The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-26
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WOES.
People Think They Know Best How
They Should Pose.
From the springfield Republican.

FROM the Springfield Republican.
90. my goodness gracious. sakes-alive!
That's horrid! Why I wouldn't give a
picture like that to one of my friends for
worldsw
But. Miss Blank; you forget that this
is only proof"
"A proof it II! And what were you try
ing to prove by making me look ike that2
That I am 100 years old, or had been
through a fever before the picture was
taken?"
Miss Blank. think you are little I'M
reasonable This is nothing but a proof,
and all Of those dark shadows and hard
lines win be toned down. 1 admit that
as it is. it does not do you Justice"
"Justice Wen, 1 should say not!
amt very conceited about my looks, but
If I thought I was as hideous as that pic
ture makes me I'd wear mask!
This in substance,i is a dialogue overheard
in photograh gallery a few days ago.
woman had come in to see her proofs"
and the clerk had blandly handed the
cause of all the commotlon over the show
case, behind which she had entrenched
herself The customer, or subject as
the photographers term their patrons
was MAD as soon as she saw inc bApOAs
But the diplomacy of the young woman
behind the showcase would have given
points to a politician. She was thorough
" in earnest or confidential, or friendly
or a little bit troubled, all in one breath
II was apparent that she had been there
before, and she demonstrated that she was
acquainted with the premises. And she
was truthful. She knew that it wasn't
fair to Judge the plate by the proof, and,
what is more, she succeeded in convinc-
ing the subject that this was the case.
VERY wen, Miss Blank" she said when
the atmosphere had cleared somewhat;
I'VE will finish some of them, and you
come in and see 'em, and II you feel then
as you do now, we won't ask you TO take
EN-"
AS the door closed Miss Frank rear
ranged some photographs of party gowns
on the showcase, looked away into space
for a few seconds and murmured, 20
bumnier and then went back and thrust
her head into the poke-bonnet contriV-
ance where she was making ugly people
look a little less 50, and there was silence
in the room.
DO YOU have many cases Of that kind
! to handler" the photographer was asked
'"Well. no; not many. or course, there
are some people who are bound to Kick
| anyway But l have noticed that such
| characters have more self-conceit than
/ they are entitled to. We have all kinds of
| people to handle" And then followed
| little dissertation which would interest
| subjects and particularly the women
who have ever tried and intend to try,
| conclusions with the camera. The stock
| remark, which at some time nearly every
subject utters, as she comes into the
| presence Of the camera cyclops, is that she
| had "about as soon have a tooth pulled
| as to have a picture taken" But that
me-honored platitude has little excuse
! for existence nowadays, said the photo
/ erapher, because in all of the best CALLER
| les pictures are taken by short exposure,
| which is practically instantaneous. But
/ under the old order of things, which in
/ cluded the head rest that pretty nearly
| everybody objected to; and the sitting
! still for anywhere between Is seconds and
1 minute. which is physical impossi-
bihty for a good many persons, the pho
/ tographing operation was, doubtless, q
good deal of bugbear to the average
subject. Nevertheless, photographers have
! for a good many years regarded the re-
| mark as monotonous.
Then. of course, there are the people
who will say that they never had
! good photograph taken in their lives and
/ that they resolved when they saw the re-
! suit of their last sitting that they would
never try it again. But their mothers or
! their wives or their husbands, or some
/ body else had insisted upon their making
another trial. and they had consented,
much against their own preferences. These
! kind Of people. are almost always de-
cidedly conceited. and are certain TO blame
the camera or the photographer because
one or the other hasn't managed to make
the photo good deal more prepossessing
than the original.
The people who know more about pho
Biography and the art of getting a good
/ likeness than does the operator, often
| cause him some annoyance, and a good
deal of amusement, \ young woman
comes in clad in a stylish gown and
| fetching hat, of which she is quite proud,
| and announces that she wants a photo
| graph which Will show both, and, Incl
/ dentally, her face. If she is told that the
/ hat,-which is a combination of ROSTERS
tails and plumes and bows and what not
with an impossible bird perched some
| where therein or thereon viii throw a
dark shadow across her face, she wants
to know why, right away And it is hard
for her to comprehend that most of the
| light that we have comes from above, and
that, consequently, about the only way
she can get good light on her face If she
wears that hat, is for her to stand on her
| head while the picture is being taken.
And as TO the gown, that must be dis
! played, even though the pose of the figure
be bad, and the view of the face worse.
In deciding upon pose for the face"
| continued the photographer, I'VE must ex-
/ ercise great care. In the few seconds that
we have TO look at the subject we must
decide Crowded of course we are allowed
to decided what position of the face will
| give the best likeness. 1t is true of almost
| avpr.trbn1y that one side of the fare fe cf,3ta