Evening star., 1897-03-06
YOUR PICTURE TAKEN
Plain Points for People at the Pho
tographer's.
WHAfT0 0WEAR AND WHAT NOT TO WEAR
How Many Defects in Face and
Figure May Be Overcome.
PROCESS OF s'RETOUCHING'

Written for The Evening Star by Cleveland Moffett
These are days when every one gets his
or her picture taken and is usually disap-
pointed with the result. oftentimes dis
gusted. The pretty girls of America. as
well as those who are not SO pretty. prob
ably shed more tears annually over proofs
from the photographers which make them
lcok perfectly horrid" than they do over
their sins. And yet 1t might have been
very different had they managed differ
emily.
why is it these actresses always look so
sweet and lovely in their pictures?" ex
claimed a young woman in despair after
third trial. while the rest of us usually
lcok like frights?'
That is a question which many people
ask themselves as they pass the displays
Of bewildering stage beauties They know
that the actresses are really prettier
than other women, and yet they always
look pretter.
A little reflection will give one the key
to this mystery. Actresses look pretty
because they make it their business to
do so. and set about the thing in a sci
entific way, just as another woman learns
typewriting. They take pretty pictures be
cause they study the art of posing as
well before the camera as on the stage.
Nine-tenths of the difficulty is overcome
when the person who goes for photo
graph understands the art of posing, anu
1t may be remarked here that this is an
art which nine photographers out OF ten do
not understand. Some Of them think they
do
When you are choosing a photographer
do not ask whether mis- prices are high or
low. but try to find out whether he can
pose you properly. In addition to that he
must understand what Is equally import-
had
principles of perspective. Photograp pliers
too often content themselves with under
standing the elementary processes of TO-
cussing, developing and touching up"
An. what weary, miserable thing is this
touching up
What COlOrs to Wear.
So much by way of generalities Now
for the particular things which you should
do and should avoid doing In the first
place. If you are a woman, don't powder
your face, and don't dress in black 1t is
a mistaken idea that contrasts are neces-
sary for vgood photographs saw the
olher day one of the most delightful pic
lures one could imagine of a pretty Young
plonde dressed entirely in white and stand
Ing against white background 1t is
better, however, to wear a gown of blue,
PINK. mauVe or yellow. than to dress in
pam white. The simpler the folds and the
fewer the puffs and ribbon the better.
Ihe straight falling Greek costume, with
Its severe lines, is an ideal dress, but of
course the dictates of fashion mus be
respected.
Biacken your eyelashes and eyebrows
nttle II you please; it will not be detected
In the picture and may be an improyement
And that brings me to the main point This
picture taking process is a roguish one al
best. Figures may not lie, but 1t Is quite
certain that cameras spend the main part
OF existences. not. perhaps. in absolutely
lying, but in deviating more or less from
the exact truth, and, that being the case
you might as well let them deviate IN your
1avor as in the opposite direction. In other
words, study your defects with view 10
conceaiing them. And the idea that should
be constantly in the mind of the artist pho.
tographer, not the bungler. Is to make the
camera do Its lying since lie it WILL In ia
vor OF his clients personal appearance and
not against 1t. as is. pretty apt to be the
case II these are left to hazard
NOW. here are some practical devices for
making the camera color the truth in your
favor. yet without pushing 1t to the point
where excessive fattery makes a person ri
diculoIs. Let US suppose that your feet or
hands are rather larger than natures per-
feet model. these defects may be easily cor
rected by drawing the hands or feet back
behind the plane of the face. and this is no
more dishonest than to advance them in
front OF the plane Of the face, which will
make them look even larger than they real
ly are. Every inch forward or back makes
difference in the apparent size of these
members. and the same is true of the rest
of the body. All parts which come between
the camera and the plane of the face will
appear In the picture larger than they real
ly are. while all parts that are back of the
plane of the face will appear smaller Thus
a lady being photographed in evening cos
tune can change thin arms and large hanCs
into something much nearer natures ideal
by curving one arm in front of her with
the hand brought back behind the plane of
the face.
To Remedy Defects of Face,
If your chin is long and your face thin
and hatchet-shaped, both can be shortened
and rounded by tipping up the chin a little;
this improvement Is the inevitable effect of
the foreshorteniEg. If your face Is fat and
rounder than beauty would dictate 1t can
be given thinner appearance by being
taken in shadow. If your nose is too long
or too short, the defect can be overcome in
a measure by slightly raising or lowering
the head. II the eyes or cheeks are slnken
they should be taken in a strong light, which
will round them out in a picture more than
1t is the case in real life. A dropping mouth
can be remedied by a smile and large one
by a side view.
And now we come to the profile view,
which. general rule, should be avoided
Unless you are absolutely sure of yourself:
that is, sure of having classic beauty or
features showing great strength Of charac-
ter. Ihe prOnle Is the most severe test that
photography can put upon a face. Besides
that, the profile picture Is unsatisfactory
for two excellent reasons. In the first place
your friends do not know your profile. what
they remember is your full face, and in the
second place profile picture is not the
most desirable one to keep, as the express
sion of the eyes cannot be shown Old peo-
pie especially should be taken full face
vita the eyes fixed on the camera. Their
friends and family will always be thankful
to see them that way when they are gone.
Another important point to be borne in
mind Is the advantage of being taken fun
length. This is not generally Appreciated
The fact is that. while people know their
friends by their full faces. they know them
also by their full figures, by the poise of
the shoulders, the bend of the back. the
general outlines of the body. 1t is much
easier to get a good likeness in the full
length picture than in a bust
Women, particularly, should see to it that
they are taken full length. By not doing
SO they are throwing away half their adj
vantages. What Is pretty face after alI9
The maid who dresses your hair. or the girl
who dusts 'he furniture. may have that in
a higher degree than yourself, the ladv ~
the house. and If mistress and maid have
their pictures taken of their heads alone
the former may appear positively less at
tractive than her servant. And vet II is
plain, no doubt, that there is no comparison