The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-04


have owned cameras for years. who care
fully cor more often very carelessIy) put
away their Photographic things as soon as
october begins to feel chilly. For there is
an old superstition that photography is
only possible i'm the summer time. As
matter OF fact, however, winter photog-
raphy includes many most interesting
branches of work; and, strange as it may
seem, the winter offers certain advantages
for learning photography. 1t is one of my
strong convictions, quite contrary to gen.
eral opinion. that the amateur who will
begin by printing. instead of By negative
making. will make more sure and more
rapid progress than his fellow who follows
the more usual plan. This is especially
true for those who must teach themselves
and on this idea is based what 1 believe
TO be the best textbook ever written for
the absolute beginner, viz: Early Work
i'm Photography. by w. Ethelbert Henry,
&. T. With such a textbook, or even
with the hints that can be conveyed in
twenty minutes by the photo-material
dealer or an amateur friend, anyone can
take up Photographic printing. A small
supply OF sensitive paper, in a light-tight
box or envelope, will cost sixpence or a
shilling; fivepence or sixpence will buy
quarter-plate printing frame; and twopence
will pay for a pound of sodium thiosul-
phate commonly called ''hypo'O which is
all you absolutely need to fix or render
permanent the images you make on the
sensitive paper. Water, and one or two
basins, pie-dishes. or saucers can be OBJ
tanned in any household, and with this
simple equipment plus the information
mentioned above. the beginner can make
satisfactory first steps.
Decorative prints of leaves, lace, etc,
may be made even before one has ever
seen Photographic negative. Any object
that is partially transparent and partially
opaque be used to make a print; a
leaf, fern, or flower; a piece of lace; an
engraving or sheet of printed or written
paper, and with these originals a great
deal may be learned by one who is OBJ
servant. For instance, if piece of news
paper is placed in the printing frame, the
beginner may be surprised to notice that
the printing on both sides of the sheet
shows in his resulting print, although that
which was in contact with the sensitive
paper will be clearer. Then, after print
ing leaf. he may observe that the parts of
the sensitive paper not covered by the leaf
are quite dark, the parts covered by the
thin part of the leaf are less dark, while
the dark ribs or veins of the leaf are repre-
sented by almost white paper. The leaf
has dark veins on lighter ground, but
the print has light veins on dark ground;
and here, for the first time it may be. the
beginner meets with a true Photographic
negative. After fixing this negative
print he may use it as an object for print
ing from, and will find that the new print
has dark veins on the lighter leaf and is
surrounded by a white ground-in fact.
true positive" The same work will teach
that the resulting prints vary greatly in
depth of color. according to the strength
of light in which they are printed and
the length of time they are exposed to 1t;
also that the print loses a good deal of its
depth in the fixing" The effect of in
advertently leaving sensitive paper
uncovered in the light may also
be observed, and will teach eau
ton when one comes to deal with the
more expensive and immensely more sensi-
tive dry plates.
The mystery of the invisible image is al
ways fascinating, and it may be expert
mented with in the evening gas or lamp
light without any dark room. and without
making your own sensitive material, by
means of the gaslight printing papers
and which have had such a great effect
upon the pleasures Of winter evening pho
Biography. The paper and developer. OBJ
tainable from any dealer for a couple or
shillings, will be accompanied by printed
instructions of sufficient clearness 20 en-
able any one who has mastered the first
steps in printing to go forward. In this
case the exposure Cor printing! must be
Judged by time, which varies according to
the brightness of the light, and its distance
from the printing frame. When the print
ing is finished no image is visible, but 1t
has to be developed" by means of the
chemicals, Just as the Prussian blue image
WAS developed by water. The advantage
of these gaslight papers is that while they
will print by lamp light, If held fairly close
TO the lamp, they may be developed in the
same light without any dark room) II they
are taken a few feet from the lamp and
screened from its direct rays.
After proceeding thus far the beginner
may we'll try his hand on printing from
an actual Photographic negative, which ne
can beg. or buy for a very few pence from
the photo-material dealer. Or, failing that,
he can always get good negative and
positive transparency of the same subject,
in the handbook previously mentioned, with
which a negative and positive, on Gel
luloid. are given. Then, after an evening
spent in printing and developing such sub
jects, it may be well to take up the making
OF lantern slides (Which are simply de-
veloped prints upon glass; practicing with
the same negativ and developing IN
proper dark room.
Winter work for established photograph
ers is not nearly so difficult to find as one
might imagine and, as L have already ind1-
Gated, il is amongst the most interesting
Of all photographic work. This Is well
realized by the leading photographers VINO
prepare their pictures for the great exhi-
bitions and who often grumole because
these shows are not held in the spring
winch would enable them TO work up their
negatives, and to make their prints during
the winter. For the making of an exhipi-
tion picture is not by any means the siiii-
pie matter that it may appear TO the anna
Nth