The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-21
WOMEN AND PHOTOGRAPHS.
Unexplained Phases of Posing Before
the Camera.

New York Evening Sun.
They met at the photographers the other
morning in such a totally unexpected man.
ner. The first few moments they wasted in
| crescendo effects and verbal underscores
just to show how delighted they were to be
the actors in so pleasant coincidence and
then they really began to talk and to talk
of photographs, of course. The blue-eyed
young woman got the start in some way
| and the dark-eyed girl didn't succeed in OBJ
tanning the lead again and consequently
was not the happier of the two.
I'm going to try some of the large pho
tographs." said the lucky one, although
of course. 1 shall not like them. Now, a
picture should flatter one. Don't you think
a picture should fatter one? Oh, 1 must
tell you about the portrait I've been having
painted-that is. 1t was begun, but it has
never really been finished. 1t was almost
finished. too. all but just the two last sit
tings. and 1 simply will not go for them
When | first began to sit for it l said to
the artist, Now. here. you must not
make this look like me. If it looks like me
l will not take 1t. T"
ION. but really. now. that was almost too
other young woman.
But 1 wanted a portrait 1 could hand
down to future generations and point TO
with pride and say, L did look like that
Now. you know they really could not tell
whether 1 had looked like that or had not;
now could they? My dear, when l looked
at that picture there 1 was walking right
| out of the canvas. The pose was lovely, in
a white satin princeSSe gown. L was furi-
Gus, though for there / was-every defect
| in plain view, my chin and all. OF course,
I would not take IL. He was furious, too.
but / told him he ought not have made 1t
like me. With photographs one does have
better luck. although 1 never have had as
| yet. Those last ones of you were just fine.
Didn't you think they were fine?" said the
blue-eyed woman, sweetly.
Did you think SO? 1 can't say that /
really liked them" responded the owner of
| the brown eyes, with a new note Of reserve
| In her voice, which showed she was but one
more victim of the old despair of ever get
| ting photograph to do her justice.
The strange part of 1t Is that her own
| is always so unsatisfactory, while those or
her friends are perfectly pleasing to her;
| and that experience is repeated over and
over again in every woman'S life. 1t Is
strange again how the most modest of
beings who would hesitate to sing her own
praises, seems to feel it is the proper thing
| to denounce her pictured likeness as hor-
rid, while just oddly those who seek to
comfort her insist upon declaring cheerful
| ly that 1t is good. as il that were the cor
L
There Is no way in which well-subdued
vanity succeeds in creeping out as in the
attitude woman adopts toward the report
| that the camera gives about her. 1t Is a
| little falling that affects every sort and
condition of womankind, from the giddy
young thing to the college senior. 1t also
reacts upon the photographers, and upon
none more strongly than upon the man
| who undertakes the contract of being a
| class photographer for the senior class
| of a young woman's college. He has a
very difficult sort of work to do, but there
| Is one good thing about 1t in the fact that
| the senior class of one year is not the
| senior class of the next. and, therefore,
| he stands a chance of being chosen as the
| photographer anew each year. The diff
| ferent individuals making up the class
| of one year would never vote for him again.
But the new members having looked on
| before as disinterested beings, conclude
that he is all that could be desired in that
line, and only change their minds when it
is past the time of changing.
AS for the difficulties he encounters here
are few of them. He must make each
young woman appear intellectual in her
picture. yet not so intellectual as to seem
lacking in prettiness. Then he must make
each appear pretty. but not too pretty, as
otherwise future school boards might con-
clude she was lacking in the qualities of
good disciplinarian. The happy mean be-
tween the two is hard to strike.
The young women even more diff
ficult to please than they would be ordina-
rily For one thing they expect to order
many copies, and three dozen of a poor,
unfiattering likeness are three times worse
than one dozen would be.
The photographers troubles are increased
by the fact that one of the young
women can see a reason why her photo
graphs should not be fully as pleasing as
those of any of the others, and her lack
of discernment on that point is at times
remarkable. But IL wouldn't be exactly
safe to tell her so, even If that were the
kind thing to do.
Usually the class photographer gets to
work quite early in the winter, that he
may have plenty of time to give the young
women the sittings that they want. 1t
all comes under a sort of contract in which
special provision is made for those who
want to keep trying for a picture that
will satisfy Twenty attempts have been
known TO fail in meeting the expectations
of one young woman who finally decided
that she would have pictures at all
She had been a contented and rather pop
ular young woman, but the effect of those
twenty-five pictures upon her disposition
was not wholly good.
There should be a certain set of rules
to follow in regard to a woman's photo
graph. OF course. natural tact would teach
anyone not to allow for moment that
picture is fiattering Furthermore. seldom
state that il is a real likeness. Try to look
at IL from the standpoint of the woman
herself, and putting yourself in her place
murmur, "Oh. but Ii does not do you JUS
tice.