The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-03

COOPERATIVE SKETCH
uaI, the amateur photographer. On all
special occasions the professional pos
SCISSOR of camera is a conspicuous figure
On the occasion Of the recent eclipse, the
amateur was not in evidence, for the rea-
son that he or she was conducting opera
tiors from vantage points in back yards
and on roofs or porches where the camera
could be aimed at the sun without fear Of
the view being interrupted by curious on
lockers or passing teams.
1t has been said that. were it not for the
amateur photographers, the several dry
plate makers in the United States would be
likely to cease operations. 1t would be in
teresting to know Just how much the man
ufacturers of sensitized glass and films
profited by the failures OF Washington am
ateurs last Monday. 1t is assumed that
many ambitious possessors Of more or Ices
pretentious picture making apparatus
reaped only Disappointing results from
their Efforts to secure negatives of the
great luminary partially hidden by the in
terposing moon.
The Government astronomers of the
Naval Observatory spent many weeks and
much money to construct a special camera
for securing photographs OF the eclipse
They erected scaffoldings forty feet high to
support giant tube pointed at the sun,
and employed one of the very finest of the
large lenses of the world to convey the
image of the orb to a sensitive plate. 1t
is not surprising, therefore. to learn that
the average amateur, with leather-cov-
cred box, costing from one to twenty dol
lars, failed in the attempt to record the
appearance OF the sun and moon during the
Impressive conjunction of these heavenly
bodies.
Primarily. il is against the fundamental
principles of successful photography to
point lens at the sun VIXEN about to take
picture. The excessive illumination is
fatal to the sensitive plate. for when 1t is
developed in the chemical baths. the Image
desired is found to be all but oblterated
There are. however devices for overcon-
ing to an extent this tendency of direct
sun rays TO bring the efforts of the anna
teur to naught. The advanced student of
the art Photographic, knowing these
tricks of the trade, doubtless secured
SOme negatives WDTtH the having. IN Or
der to obtain satisfactory results in pho
tographing the sun. 1t is necessary TO en-
ploy q special sensitive plate, covered with
several gelatine emulsions and fortified
against a foggy white result technically
called halation With such a plate. the
smallest diaphragm or opening in the
shutter attached to the lens should be
used and the exposure should be made
with the greatest speed OF the shutter
that is. as quickly as the apparatus will
permit.
The knowing amateur. however. in pho
tographing the recent eclipse. not oniy |
used the special sensi;ized dry plates. |
known as the Inhalation variety. but be /
shielded his lens with what is designated |
as color screen. or ray filter. This is |
either heavy glass plate covered with /
some transparent. non-actinic color, such /
as yellow. or two circular pieces OF glass /
like lens. with an aperture be- /
tween them to hold a non-actinic liquid. .
These screens restrain the most active rays I
of light, making it necessary to lengthen .
the exposure. but they prevent overtiming
the plate and preserve the finer details of .
the picture as well as the color values.
Even with the devices mentioned. now
ever the amateur could not have achieved I
remarkable results. for the sun is so far
away that the ordinary lens would repro
duce it upon the sensitive plate in such
diminutive size that a microscope would
almost be necessary to distinguish the
character OF the image. II is only with
telescope lens and a long-focus camera.
by which the image is rot only reproduced
with fidelity to detail, but enlarged ma
that satisfactory pictures OF an
eclipse can be obtained.
One Washington amateur whose knowl-
edge of the ntricacies of photography is
somewhat limited made elaborate prepa-
according to his idea. to secure |
n series of pictures of the sun during the !
various stages of the recent eclipse He |
erected in the rear of his residence plat
form to hold his small instrumen, tilted |
so that it would point at the spot in the |
eastern sky where the luminary was to be
partially hidden by the interposing Luna
Like all Washington photographers. he
was disappointed in getting a view of the
first contact. for the celestial panorama
was hidden by clouds. But later. when
these were scattered. he made several ex-
DOsures. He knew nothing of non -halation
irypates, color screens. of telescope
Besides. he thought it necessary to use his
ems wide open and to give plenty of time
10 the exposure. in all these operations
no was probably only one of hundreds who
we're doing the same thing.
When this amateur took his plates to a
more experienced friend to have them put
through the chemical baths. or developed,
le was told in detail what he should have
lone. The friend did the very best that
vas possible to "get something out Of
The eager amateurs plates. He prepared
l special developer. with great quantities
'f restrainer. to hold back the develop
nent OF the image and save the detail.
rhe result was not highly satisfactory but