New-York tribune., 1912-02-04
CHAPTER NI

To support your daughters camera. you
may have discovered, is a rather expensive
undertaking. but did It ever occur to you
that that very camera might be made 10
support your daughter? Perhaps her hobby
for taking pictures may be developed into
profitable profession.
That photography is a profession In which
women Of exceptional ability are able To
outstrip many Of their masculine compeu-
tors the names Of half a dozen famous
photographers are ample proof. That In
smaller way the capable woman photog-
rapher Is sure OF success hundreds Of wom-
en- all over the country can testify. The
only wonder Is that more women have not
gone into this profession. which. authori-
ties say. calls for a particularly feminine
type of ability.
WHY is II that women make successful
photographers?
A famous woman portrait photographer
who has, perhaps, photographed more
celebrities than any other woman In the
world. answered this question thus:
women make good photographers be-
cause OF their great attention to details. In
making a satisfactory portrait photograph
as much depends on the little things-the
details Of the dress, the arrangement OF
the hair. the expression of the face-as
on the general lines OF the pose, and the
average woman is naturally much more
alert to these details than the average man
would be. Also in retouching photographs
especially photographs of women, women
are better fitted than men, because they
know the details OF dress better than men
do For instance, | have had men re-
touchers In my employ who, in trying TO
improve a photograph would throw wom-
ans dress entirely out of fashion y wom-
An retoucher would never commit blunder
like that The mans work In that case
might have been more artistic but 1t would
not suit the woman who sat for the photo
graph
sometimes" went on this photographer,
women come 10 me, as you may pe sure
they would not think of gong to man
photographer with trunkful of gowns ana
ask me to tell them how to dress for their
sitting Make me beautiful they beg me-
and because am a woman can tell them
how to dress their hair, how TO wear their
clothes. how to hold themselves to the Dest
advantage. with children, too, a woman
photographer can do more than a man, oe-
cause. IL is said. it is womans natural duty
to dress and care for children. AS usual
thing. children are more at home with WON
en- than they are with men, and that, sup
pose. Is why women photographers get such
good Icsults i'm photographing children
This doesn't mean that women photograph
ers are restricted only to women ana chh-
dren. II a man thinks that woman knows
her business he will nine times out OF ten
take from her suggestions In posing Tor
nbotograph more willingly than he would
from man"
II your daughter has had success with
amateur photography. II she has been able
to get good pictures OF her friends. or has
had good luck'-of course there isn't any
good luck about It, II is all matter Oh
being skJlful-in taking photographs on
trips and outings. and, also II she enjoys
the various processes OF developing and
printing her own photographs you shouiu
at least think seriously of photography as
her future calling before you decide 10
AZ her for any other vocation. Even II
she has as yet had no experience with
camera, but shows a fondness for sketch
ing or painting. and cherishes hopes or
some time studying art stop ana thlnk
whether II would not be the part OF wis
dom TO direct her thoughts to art in
photography-a field in which there is
much more room than there is in drawing
and painting 1t may take years OF hard
and discouraging study for your daughter
to develop herself into self-supportinG
artist, and to become really proficient
usually means European study under ex-
peneive masters. On the other hand,
clever woman can be self-supporting in Il
year or so at photography. and TO become
famous at II is more matter Of stick
ing to business than OF going TO Europe.
There are three good ways to fit your
daughter for profitable photography. Prob
ably the most thorough of these three
ways-and at the same time the least ex-
pensive-is the practical method OF going
to work I'm a photographers studio and
learning the business from the bottom up.
Such an opening, of course, you cannot
expect to obtain by watching the papers for
ar advertisement for an ambitious young
women who wants TO learn photography,
nor by waiting until some photographer
comes and invites your daughter to ac-
cept a position in his studio. Go straight
to the best photographer you knoE-if pos
sible, with letter Of introduction IL you
do not know him yourself-and ask him to
consider your daughter as an applicant
for the next opening for beginner that
occurs In his staff of employees II at first
you don't succeed, do what the old proyerb
says and don't be discouraged II you have
to wait months or even year or So for
the opening you are looking for.