed in the camera while still
wet, II necessary, and will be found to be
more sensitive while in that condition; but as
a general thing i5is safer to wait until the
plate has become perfectly dry before expos
ing 1t In the camera.