The Montgomery tribune., 1910-12-02


carefully posed bust portrait touched up to show
subject as he wanted to appear rather than as
he actually did appear Newspaper readers with
thirst for accurate information came to demand
pictures that would show the subjects as they
actually appeared. Moreover, they wanted not a
commonplace bust photo, but fuLlength pic
ture that would represent its object as he would
appear to one who met him the street and
with hint to his distinctive characteristics
as to dress etc. From this demand was born the
personal snap shot
Nowadays the snapshot is to a large extent
displacing the stereotyped visage in the public
prints Almost everybody who achieves fame
or notorety must must needs fall victims to the
sharpshooters of the camera. The snap-shotter is
no respecter of persons callings so long as "hu-
man interest" is present and everybody from
preachers to pugsts and from statesmen to
suffragists, is the quarry of the camera scout at
one time or another. Some of the people who are
snap-shotted manifestly relish it; a great number
accept it as a matter Of course and minority
wrggle and squirm and even fight at sight of
camera. Conspicuous among the latter are
Harry Lehr, the Newport society pet of monkey
dinner fame, and ]. Pierpont Morgan, the fnan-
cier. 1t must be admitted that the father of
trusts does not make pretty picture when taken
unawares and he evidently realizes this for he is
usually guarded by several private detectives
when he appears in public and carries cane
which he is quick to use on any offending camera
that he can reach.
Public officials, headed by the president of the
United States, are usually the most satisfactory
subjects for snapshots because, whatever may
be their natural inclination in the matter, they
quickly learn to submit gracefully to this sort
or attention. leading statesman or army or
navy official who realizes that at public functions
he is liable to be continually in the camera eye
Is likely to instinctively avoid those awkward
attitudes and facial grimaces that sometimes spoil
things in the case of celebrity who is new to
the game and selfconscious in consequence From
the standpoint of the snap-shotters perhaps the
most satisfactory subjects in this country are the
diplomats at Washington-that is, the alien off,
cials who are stationed at our seat of government
as the ambassadors ministers of foreign pow-
ers For one thing, these titled foreigners are
possessed of gorgeous uniforms that show up
well in unconventional pictures, and then again
they are accustomed to being constantly on dress
parade.
The snap-shotter must "quick on the trigger"
and he cutivates ability in this direction almost
as earnestly as the gun fighter of the west did
in the old days. The newspaper snapshots are
made by means of special cameras made specially
for the purpose, and costing much as $3.50
apiece. Only a fraction of second is required
OF course, to make a snapshot once the lens is
focused upon a celebrity in desired position but
the uncertainty lies in the fact that the celebrity
ts seldom actually posing for his picture. More
than likely he may not realize that he is being
caught by the camera or mayhap may be trying