The age-herald., 1901-04-07
AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY
BY R. W. HARRISON.

plate is underlined a new and weaker solution will reduce the otherwise inevi- table excess of contrast.
 Next week l propose to give something of the philosophy of the development or a plate in terms which all can under stand.
 Notes and News.
 There Is a strong movement on foot to start a camera club immediately, and steps are being taken thereto by some or the most influential amateurs. The bene- fits to be derived from such club are oo- vious A dark room which should pc amongst the first things the club Wouio acquire would be convenience ana saving to all the members which would more than offset the cost Of mempership' Then the educational features would ps valuable not to speak of the social, whlch can be made all that the members de- sire.
 It is to be hoped for the cause of art that the organization will be a success Some years ago when hand cameras were first used, thought that hand cam eras were toys and not to be considered seriously as instruments for making pie tures I said something to that erect | in a photogra phic magazine, and thought l that the only instruments to make views with were 8x10 and larger. Very shortly | after this was published l went out to | photograph a flood with my favorite SKID camera. It was blowing gale. and was obliged to take helper with me to | hold down on the windward leg of the | camera to keep 1t from blowing over; the wind was so strong that at one time 1t blew a slide out of my hand Into the flood below. Out whole days work l only got few indifferent views while an am ateur friend of mine went out and got twenty or thirty fine negatives with 5x7 hand-camera. I immediately revised my opinion regarding hand-cameras and reduced my ideas as to size to the 5x1. have recently, however. seen collec- ton of prints about 3x3 which has made me think more favorably of small pie lures.
 A large album with six views to the page and every page with several pie tures of more than ordinary interest and merit.
 It is the work of MT. c. s. Cummings and must be to him an indelible memory, and to his friends to whom he shows 1t, a series of narratives conveying more than words would express.
 The leaves are of thin double surface Scotch gray beard, and the prints are squeezed gelatine paper stuck only In the middle.
 The pictures of the greatest general fn- terest were taken in Cuba, where he served, as an officer in a volunteer regi ment. The views of Moro Castle, Ha- vana. give the most complete idea of that place possible. The ruins of the Maine are from every direction and superb A large number of pictures show the man. ner of camp life with interesting incl dents here and there, while street scenes in Havana and dainty bits from the rural districts give one a very complete idea of the Gem of the Antilles"
 Of course pictures taken during the soldering period are only a part of the book and many of the others are of more personal interest but outside of that Mir. Cummings has art ideals and many of his prints, as he modestly terms them. are pictures of highly artistic quality. He has got beyond the stage of wanting fine detail and extreme sharpness-his aim is to produce works of art. MT. Will Huey made his maiden at- tempt with a camera during the cyclone | period. and before 1t was known as being first attempt favorable comment had been made on the whole lot and one in particular. It will probably be called luck, but some peoples luck stays with them and keeps on improving. Perhaps Mir. Huey's will be that way if he sticks to the camera
 MT. J. Hine Is one of the most success full of the cyclone "shootists." He has a specially fine rectilinear lens and knows how to use 1t to advantage. One view he got intensifes the desolation by showing little colored boy attempting to rescue something from beneath the ruins.
 I expect that everybody has had enough
 TA Is time to turn to the brightness of life and there Is lots of 1t all round us; the slag dumps give us no hint of the com ing spring and the cyclone district Is desolation, and the days are for the most part gloomy, but nature does not stand still and Is struggling to free herself from the grasp of winter. and those who go to the trouble to visit the woods will find