Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-22

uOG Dc OdSSSu ny SlOuShy
There is always one certain position in
which a man appears at his best. This one
position the photographer must find, and
that quickly, and seize his opportunity to
take a picture the moment the man is in
that position. When Mr.. Wilkie Collins
came to me- | discovered at once a pecul-
iarity of facial expression when he talked
about his own books which was most inter
estlng, so while he answered kindly Ques-
tion or two from me about his woman In
White l made a quick exposure, feeling
that l had taken the great novelist at his
best and SO it proved. When he returned
to England, he wrote me: You have taken
just the sort of photograph l like. Those
taken of me over here are perfect libels, but
/ feel like giving your pictures to all my
friends"
Mark Twain and Sir Edwin Arnold.
The last picture l made of Mark Twain
was also snap shot and was also the best
l have taken of him. 1 met the humorist
on the street. His long iron gray hair tum
bled over his coat collar and stuck out from
Hnder his hat, giving his head massive
appearance of the old type Of patriarch.
Mark Twain" l said, catching hold of
him, II want you to let me take your head
just as it is. Don't go to the barber until
you see me-" He consented and came to
my studio in a few days, when l secured a
photograph of which l am justly proud.
Another instance: Sir Edwin Arnold
soon after his arrival here came to me say
ing: "Sarony, want you to make pho
tograph of me wherein my nose shall be a
straight nose The English photographers"
he went on, have never made that feature
look right in my photographs. Now, can
your" l observed him attentively mo-
ment, and then l said, Sir Edwin, when
you were baby you sucked your thumb,
pressing your forefnger against the right
side of your nose and making there an in
dentation which to trained eye is still
perceptible." Then l simply photographed
the left side of Sir Edwin's face instead of
the right side-the side which the English
photographers had evidently insisted upon
taking. l have often had people to ask me
which side of a person l usually photo
graph. Then they will add: The right
side, of course. That's always the best side,
isn't it!" And this absurd statement has
more than once been made by persons whom
/ had every reason to suppose were perfect
ly sane.
President CIeveIand's Last Picture.
Another essential in making a snap shot,
If it is to be successful, is magnetism. A
silent chord must be struck. There must
be harmony or sympathy, or whatever You
may choose to call it, between the sitter
anu IAO LyScll uluSt D0
in perfect sympathy with my subject before
l can make good picture. This accounts
for the difference between the first photo
graphs which l took of Mr. Cleveland and
the last. When he first came to sit for me,
he was cold, reserved and naughty. Ac-
Cordingly the photograph which made of
him bespoke those characteristics. Not SO
the last ones, however, for on this occasion
he grasped my hand with great warmth
ls.nr "a
stay away from you" At last we were
friendly, and the photographs taken on that
occasion show the friendliness of the man.
Now as to the rtstic essentials, In the
first place, is ii Photographer an artist
This question l.: discussed for years,
but we have nrrs,.. no nearer to a decision
than we were at the beginning. Many per-
sons claim that photographers are artists
in picture making and entitled to the
same standing as those who paint on can
vas Debaters on the negative side argue
that photography, in an aesthetic sense,
must stand entirely and unreservedly apart
from painting to almost as great an extent
as sculpture. They claim, further, that the
majority Of photographers are not noted for
their excellence In drawing-most Of them
can't draw at all, in fact-and that some
are even color blind, yet can make fairly
artistic photographs.
Photography as n Fine Art.
As for myself, ] agree that photography
is an aesthetic art when confined to its le-
gitimate purpose and practiced by men Of
artistic knowledge and skill. A photog-
rapher who possesses these requirements Is |
an artist in his profession, just as is paint
er In the profession Of painting. 1t amounts |
to simply this; The photographer who Ia |
also an artist will surely make the best |
photograph. / have been asked to what |
one thing attribute my success in photog |
raphyi reply, because am an artist first. |
The more artistic taste that can be brought |
into photography the better will it be for |
the photographer.
The advantage of artistic training was |
shown to some extent In my photographs |
OF General Hancock. The campaign photo |
graphs of the general showed him as wear |
ing goatee. This was the cause Of some /
wonder, for it was known that General |
Hancock had not worn this appendags |
since be had thrown of the uniform Of the |
war period. After had taken his picture |