The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-20
PHOTOGRAPHERS HIGH PROFITS.
Tremendous Increase in Business
During Recent NeRrs.


NEW YORK. Aug. 2l-UntH a few
weeks ago, one New York photographer
had been paving Loo a month rental for
branch studio in one Of the uptown no
tells on the plea that he could not afford
10 pay this amount year In and year out
because Of the dun season. which ate
into his profits. the rent was finally re-
duced 70 t9ov. a customer. To whom the
photographer gave his information quite
incidentally. and who was more or less
awed at the idea that any man who
took pictures for a living could pay
even SyU0 month for rent, afterward
learned some facts regarding modern pOr-
trait Photography which gave him "A new
estimate OF N occupation as a business
There are photographers. he learned in
this city whose studios yield them prof
its Of from $4,000 to 10000 a year. and
whose trade. if it keeps on increasing in
the next ten years as II has in the last
decade, viii bring them annual incomes
Of $4,000 and 5000
Has the business increased in proper
ton TO the advances made in phOtOgra-
ply in the last few years. asked the Gus
toner From the profits some OF the
studios are making" said the phOtOgra-
pher. Il should say that the business end
was quite holding its own In recent
years photography has become divided
into specialties just as well as other call
ings and businesses, and the specialists
are quite as clearly defined as in medi-
cine or law. We have baby specialists
bride specialists. and theatrical, costume
and men specialists. and up town I be
heve there is a man somewhere who con-
hnes all his work to dogs And ne is max
ing money too they saw
"One Of the most skiIIFul operators in
this country refuses to point his camera
at any one but man; and he takes men
As they arc-not as the retoucher and the
subjects themselves. no doubt. would ike
TO see themselves. He is a crank opera
tor but it is surprising the amount Of
work he does At one time this man had
a studio IL an interior city of this State
and was doing general work. He decided
one day that it was not high art to ask
woman who was about TO have her pic
ture TO look pleasant and he not only
stopped II, but went to the other extreme
and deliberately set about 70 annoy his
patrons and make them look as unpleas-
ant as possible. He may have lived up
to his ideas Of art. but he had little left
20 keep himself busy upon after the first
two months"
II - not uncommon nowadays Tor a WO-
man at one sitting or at series Of sit
tings, 10 ieave an order for portraits cost
ing from $500 to $3.50. The large
portraits which brides and their brides
maids like so much cost from $40 20 $50
each According TO this particular pho
tographeT. the women who come TO New
/ York on their regular shopping expedi-
| tious include the photographer quite as
Well as the miIliner and the dressmaker
Nearly all the big operators" this man
said, have regular customers. who come
10 the studio a certain number Of times
I each year With this modern process
which gives TIE carbon effects. II IS a
pleasure for the pIaineSt woman TO dis
tribute photographs Of herself. There Is
. really no limit 10 the things a skLIful
operator can do with a w0ulau's features
and that is what nine out OF every ten
want. In spite Of their -befOre-taking pro-
test "
The fanciful photographs which are
placed on the market as art works are
made for the most part by professional
operators. and the negatives are then pur-
fdsed by frame-makerS and others who
o.. Ne them manufactured 10y wholesale
Iher IS always good market price for
"a neg, i've that can be used for such pur-
poses, y oftentlmes as much as 500 IS
paid for "a single one