CAMERA NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1021, 9 November 1912, Page 4

CAMERA NOTES.

[By “Focus.”]

It would require a liberal expenditure of time and trouble to marshall the whole list of subjects that camera work embraces, as from time to time new and novel subjects are brought under our notice by enterprising manufacturers in their selection of competitions for the adve|fffl|fe of the particular goods they manufacture. An interesting, and somewhat novel, subject was selected by the Imperial Plate Company recently for a competition, it being what is termed “table top” photography. This may be a somewhat evasiye title, but it simply means subjects of any description that the competitor may choose to compose or arrange on the top of a table, and there photographed. EXERCISE OK INGENUITY, Competitors in this competition were free to work out their own ideas in regard to background and general character of the particular subject they selected for their “table-top” photo., and it is quite within the scope of this work io arrange landscapes, and even interiors, with a little expenditure of time and trouble, that

would, when duly reproduced on paper, present quite an acceptable print. Various useful items may be obtained from the pantry—if the lady of the house Is nowhere about —and employed in this work, sugar and salt being utilised in the representation of snow, and for the introduction of trees, twigs and plants are used, which, when properly arranged, “photograph up” to a quite natural appearance. Of course, the great charm in this work lies in the lattitude it allows for the exercise of the operator’s ingenuity and imagination. The subject, naturally, would require to be “taken” indoors, and here the matter of exposure crops up. Subjects containing the introduction of snow would require some variation in exposure, and special treatment in development, or the results would present—like so much amateur work comprising anything of a white nature —a lack of texture in the light parts. Hardly anything is so distressing in a print as an area of blank whiteness supposed to represent an expanse of snow, water, or a white dress. P.O.P. SUPERSEDED. It is a notable fact that of late years papers of the bromide and “gaslight” variety have, in many channels at any rate, almost entirely superseded the printing-out papers of various kinds. No doubt this is entirely due to the readiness with which prints may be produced by the former class ol paper during the photographer’s evening leisure hours. The fact of the disuse of p.o.p. is to be regretted wheu it is taken into consideration the beautiful results which may be obtained on this paper in experienced hands, and the ease with which it lends itself to combination printing, it being entirely under control during the whole time it is in the frame. The amazing results which may be obtained by selecting portions of two or three suitable negatives and combining them in appropriate positions on the one print, is too little known, and it is to be hoped, by the extension of this method of picture-making, that a considerable revival of the old favourite, p.0.p., will come about. THE CLUB. No doubt the existence of a club will be instrumental in educating the camera enthusiasts to the possibilities of these subjects, and it is only the matter of a short while —after the primary, and very necessary, addresses on the first steps in the craft are fully dealt with —wheu these matters will follow in their order of merit. It cannot be said- that the attendances at the Club meetings so far by any means cover the full list of camera workers in Foxton, but I hope that each one of them will fully realise the value of such a club, and the inducements and opportunities it offers for rapid advancement in any branch of amateur photography. Perhaps the word “apparatus” does not appeal to everyone as a title suggestive of au instructive address, but that such an address was of no mean value was emphasised at Thursday night’s meeting. It is often a puzzle to many workers, eveu those of long experience, to what good purpose the various movements of a stand camera can be put, but not to know their full value and uses is to be greatly handicapped. How mauy camera workers, even those who have been in the ranks for some time, know bow to manipulate their apparatus so as to get the most distant object as sharp as the nearest, and consequently uniform definition throughout the whole field, while using the largest aperture the lens possesses ? a point of great value in many emergencies. Such are the points which may be picked up from a lecture as given at the recent meeting of the club.