Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-16
Camera Angles
New Ideas on Photographic Albums
By Alexander J. Wedderburn
Curator Of Photography
1ha Smithsonian lnstifution

Curator Of !
The Smifh.oI
At one time or another we
have all been bored stiff by some
well-meaning friend. who, at a
loss for some other means for
entertainment, has dragged out
the family Photographic album
We have drowsed through a
rather trying hour of Aunt Bessie
and the kids staring out OF the
pages with the frozen boredom
of posed subjects and then de-
parted from the friend as hastily
as possible under the circum-
stances, vowing never to return.
AS a result of this rather COM
mon experience, many photog-
raphers have determined never
| to be found guilty Of the same
deed and refuse to even consider
the use Of an album as a means
to preserve and collect their pic
lures. But the real trouble lay,
not in the idea Of the family
album, but in the method OF
ARRANGEMENT, or presentation, or
in the selection or making OF
the pictures included.
The Photographic album Is the
best way in the world for the
average camera fan to preserve
his pictures of the family as we'll
as to keep them in the proper
chronological order Of their TAX
ing. But let us emphasize the
fact that a family history need
not be dull or boring. On the
contrary, 1t can become docu-
mentary record that can hold
the interest of not only the people
Immediately concerned but that
Of strangers as well.
The Appeal Is in Makeup.
The answer is found in the way
the album is conceived and pre-
sented. The stiff and unnatural
poses that were unavoidable a
generation ago are about as neces-
sary as a horse and buggy is
today. Gone also are the old
fashioned methods Of pasting pic
lures in an album row upon row,
all of an equal size and shape,
The modern photographer is just
as concerned with composition
and makeup Of a photo album as
the editor of picture magazine
is with his layout. And the anna
teur is just as selective about the
content of his collection as is the
editor and for exactly the same
reasons.
To get away from the monot-
onous quality Of the horse-and-
buggy family album, you should
be particularly careful to inject
lots of action and lifelike spon-
taneity into the shots that you
intend to include. Next time you
get set for one of those shots of
the children don't just line them
up against wall like the victims
Of an execution, all staring
straight into the lens of your
camera. Instead of whangins
away with your camera as though
the job is an unpleasant but nee
essary task, forget the posing idea
and try for q number Of natura
imposed pictures Of the children
behaving as they generally de
when they are having good time
If you do this the Improvement
in your pictures will become i'm.
mediately apparent. The express
sions will be natural and free from
the passport photo" hangdog
look that glares unhappily from
all too many record pictures seen
in the average home. :
If you want closeup or por-
trait shots include a few Of these
by all means, but with few excep-
tons one or two of these a year
will be enough. Try to look at
your photo album as though you
were the editor Of a photo maya
zine. Pep it up with shots Of the
children and other members of tho
family doing the things they like
best. If you can, try to take the
shots when the subjects are UNI
aware that they are being photo
graphed.
The Stern Parent Act.
This business Of taking pictures
when the subjects are unaware
Of your intention is not nearly so
difficult as you might suppose.
Trouble is that too many people
have made practice of taking
family pictures into a formidable
mystic rite and the camera is
looked upon with awe and sus-
picion by the younger fry. This is
the result Of Pop or Nom becom-
ing cross while trying to line UP
. a group of frisky youngsters. Such
a scene usually winds up with the
stern parent act where dire
punishments are threatened If
Johnny or Sally so much as
witches until the picture is taken
The better plan is to just be
present where the children are
playing and after they have for
gotten your presence (and they
eventually wild shoot your pic
lures while the live wires are at
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