Evening star., 1932-12-29
Many amateur photographers, intel.

lieent men and women, rejoice when
they get % one e. excellent Lent negative out OF
The excellency they rejoice over Is
desirable as that Is, as an artistic pic
ture, one which meets their confused
ideas of what an artistic picture should
be.
Almost any one can get good. sharp
negative with modern cameras and
films and professional finishers, but
securing a really artistic grouping or
composition is quite another thing.
Here one is no better of than an art
lover Of any age.
The laws of good composition, Of
artistic arrangement, of lights and
shadows, Of perspective-these are
things which one must feel, in sense,
rather than know by rote.
1t is here that the average amateur
photographer falls down flatly.
In the first place, he doesn't take
enough pictures.
Experience. that essential ingredient,
is sadly lacking.
How can one expect to take really
good pictures when the old camera is
only unlimbered when Aunt Sally makes
her annual visit?
Sal is lined up on the front steps
with much laughter and joking and
snapped"
The amateur mostly is in far too
great hurry. Not that he doesn't do
great deal of fussing around. Usually
he is great hand at that.
He is never happy unless he can work
every one in a group into perfect
frenzy Of posing and re-posing.
Still he Is In too big a hurry. His
slowness is not in the right directions
He should take more time than he
does in any sort Of photography in
carefully considering all the elements
of the picture he is about to take
Usually he doesn't, and the result Is
disconcerting something or other just
where it shouldn't be and wouldn't have
been II he had looked little longer
with understanding.
In too much of a hurry-that is the
fault written large over almost every
amateur negative. More time should
be given to prior consideration. as it
were: the proposed picture should be
viewed from every angle instead of just
one.
The truth is that the average anna
tur is afraid of his films. He has
never yet quite got over the wonder Of
it. Realizing that only fraction Of
second is necessary for the exposure. he
carries that idea over into his contem-
plation of the picture to be taken.
He rushes where no rush is required
Instead of taking good look all
around him, trying first from one angle
and then another. in order to see just
where his finder shows the best results,
he is in very great hurry to take all
the individual pictures on the roll.
Most amateurs seem to have but one
idea after they get film into cam
era-to take all the pictures as quickly
as they can.
Now. this Is unfortunate. because it
fosters the idea of hurry, which in turn
makes almost impossible the attempt
to study the composition OF a proposed
picture. This is a large subject, but
one which the amateur must study, to
some extent at least, if he is to get
pictures which satisfy him.
No doubt many inartistic photographs
have their place. Not everything nor
every one can be artistic, just as not
every human being can be young or
beautiful.
When. these pictures are allowed for,
there yet remain many artistic ones
which ought to be taken and could be
taken, even by the veriest amateur, if
he would put some real study on what
he proposed to do, and then not do it
In quite such a big hurry.