The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-04-06

N that thousands Of men all
NyNY over the world are getting
rich by means Of it in spite
of the popular amateur com
petition, has been almost lost sight OF
except by those still engaged in the
business The more scientific and ar.
tistic improvements that have come
up have enabled those following pho
Biography for their life work to keep
ahead, as they have always done, and
there is now better field than ever
for the exercise of their talents.
II is quite likely that your boy, en-
Unused by the fair quality Of the pic
lures he has been able to make with
his cheap little camera, aspires to the
bigger attainments shown by the man
who has made photography his busl.
ness. II is the purpose OF this article
TO show him some of the steps he will
have to take to reach the success he
Graves.
First he should apply to the propri
etor Of the nearest large gallery for a
Job. telling him that he wishes TO be
come a first.class photographer. II the
proprietor has no vacancy, apply 10
another The boy need not have had
more than a rudimentary education
for academic training is not at all
necessary. Getting the job he will
discover that he Is little more than n
porter or n rOustabout, sweeping out
the gallery, washing bottles and doing
other kinds OF ordinary labor about
the studio.
Naturally Of an obseryant nature,
your boy will begin soon to acquire
vague understanding Of how various
things are done. His first glimpse Of
this new knowledge will come in the
dark room, where plates are removed
from the holders after pictures are
taken" in the studio proper, and other
manipulating is done
His first work of really professional
character will be to change plates in
these holders learning that the least
bit Of light will spoil them, and TO dis
tingush between the smooth glass
side and the velvcty feeling OF the
other This must be done entirely by
sense Of touch. in an absolutely dark
room. or where there Is only small
red light Then, as he has been watch.
ing the shifting and substitution Of va.
rious backgrounds as different expos
ures are made, ne will learn that for
bust picture of a woman wearing
her hat the background will be Of a
certain kind, another II her hat is off,
still another IL the picture Is TO be
full length, etc. and he will attend to
this under direction Of the operator
Then he Will take the negatives,
which have been made by an expert
enced man. TO the roof or light win
dow and make proofs, which are to
be submitted TO the customer for ap-
prevail: will be shown how TO put
prints into the water for washing and,
when they have been cleansed Of all
chemicals, how TO put them into the
drying rack, how TO take prints that
have properly dried and mount them
on the heavy backs, and, finally, will
do printing and toning without hav-
ing to be watched constantly by his
boss.
Pretty soon, say within a couple OF
years after he has started, your boy
will be a full.hedged printer and earn.
ing anywhere from sl2 to $50 week,
according to the ability he manifests.
This means that he will take the mega
tives and make prints In proper expos.
ure and develop them without having
TO be shown how.
His next and last stage, which is
most important, will be that Of opera
tor This is the man who poses the
subject in the gallery, knows Just the
proper background and the necessary
lighting and shading to use. the cor
rect lens and plate. and the exact ex.
posure to be made, whether of a tenth
OF a second or Of minute. The plac.
ing of the subject, the lighting and the
exposure are the things that deter.
mine the grade OF the pictures, for al.
most anybody can make good prints
from a good negative but nobody can
make a fine print from n poor one.
The minimum pay for an operator is
about s25 a week. according TO the
standing and Importance of the gal
lery, and experts in high-class work
get as much as SIS. or nearly $4,000 a
year 1t requires years of experience,
and probably the development OF a
specially. for an operator to command
s75 a week
It will require much attention and
practise to become a successful oper.
ator. Suppose your boy is employed
in a scientific institution, such as a
museum. He may be asked to make
large picture of skeleton, showing
even the finest of lines In the indlyid.
ual bones, with all their perfection Of