The morning call., 1890-12-21
THE ART OF
PHOTOGRAPHING.
A Well.Kn0wn Artist Talks About
the Amateur Craze.
Fosng for a Picture-Why Actresses Prove
the Best sutjscts-Ths Operators Bug.
bsar-Preserving Negatives.

IF not too leading question:" said q
representative of The CALL to Louis Thors,
the well-known Photographic artist. while in
his elegant studio few days since, II should
like to know what has been the effect of
amateur photography on the regular pro-
fession."
Well" said the gentleman, "the anna
teur craze has helped US. You see, anna
teurs cannot manage the lights. In the
first place they do not know ho W, and in the
second they have not the appliances 10
work the lights. Now, the lights and their
corresponding shadows have wonderful
influence on the result. by manipulating
them l can alter the shape of the nose,
change the relative proportion of the feat
ures, transform the whole expression of the
face. Then it takes an eye trained by long
practice anG vivid imagination to make
good photographer 1t is easy enough for
the amateur to pick out pretty scene, and,
with the aid OF snapshot capture it;
but let him try to compose groups,
then he will begin on the art itself.
Now when you consider that the photog-
rapher has for his subject just one indvid-
ual. with neither background nor landscape
to draw off the attention even the least lit
tie bit from the main figure, see how his
subjects is that they do not want too strik-
Ing picture. Absolute fidelity to nature
is condemned. They want TO make pretty
picture, and who can blame them? In a
very short time one changes enough not to
closely resemble photograph, and why not
be able TO say, used to look like that
few years ago. when the picture is a pretty
one. than to have to say it of any ugly one
to which the likeness would not be one bit
more striking after lapse of time?
THE AMATEUR.
But to return to the amateur. He fails
to make a satisfactory likeness of his sub
ject, and yet by the time he has made
number OF experiments his subject, if a
lady, begins to feel as if she would like
good picture Of herself. So, in disgust with
the amateurs attempts, she goes to a first
class photographer end has professional
take her picture. The result is very differ
ent, of course. Here. just step into my op-
eruiing-room. Do you see all those differ
ent tints and shades and screens and back
grounds? All those are absolutely neces-
sary as part of photographers stock in
trade. He must have them. Can the anna
teur do without them? lie cannot. He
simply fails. Then comes the finishing of
the pictures. l know that some amateurs
do all their own printing and toniDg. Well,
II the result SATISFIES them, all right. l only
know that II 1 or any other profess onal
should offer them such prints they would be
highly indignant. So you See the amateur
may really be called our best advertisers.
Is your question answered?
Are thuse negatives2" asked the re-
porter, pointing to rows upon rows Of large
squares OF brown paper carefully standing
one against the other Ill leltered cOmpart-
ments.
Yes" replied Mr.. Thors, "and perhaps
you did not imagine that we kept them SO
carefully protected; but unless each mega
tive is SO put away, its delicate surface is
apt to be marred; why even a speck of dust
may spoil picture. Yes, these are my
windows, aud lattlced l0Opholes, plaster
vases, mantels and pieces Of furniture
What do consider the most important
part Of taking lady's picture? Well, if l
may speak upon the subject, it is as how TO
dress. 1t has been my one aim to spread
the impression that the effectiveness of
picture is produced by the plainne,s and
simplicity OF the dress; that the lines must
he kept clear; that too much ornamental
tion is fatal to good effect, AS general
thing, do not like the full-length picture
as well as a head and bust, which is really
the most pleasing. Slender wonderland
those al0ne-can afford to indulge their
fancy for being photographed in black"
STOUT WOMEN IN BLACK.
"Why. do not stout women look smaller
In black?"
"ln real life. yes, but not on paper" was
the reply, for black absorbs light and be-
copes one fiat black surface, while, on the
contrary, light dress shows lights and
shadows, thus breaking up the fiat surface,
and.n doing this it leads the eye to see a
smaller area. Do you get the idea?
. SUPPOSE 1t is hardly necessary for me to
say that it is mistake for ladies, unless
they intend to have their pictures in fancy
dress costumes, to have their hair dressed i'm
mo q al fAr hai eint.H
ure. The result is never as satisfying as it
would have been had they adhered to their
usual way.
"Y You ASK continued Mr. Thors, (which
is the hardest class OF subjects to photo
graph. Now, that's hardly II fair question,
but If must answer it | will say that brides
are what every photographer breads more
or less. The result is almost sure to be
somewhat stiff.
Another thing" added the speaker, sac
tresses always make the best pictures. SO
many ladies want to be photographed in this
or in that actress pose. Now, tie reason
that the actresses make such good pictures
is that 1t is purely matter of business with
them; 70 false de!icacy enters into the OPP
Grafton. They are accustomed to pose, and
they are in the habit of obeying the direc-
tons OF the stage manager. Consequently
they bring more pose intelligence TO bear
than the other Can possibly do. Another rea-
son why they are SO much better is that the
and the actor or actress think of nothing but
The picture to be taken. But in the case of
a bride all her friends and relatives are
there, and she is thinking Of them, and of
how she must look to them as the artist is
trying to pose her. He turns her by the chin
and her eyes seek out some one of the group.
FATAL VARIATION.
Now. you know that the slightest variation
Is fatal. l succeed in getting the body in q
good pose, when some one exclaims, oh,
Mamie. your dress Is turned up i'll frontp
and down bends the lady to straighten out
her dress. All that posing lost, simply be-
cause her mind was diverted from the lose
and in her desire to have the dress take well
she could not wait until Strengthened it out
for her, as it was my business to do. But
with the actress all that is avoided. Aud
you have no idea how quickly they will pose.
Why, one Saturday after her matinee Mrs.
James Brown Potter sprang into coupe and
came up here. In fifty-fve minutes l TOOK
twenty-five views Of her. and not the same
positions either. 1t was only an actress who
could be capable of that.
''AnQther thing that makes pictures of
actresses SO good, they are generally In
character. / have made it a rule never to
photograph professional in character until
l have seen the play, noted the situations
and the expressions. That is the only
artistic way to get good dramatic photo.
Otherwise the result will be merely mechan-
ical. An actress In ball dress will never
make as striking picture as she would in a
character costume, for with the ball dress
she has no particular expression to suit the
part All she has to do is to look pretty.
And as you know sometimes the most strik-
ing pictures are not simply of pretty
woman. 1t is as the photograph recalls the
scene and the action to the beholder that an
actress photo is considered success"
:" Is it true that professionals make up for
| their photographs? Not at all: they use
| hardly anything, because If they did, they
! would look like chromos. Don't you know
| that the camera is the very thing to detect
all such attempts at makeup? Why do
they make up on the stage? TO heighten
the effect they wish to produce, because all
through which they are viewed. But when
the actresses are before the camera, they
| prefer To he taken with their own cnuuta