Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-04
THE ART AND PAsTIME
OF PHOTOGRAPHY

ing CdHleTdS. Mdly peISohS VIII nave
begun their Photographic careers with
one or another of the "box" form of
cameras and have succeeded in secur-
ing excellent results at times there
with on exchanging this form of ca
mera for a higher grade instrument
having means for adjusting the focus
find that their negatives do not show
that superiority in results that the
better quality of camera would war
rant.
The complaint frequently is made
that they do not get as well defined
pictures as were made with the former
set focused camera. Upon going into
the matter with most of the disap-
pointed ones it is usually found that
their trouble arises from the fact that
they fail to appreciate the necessity of
using more care or judgment when
working with an instrument that per-
mits of so much more control. In the
first place a good focusing camera
is fitted with lenses of at least twice
the rapidity of the fixed focus instru-
ment, which means that they are
usable with an aperture admitting
twice as much light and therefore hav-
ing relatively much less depth of def
milton, or depth of focus, as it is fire.
quently termed; this requires that the
user be as careful as possible in judg-
ing distances from subjects and then
setting the lens in the correct position
therefor. 1t is absolutely certain that
in order to gain light passing capacity
in a lens a sacrifice has to be made of
depth of definition, but by reducing the
lens aperture this can be regaine1
until the lens has all the depth" de-
sired and will render all objects sharp
ly even from 10 or Is feet outwards
this necessitates an exposure commen-
surate with the reduction of light
passage through lens, but with the bet
ter varieties of exposing shutters the
longer exposures can safely be made
while camera is held by hand. The
ordinary box camera, such as the
Bullseye, Brownie or Hawkeye, etc,
has a comparatively slow shutter, Civ
ing about 10 second, which suits
the lenses fitted to them admirably.
If the more rapid lens is stopped down
to the same sized opening that the
former have it should be given fully
as much exposure. If we stop the
more rapid lens to No. 16 and give lilo
second exposure we should find we
have plenty of good definition from
about 25 feet outwards when indicator
for distance stands at the 50-foot line;
stopping down to No. 32 would greatly
improve the depth of definition, but
require double the exposure, l. e., 1-5
second. on Jpe OASIS OI lIe OIHef De-
ing correct in time as would be the
case with average landscapes in good
light.
Many of the folding film cameras
have a device for stopping the front
carrying the lens at anv desired point
along the distance scale and by ar
ranging this to check the movement at
the 50-foot line and using the No. 16
stop very excellent results may be
obtained.
AS a rule most landscapes do not
have any important objects nearer than
25 to 80 feet of which heed must be
taken and with the No. Is stop 1-25
second exposure is often ample. This
would not suffice, however, if the sub
ject consisted to any large degree of
dark buildings or trees, for the reason
that such objects absorb more light
than thev reflect. therefore less of ii
reaches the lens in any given time.
little observation will teach one
to judge of this matter well enough to
avoid under exposure and as a well
known writer has said, "rather have
an exposure ten times too long than
one ten times too short; from the for
mer some presentable results may be
had and from the latter nothing is
possible"
Tn pcturing children. at shorter
range than that of landscape, the in
dicat tor should be allowed free run of
scale up to the or 10-foot line, so
that a change may be quickly made
in case of change of base either on the
childrens part or ones own. More
precision is necessary in focusing
near objects on account of the near
ness because to make quick exposures
the lens has to be opened as much as