Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-02-15
HOW Tray POSE sITTERS


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NEw NoRA, FEB. u Almost a. much
true art Is required in taking = good
phetozrzph a. IL PAINTING good picsure.
Otse u the best known photographers IL
tae aitei States held up picture Of
The Birth Of Venus before me the
other day aad said:
Years ag0 one II the first English
artists happsned 70 Do looking al thai
picture. when Wilkie Collins asked him
what be thought Of IT, lie pronounced
IL wonderful, and asked who drew 1t.
When Collins told him II was -, the
photographer. IL astoundel HIM. do
not 10 into the dark room IT al; / dc
the sketching Very few photographers
know anything 81 all about drawing
and, doa't You see, that Is where i have
the advantage over them.
The man who asked Collins who drew
that picture" he went on, reyerting ~
the Venus. was Hunt, the great art
Isl. and, by Jovel that was a coinph-
ment. You see | make up all my own
ideas ! am very particular abont com
posing and arranging my light and shade
10 suit the different faces and figures.
We all have facial defects. These may
be either greatly exaggerated or almost
entirely suppressed. Every one has one
best side, and the photographer must see
and select that side OF the face In order
10 secure the best picture.
Some have what is called Rem
hr.wAtf f.-a. Thar. - NJ deal N, h..
light or shade. Some faces require soft
light--a very delicate touch; but Slke a
muscular face, with fine strong mus
tache and prominent, well defined feat
ures. and you must give IL as strong a
light as possible \ weak face, with
small, irregular features, needs a very
delicate lighting.
IL take 4 great many almost imrossible
pictures, the sitters having tried every
where else and failed They come to
me Ks a last resort, and succeed simply
by selecting the best view, and then
composing the sitter to condition of
good hunored naturalness. First | place
them and pose the head with relation to
the camera, so as to determine the most
advantageous view, and then by proper
shading or lighting develop the best
features.
1T is often a good plan to place the
sitter's head in perfectly level position,
and that, by the way, is about the only
time in their lives that some of them are
level headed That makes the face
oval. The minute you incline the head
it shortens the forehead and broadens
the face.
''Then there are some faces that have
TO be lowered. This Is the case when
the nose is tip tilted. With the head
down the nose is heightened. You see
everything must be in harmony.
Then. again, take dropping or Ro-
man nose. This can bear slight eleva-
ton, which makes it somewhat shorter
and straighter.
much diplomacy must be used by the
artist TO get a natural expression. Why,
l have known some women TO be struck
with sort Of stage fright when about
to sit for q picture. | always try TO get
the same expression that the sitter wears
at home. Some people have, when about
10 sit for picture, frightened, hunted
sort of look which it takes time, pa
thence and much reassuring TO dispossess
them of.
1.-THE principal object Of having pic
ture taken is generally to give it to those
most dear, and the home expression is
invariably the best. Some try to look
dignified, and instead look severe, while
others-,irls-find, when the picture is
finished, that an attempted pleasant, be-
witching smile is exaggerated into silly
grin.
1T is well enough for public men TO
be represented as wearing an babitual
expression of great dignity, but the
father OF family wants picture for
his children bearing q tender, affection
ate, good humored expression. Such a
picture reflects not only n mans finest
facial features, but his best mental and
moral qualities as well.
Now who DO You suppose are the
vainest sittsrs? Well, you'll laugh when
i tell you tl.at they are the fine looking
old gentlemen Old ladies are the least
vain. Some of them are often overcome
with sadness when sitting for a picture.
They seem to regard the act as a sure
sign of approaching dissolution. Some
how il seems TO them like being meas
ured for a coffin. Why, have seen
them cling sobbing to their children "a
If about 10 part from them forever.
Children generally take the most
pleasing pictures. They are easily
amused. md can usually be caught in
the midst of bright smile or happy
laugh.
Young ladies' study composure, and
are excellent clay in the photographer 3
hands. hut they often have fads, the
most common orc being desire to be
taken like an actress. This Is difficult.
and usually results in burlesqaing what
might otherwise be fair presentrnent
Of the sitter
Young men are very amusing Great
ures. They are not vain, as a rule. IL
they are. their ambition is usually 70
look like n ing statesmen, distinguished
lawyers OF tragediaus. Some Of them
try 70 do N by thrusting their fingers
through their hair aud dissrranginz
their coats to give themselves an air ~
scholarly abandon and true classical
csrehssners. We always hunor them
in these fs5s.
''PF-odesssonals1 mean men ard women
u the STAGE sre the best sab1~css In