The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20
STRIDES OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
KODAK COMPETITION MADE MANY
IMPROvENENTS NECESSARY.
The Artistic Side Developed Greativ-Costiy
work Has Become the Expected Thing
Changes In Finishing the Modern studio
Eauipment - The photographer Trials.


The old fashioned photographer is out of the
race altogether. Photography, Ike everything
else in this luxury loving day, has gone In foi
frills and is wonderfully elaborate. TIL" Kodak
fend has had a good deal to do with the change
When amateur photographers began getting
occasional good results and taking snap shots
Of all their friends which they distributed
without money and without price, the pro-
fessional photographers betook himself to
"uflsh thought" Evidently his occupation
would soon be gone if he didn't stir around
lIe stirred. The nm of the modern photog-
rapher is 10 get away, SO far as possible, from
the press the-button style of portrait making.
and the old glaze photograph Is being elbow"d
aside by carbon. platinum and sepia prints
that are exquisite in finish and effect. and cor
respondingly expensive.
Expense ia the keynote Of the up-to-date
photographers establishment lie caters to
the swell set, and the swell set IL sybarite in its
tastes so his parlors are elaborate and artistic
and his dressing rooms are fit for the boudoir
Of a society belle, The dainty dressing tables
are fitted out with every toilet accessory. The
walls are hung in rose silk, the lights are sottened
by pink silk shades. No woman can look at
herself in the mirrors Of those dressing rooms.
under that soft light, and not feel that she Is
looking her best. and nothing else can contribute
an angelic sweetness 10 a woman's expression
as can n conviction that she is looking well.
| The photographers battle il half won before his
patron steps ont of the rose light into the UNI
compromising bright light OF the studio.
There are no mirrors in the studio OF n wise
photographer, The dressing room satisfaction
must be- presented. The property furniture of
the studio is IA far cry from the old article.
There arc portable cosey corners hung with
gorgeous stuffs and piled with luxurious crsh-
| ions. antique chairs heavily carved and mounted
In genuine old tapestry. deliberately wrought
balconies and stairways. golden terra
ces where blossonlng vines and plants
Irvine about the balustrade, quaint old desks
and tables and stools everything imaginable
to satisfy the whims Of sitters who do not want
the Observation-Disclosures photograph.
A page, broken out with buttons. opens the
door for, the visitor, a maid helps the woman
sitter 10 make her changes Of toilet. Every
thing is smooth running. luxurious. OF course.
all this costs money. SO do the photographs.
There was a time when even the rich OF earth
bought 81 "A dozen photographs without
fear and without reproach. Now that would
never do. one may condcscend to $40 a dozen,
In extreme cases, but one can pay $50 a dozen
Nlllloul btliE 'dlfu tAl Nv hEAIll' hHh Y uilu
artist photographers who cater only to a
small clientele and go in for pre-Raphaelite and
Bottlcelli Effects and freakish art problems
charge not unCOnsCiOnable prices.
Professional actors and actresses are the
malas,ay Of m9aS 99h9toeraphSrs. Some
sand different photographs taken by a single
man, but the real swell photographer now de,
cllnes professional" patronage. lie would
like to make exceptions III favor Of some of the
bright and shining stars, but that's practically
impossible, as he refuses 70 give the customary
professional rates, =" and the crowd surges else
where. The fact is, the exclusive society set
objects TO meeting the profession" save across
the footllghts, and this feelin nc must be regarded
by the man who wants the trade. After all.
society women have almost is. many photo
graphs rs the actresses do, and they are a sure
financial proposition. Only n flew weeks ago a
New York society beauty strollcd into a studio
TO sit Tor a photograph. storm came up, and,
not wishing 70 go out into it. the woman amused
herself by having the photographer take pic
the sun came out and the beauty departed.
Later she went in TO SEQ the proof" II hap
pened that all seventeen were fairly good, and
10 avoid the bother OF choosing between them.
she ordered a dozen OF each. Seventeen dozen
photographs at ego a dozen! II that i the way
the 400 buys photographs, one can AFFORD to DIS
Wonderful strides have been made in pho
Biography IN the last ten years, and the modern
photograph Is literally a work Of art but the
Characteristics of the sitters. have not changed.
and the photographer still needs Jobs patience.
You look tired, said a Sun reporter to II
Fifth avenue photographer. who dropped wen-
rly into a property char and mOpped the per-
Tired! We'll. | guess yes. growled the artist.
Did you ever take pictures Of n girls boarding
SCHOOL, OF the girls, rather. not the SCHOOL,"
The reporter hadn't attempted the feat.
Well, don't, I'VE had the graduating class
hours. Thcy'y" been taken sngly, collect
lively, and in family groups. They've eiggled
at least iiity negatives into useles,ness, and no
two OF them could be persuaded 10 keep stu AT
was stuck on the left side Of her hair and face
and wanted that side takcn, and not one Of them
them all facing due east. Then each girl wanted
her particular ohum right beside her. no matter
how II wold affect the artistic grouping, I'm
pared Ia Yesterday. had q girls school then,
too; but while the girls were waiting, in came a
crowd Of Columbia men, and alter that nobodY
could settle down :" anything. Say, didn't the
chaperon and | hav" a warm timcl I'm think
ing Of taking my vacations in May. The photo-
graph epidemic always strikes the school
about that time.
What is your easiest task among your sit
ters?," asked the reporter.
The men aren't bad as a rule. Tho very
homcly ones and the very handsome ones are
all who ever give US any trouble. The homely
mans afraid be will look as homely as he IS.
and the handsome man is afraid no wont look
a. handsome as he is, 20 they fuss around n bit:
but the average man is getting II picture not
because he likes it. but BECAUSE some one has
Npl'l lllll lllil ~ NUS MI IT. willis - W AFl
through with tho thing As quickly ms possible.
OF course. 1t is cnsier for a man TO gt q good
picture than for a woman. He has more
strength and force in his face, and nothing
depends upon his clothes or the turn Of his
head or the curve Of his throat. A wOman's
looks depend so much upon line and pose,
and the average woman is desperately self
conscious before a camera. That's whore the
actress has the advantage. The actress il my
easiest proposition, tell her what | want.
and she gives il 10 me. She is used 10 being
studied and assuming pose and expression
under criticism, so She does II with perfect ease
and naturalnoss. It's n funny thing, though,
that an actress can always get n better picture
when she's in costume. Nou see she's used to
playing a part. When she puts on the costume
she puts the expression on with il, enters into
the role, and Is absolutely at her ease. Dress
her in street costume and stand hor M bafOre
IN" camera, and she IL sclf-cOnsC.Ou- Instantly,
and often awkward. I've taken 400 pictures
OF one popular actress who il n beautiful and
charming woman. I've never been able TO
make q good photograph Of her in street clothes
ana | We never made n poor photograph Of
her in costume. The same thing Is true, in n
lesser degree. Of actors. They don't know how
TO look like themselves.
Little children are easy subjects because
they are natural. but after they are about 5
or q years old, they are about the hardest thing
We have 10 tackle. They've acquired self
consciousness and haven't vet learned self
control. Old people ar" usually easy To- photo
graph. because they've either lost their vanity
graph n nice old lady, Sh" usually wear, a
simple dress ana doe her hair simply. and lets
me- run things 10 suit myself, so I'm pretty
sure 10 get n good picture, but the Young women
all know more about photography than ] ever
dreamed of showing Th"y wear outrageous