The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-02-21
ON The MAGIC SHEET.
How Amateur Photographers May Enter
tain Their Friends.

One of the best and most satisfying
directions in which the amateur pho.
tographcr can turn his skill is the maxi
ing of lantern slides and exhibiting the
results of his endeavors by means of a
stereopticon. Pictures of all kinds,
when thrown upon the screen in an en-
| larged form, are all the more interest
ing because of their being all your own,
and your friends will appreciate them
more fully as the exhibition takes on
the aspect of an illustrated lecture on
subjects in which all are more or less
directly interested. The stereopticon
can be procured from any dealer in
optical or Photographic supplies at
prices ranging from ten dollars upward.
An hour or so whiled away with such
entertainment is as instructive as it is
thoroughly amusing.
The process of preparing slides from
ordinary negatives is by no means a
difficult one, and is within the capabili-
ties of almost any operator who has
made fair progress in the art. Two
young ladies' to the writer's knowledge,
who had less than years experience,
have prepared a collection of lantern
slides from negatives made during the
past summer, which will compare favor
ably with the work of professionals.
At a recent private exhibition they dis
played over 100 different views, embrac-
ing bits of marine scenery, landscapes,
groups, mountain glimpses, etc. All
were good, and their chief charm lay
in the fact that they were homemade.
The work of reducing negatives to
the size required for the lantern slide is
largely mechanical. OF course, there is
a certain portion of it which must be
controlled by judgment, but that is
small indeed A positive is made on
glass from the negative, the plates to
be used being specially prepared for the
purpose
They yield a clear, sharp blacl-and-
tan effect, throwing distinct shadows
on the object sheet. These positive
plates can be made by direct contact in
printing frame, but, as rule, they
are not satisfactory when made that
way. The lantern slides are considera-
bly, smaller than any of the ordinary
plates now in use and in making con-
tact slide, only section of the negative
is secured and the effect is seldom good.
Besides, it stands to reason that large
negative reduced to the size required
for the slide, will be much more com
pact and will give finer results.
Contact printing is done on the same
principle as ordinary paper printing.
Lay the transparency plate over the
negative in your printing frame lin the
dark room, of course), and expose to
white light, either daylight or gaslight,
for a few seconds. Then return to the
dark room and develop the slide. A
special developer is needed for this
work. repairing no more skill, however,
than that used in developing ordinary
dry plates. The better plan is to reduce
the negatives by the simple process
which follows.
The reduction is effected with the use
of box, or cone, which is attached to
the front of the camera. This cone
should be constructed on the regular
mathematical plan according to these
proportions: Add together the width of
the negative and the width of the de-
sired slide and multiply their sum by
the focal length of your lens. Divide
this product by the width of the slide to
get the distance in inches, the negative
must be from the lens, or in other words
the length of the cone. Then divide the
product by the width of the negative to
get the distance at which the slide must
be from the lens The slide is exposed
in plate holder, which is placed in the
! acll of the camera at the distance from
the lens determined by the last calcula-
tion mentioned.
A box constructed for negatives of
the six and half by eight and half
size and slides two and seven-eighth
inches wide (the standard) used in con-
nection with siX-inch wide angle lens,
should be twentythree inches long 1t
is well, however, to make box twenty
one or twenty-five inches long, so that
it can also be used for smaller negatives
and so that room will be left for the
operator to uncap his lens. The light
that enters between the back or small
end of the box and the front of the
camera does little if any harm. 1t can
easily be guarded against by throwing
a dark cloth over the aperture.
In the front board of the box a square
hole should be cut just trife smaller
! than the negative, so the negative may
rest against it without falling through.
Little strips nailed on the outside will
hold the plate in position. The entire
box should be raised on a strong board
at the proper height to connect per-
| fectly with the lens of the camera when
placed i'll front of it. A couple of strips
of wood should be nailed on the board
to keep the camera rigidly in its proper
position. 1t will be seen at glance
that the size of the image may be varied
at will, simply by moving the camera
backward or forward, focusing, of
course, with every change of position.
This can be had of any dealer to hold
the little slides in large plate holders.
After the camera has once been
placed in its correct position, the object
carefully focused of the required size,
much trouble can be saved by marking
out guide lines on the board at which
the camera must rest and also the point
of exact focus on the bed of the camera.
Then the outfit will always be ready
and need not be refocused. If smaller
negatives than those for which the
box was constructed are to be used,
kits can be used in the front board and
the camera moved little closer to the
cone or box.
When everything is ready for the ex-
posure, the entire plant" may be
lifted up carefully by the Dashboard and
thrust through an open window, taking
care to rest the room end on a table or
| chair 1t must be pOinted inward TO