Evening star., 1943-01-15

There isn't a speck OF light to be
seen in my pictures.
This is remarkable because I did
not take them during a blackout,
and there is no telling just what
superb pictures I could get. I don't
mind telling you some of my friends
already are referring to me as Mar
garet Bourke McLemore.
The 13 pictures that turned out"
are not nearly as good as my black
out shots. They have a striking
similarity to begin with The sub
ject is always way over to the left
Of the film, with vast expanses of
landscape on the other side.
In no instance do the feet of nv
subjects show. And in four of the
pictures only half of the person
shows. 1t makes an interesting
study-half person with no feet.
Camera Catches Dog.
My group pictures could scarcely
be called group pictures, though
that was the original intention. OR
instance, I took picture of four
friends and my dog. The camera
caught part of the dog-no feet, OF
course-but the friends were little
too far to the left to get in the.
picture at all. I don't think I am
quite ready yet for convention and
banquet pictures.
On looking at my pictures some
one suggested that what / needed
was course in composition.
"Oh, I've had composition"
said. Took that in the fourth or
fifth grade. Miss Phappy was my
teacher. I remember I won a prize
once for the best crayon cover for
my composition on a visit with
grandmother in the country"
He said he didn't mean that sort
Of composition, but Photographic
composition. AS I get it, photo
graphic composition is the art Of
arranging your subjects attractively.
You must never photograph a fat
man standing next to barrel, or
porcupine climbing up q cactus
bush.
A Photographic must" is that II
you ever run across an old, old man
with a beard. stick your camera
right In his face and get a picture
that will show every single whisker
in his beard and every line in hb
face. The result is almost sure tn
win you the $40 second prize or the
IS third prize in any Photographic
exhibition. And. II he happens To
be real ugly old man you'll haw
good chance at first prize; that Is,
OF course, unless some rival has
snapped two pickaninnies eating
watermelon with broken-down
wagon as background. In that
case, you might just as we'll stop
dreaming of first prize. ,s
The technical details of = candid
camera still have me puzzled I
have all the little doo-dads around
| the lens set at certain little notches
and I am afraid to move them. As
a result, I can only take pictures
from distance of feet, and in
bright sunlight. Most CT my shots
have been of friend who happens
to be exactly feet tall. He lies
down, drop a handkerchief where
his head rests, and then he stands
up and I take a picture OF him.
Some Of my best blackout shots are
of this friend.
One thing I have learned since
getting a camera is that kodak de-
veloping shops are packed with odd
persons. They say your pictures will
be ready at 3 in the afternoon, but
when you get there, all a-flutter to
see your handiwork, they're never
ready. When they finally are ready
about 9, they come out all damp
and curly, and It's hours before YOU
can paste them in your album and
admire them.
As for loading q camera. 1t Is
task that not even Satan would
make his most unpopular imp do in
his spare time. The instructions
for loading that came with my
camera have nothing more to do
with the job than a book on chafing
dish cooking has to do with sailing
three-masted schooner. The only
way to load mine is to put both feet
on it, and beat 1t into subject.on
with a hammer. Any one seeing
me load mine would swear was
beating wild animal to death.
Distributed BY McNsusht Syndicate. Incl