Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-11-14

SOME LIES THAT ARE TOLD BY TIE
TRUTHFUL CAMERA.
simple Mechanism or Juggling with
Perspective Brings Odd Results.
The Nnn In the BottIe-Making n
Vat Woman Thin.

Vat Woman Thin.
The notion that the camera cannot lie
has become one of the few fixed tcnct'
of popular belief; but. while this Opinion.
l. true in the strictcst Interpretation of
the phrase, yet the man behind the lens
or he who has charge of the developing
process can so manipulate the unsuspcct
ing instrument or the equally innocent
negative that were a camera endowed
with the sense Of perception it would
never recognize its own handwork.
or late years trick photography and
fake photographs have become distinct
features of the photographers art, and
effects are easily produced which belle
the subjects at which the camera is aim
cd. But the question naturally arises
How can this be done when the camera
has TO record the impression of things -
they are? 1t is by Juggling with the per-
spcctivc or by simple mechanism only
that these apparent phenomena in the
Photographic line are produced.
In The first place it is necessary to un-
derst1nd that there is a difference be.
tween trick photography and so called
fake photography. The term fake"
photography is applied to the transposi-
ton Of Subjects from the original back
ground to Il new one in which the person
or group taken may never have been. 1t
Is trick" photography which is the
more Interesting. as it calls for a certain
amount of clcverness and ingenuity on
the part of the operator.
One of the best examples Of this sort
of picture taking is the photographing OF
II person in n bottle. Now of course no
studio is possessed of a glass bottle large
enough to HID n human being. and the
Gullcst behoder must suspect n trick
The explanation, however. of the manner
in which it is done is surprisingly simple
in this instance a single plate is used
The subject TO be taken in the bottle il
first placed in front of a black back
ground and taken with carefully timed
exposure of just enough duration to
bring out the object distinctly. Then
the empty bottle is placed against a dark
background, and, after carefully adjust
ing the focus SO that the object first
taken may be well within the lines of the
neck, bottom and sides of the bottle, a
picture Of this bottle is taken on the
same plate at just twice the exposure Of
the first object photographed. When the
l'lul' IL GeNtlDpcu, inc bOlllt HIluTHitN
comes up first. with the first impression
neatly inside, as it appears.
Some few years ago photographers
were puzzled and members of the the
atrcal profession amused by the publ
cation of Il series of photographs of pop
ulGr actresses who are noted for thor
ample proportions as much as for their
ability to entertain large audiences. But
/ 10 nj
sylphike forms, although the produc-
lions were Enthusiastically photographs.
Vt first it was claimed that the dccep-
non was caused by the employment Of
mirrors, but in reality it was merely TAX
ing advantage of one of the elementary
laws Of perspective.
A certain corpuleut actress was posing
| for her picture in the studio of thcat
cal publication. The photographer had
AGED her at a dressing table. But in
o'dcr TO create the illusion of a dressing
ON he found he would have to use a
side piece. This he did and in choosing
one took a screen on which was the litho-
graph Of a weighty burlesquc queen.
Greatly 20 his surprise when the plato
/ wa developed the picture of the actress
/ cane out all right. but the woman on the
poster was shown as having tall aud
extremely thin figure. 1t then occurred
to the eXpcrimcntcr that the camera had
caught the rcfracted rays from the
screen at n tangent, and the surface. be-
ing lat. consequently showed its hori-
2cntal lines considerably narrowed.
H. then conceived the idea of repro
ducng in similar manner the photo
graphs of celebrities Of ample sirth,
which made a decided hit.
Another myStifying spectacle is that Of
Il person or group shown twice on one
plate. This is done by covering half the
plate for the first exposure and then util-
ling the unused half for second pic
ture while the first is kept carefully
screened from the light. by the employ.
ment Of mirrors, many queer effects may
be introduced, but that sayors little
stronger of charatanism.
The fake photograph is mainly the
product of the eXigencies of the modern
Illustrated daily and the general "cusscd-
ness of celebrities when they ought to
be together instead Of staying far enough
apart to be ont of common focus. The
fake photograph ought only to be used
as last resort, but they are 50 easily
made that they are resorted TO on the
slightest proyocatiOn.
These photographs come into play
mainly when group pictures are wanted,
and the shears and pastepOt go far to
their making. For instance, suppose an
ocean liner is to sail on which are booked
few senators, Il duke, Il party OF jock
eys and popular actress. To get the
picture of the pier and ship is an easy
matter, but to be fortunate enough to
obtain at the same time those of the well
known passengers is a different matter.
This difficulty is got around by the
d photographer first getting the picture of
the surrounding as background and
then taking on separate plates those of
such Of the voyagers required Of whom
they happen not to have a photo in stock.
After these are developed the pictures of
the individuals are cut out, after first be-
ing reduced TO the necessary size, pasted
on the desired background, and the whole
Ii reproduced, generally in half tone. In
this way are taken the pictures of the
high divers who are cleverly transposed
to the top of photographs of high poles
OF spring boards. As may be inferred by
this "unprofessonal' method, u subject
may be placed in any background
Then there are the freak photographs,
combination OF fortuitous circum-
stances for which the amateur is gen.
orally responsible. But that is another
.tory.-New York Mail and Express.
A CONTINUOUS CLOSE SEASON.