Total The dark room is a necessary adjunct to the camera, but it need not be a matter of heavy cost to the amateur. A large closet or pantry with a fair-sized window in it will answer better than anything else; otherwise a portion of a room can be used with a corner which may be screened off for the purpose. darkness, of course, is not what is required of this chamber, the purpose being only to exclude all actinic rays of light. Running water will be a great convenience if available. The exclusion of all undesirable Thick baize curtains, light must be very complete. falling very full upon the floor, must be arranged at the doorway. The window should be glazed with ruby glass, of two thicknesses, on the inside of which there should be a curtain or blind of medium weight yellow material. A developing sink will be the next thing necessary, and for this purpose cheap apparatus can be bought or some simple substitute arranged. The allimportant point about the dark room is to have every ray of white or ordinary light positively excluded. In order to test the room and see that not even the tiniest ray is admitted, even as small as would come through a keyhole, darken the window thoroughly, and then, having adjusted the curtains, watch for some time in the total darkness to see if any streak of light becomes visible. Where it is not convenient to have a window in the dark room it will be necessary to use a lamp, fitted with a red or yellow chimney. A swinging screen made on the principle of a looking-glass can be interposed between the lamp and the developing bath, as to allow of minimizing the light while manipulating the pict ures. This because it is not desirable to expose the plate to a strong light until it is thoroughly developed. Having arranged the dark room satisfactorily, the process of developing must next be studied, as it is one of the most important features of the work. DEVELOPMENT. When the exposure has been made and the plate conveyed to a dark room without allowing the light to strike it there is upon it an invisible picture. Chemistry is next called in, to accomplish the development of this embryo photograph, and it is at this point that some delicate manipulation becomes necessary. 25 There has been considerable discussion over the question of developers, some of which have been condemned for their unpleasant effects on the hands, and many others have either been condemned or applauded for commercial purposes. The objection to developers containing strong alkalies and acids can scarcely be overcome, as those ingredients are necessary to insure proper work. A comparatively new chemical compound known as metol is being advocated by one school of photographers, while pyrogallic acid or "pyro" hydro-quinine, eikonogen, amidol, and half a dozen others are still used extensively. Metol has, perhaps, received more favor recently than any other developer, and many advantages are claimed for it over others; so we will describe the process of using it. Metol is a white crystalline powder and keeps for any length of time in a well-corked bottle. When made into a solution it should be kept from the light. It is one of the rapid developers, and only a few moments elapse before it has brought out every detail on the plate. It is necessary to give less exposure when metol is used. It will not fog a picture to leave it for an ample time in this developer. Metol does not stain the film or gelatine, and is easy to work with. A formula given by a practical photographer is as follows: Metol, 5 grains; sodium sulphite crystal, 25 grains; hot water, 1 ounce. First dissolve the metol and then add sulphite. Keep tightly corked in the dark and it will serve as a stock solution, remaining in good condition for two or three months. To develop a plate 4x5 inches in size take your materials into the dark room. Pour out an ounce and a quarter of the metol solution, to which add three-quarters of an ounce of water. Pour this over the plate. Should the picture gradually appear and the details then come up with great clearness the plate is all right, but if the results are slow it is probably underexposed. For this situation a solution of carbonate of potass, made by dissolving one ounce in three ounces of water, will be necessary. When it is seen that the metol solution is not bringing up the picture, commence adding a few drops of the carbonate of potass solution. Start with four or five drops and keep gradually adding until results are secured. In operating pour the developer over the plate, if possible, so that it is covered by the first wave, and then rock the plate gently so that the liquid penetrates evenly. The high lights of the picture should appear in about five seconds and the shadows follow in ten or twenty. Let the development continue until all the details are plainly brought out. A good rule to follow with this developer is to use it for plates of uncertain expose when it is fresh only, adding the carbonate of potass solution when underexposure is discovered. Two ounces of this developer will serve for about eight 4x5 inch plates. In case of overexposure, in place of the carbonate of potass, add to the metol solution a few drops of bromide of potass solution made by dissolving 1 ounce of the latter in 10 ounces of water. Where very sensitive plates are used it is recommended that the bromide of potass solution be added to the metol in the proportion of 1 to 10, and where plates are thin the water should be either omitted or greatly reduced in quantity. From four to five minutes will complete the development of the plates. A new method of development, known as the "Universal," is used by many as a compromise between the quick effects of metol and the slow work of glycin. It is said to be productive of the finest possible results irrespective of the time of exposure. By using this solution as many as two dozen plates can be developed at a time. The outcome is certain and eminently satisfactory; good, quick-printing negatives, full of tone and style, resulting. For using this method a large fixingbox will be necessary, with a tight cover to it, and a normal plate will develop in about thirty minutes. The formulas are as follows: should be looked after before the printing is attempted. The best method is to touch them with carmine, using a very fine brush for the purpose. Other defects in the negative are remedied by what is known as retouching. Dark marks are either painted over on the negative or in the print, and lighter ones may be fixed by using a soft lead-pencil. PRINTING. It is probable that the amateur will find it more convenient to buy paper ready cut for printing his pictures on from the negatives. There are numerous kinds upon the market, each having its advocates, and in some instances being better suited to certain purposes. In order to spare time and considerable trouble the amateur will be wise to use paper which is ready prepared and sensitized, rendering the amateur's work 20 grains. comparatively easy from this stage on. Carbon papers are used much less than formerly, the albumenized and the gelatino-citro-chloride papers now having the preference. It is claimed for the latter that they produce prints of greater richness and brilliancy than any others. ounce. 20 ounces. 20 grains. 50 100 2 ounces. Add 18 ounces water when all the ingredients are dissolved. These two formulas can be combined for neutral results, care being taken not to place the negatives in a bath which has been used for fixing purposes. The plates should be so arranged in the bath that the developer can reach them readily, and the liquid must be kept moving while the plates are immersed. For the development of instantaneous plates take 2 grains of dry pyrogallic acid, 1 grain bromide of potassium, .880,2 minims of liquid ammonia and 1 ounce of water. Should the plates be underexposed, add an equal quantity of water to the bulk of the developer and 25 per cent extra of ammonia. In extreme cases the developer can be diluted with five times its bulk of water. The development will naturally occupy considerable time, but detail should appear all over the plate. To make up for the ammonia which has evaporated add a quantity equal to 25 per cent of that already used at the end of ten minutes and repeat again at the end of another ten. When the developer has been used for half an hour it may be replaced by another bath, made up as at first, and the operation continued. Should sufficient density not be obtained at the end of an hour a normal developer may be used for a short time. Care must be taken to keep the developer moving constantly, and the bath should be kept covered, so that there is no chance of the pictures being fogged by the light from lamp or window. A good negative, with plenty of detail, and clear, well-marked shadows, having been obtained, care must be taken to see that it is free from all adhesions. Any emulsion that may have got on to the film or plate during the coating should be carefully washed off. It will also be well, as a safeguard, to varnish the negative, for which purpose the following formula is recommended: Four ounces sandarac, 28 ounces alcohol, 3 ounces oil of lavender. A very essential point in the amateur's outfit is to get a few good printing frames, as it will spare many troubles and annoyances in the course of the work. See that the back of the frame is made of hard wood, so as to prevent warping or shrinking, as the spring must always work easily yet firmly. Otherwise the prints will shift about, causing any amount of inconvenience and disappointment. It is well to have the inner side of the back of the frame lined with velvet. A small cloth pad, cut rather smaller than the size of the negative, will also be required. The front of the frame should be covered with glass, so that in case of a sudden shower the exposed prints will not be destroyed. Before placing the paper in the frame in contact with the negative, dust both thoroughly with either a velvet or a camel's-hair brush. In order to get the negative and paper arranged in correct position in the frame, so that the printing will be straight, hold the frame up to the light so as to be sure that both are exactly in place. Always be careful to print from the film side of the negative, or disastrous results will ensue. The printing frame and accessories should be kept well aired and free from damp, in order that blurring may be avoided. Exposure to the sun is not necessary for printing, but when the paper and film are firmly fixed in the frame a spot should be selected where the light is steady. The frame should then be placed at an angle of 30 degrees toward the point from which the light comes. The shadow of a building often affords a suitable place for the frame, and window-sills are commonly used to stand the frame upon. The face of the frame should be placed opposite to the sky at the angle stated, and care taken that the sun does not strike the frame, as it will ruin the proofs by casting shadows on them. When the frame is placed in sunlight the glass should be covered with tissue-paper, and particular notice taken that there are no pinholes in the film, because they will undoubtedly cause markings on the print. Professional operators make a thorough study of the light values, which vary considerably according to the Spots on the negative, or pinholes as they are termed, time of year and day. This makes it rather difficult to acquire skill in printing. For instance, the light value at noon in the month of January is 1.7, but at four o'clock an exposure of five times the duration requisite at that hour would be necessary. The light at noon in July is valued at 2 as compared with 1.7 in January at the same hour. Skill in printing can only be acquired with practice and familiarity with materials used, as there are some papers which print much more rapidly than others. Allowance has to be made for the subsequent toning and fixing, which will have the effect of further lighten ing the print. It is claimed that amateurs, when first starting out, generally print too light. A good rule is to first print to the finished shade and then allow a little for toning out. Where there is an unequal amount of light and shade in a negative they should be printed darker. This rule also holds with a thin, dense negative. It will be necessary to open the frame to see how far the printing has proceeded. Care should be taken to shield the prints from a direct light when this is done. When all the detail in the more obscure portions of the negative is visible on the proof the printing may, as a rule, be considered dark enough, and the proofs should be placed in a light proof-box which is entirely free from dust. When through accident a good negative has not been obtained and it is not possible to obtain one, it sometimes becomes necessary to use the best taken. In this case there are many ways of improving the negative so that a fairly satisfactory result can be obtained. When a negative is weak the gelatino-citrochloride paper is the best to print upon. To strengthen the negative, coat the glass side with a sheet of mineral paper. In order to get it stretched tightly on to the plate moisten the paper before placing it in position and then gum the edges to the plate. It will dry tight and evenly, then with stump and black lead work over the light parts of the print. In order to secure darker prints, which will be more satisfactory under the circumstances, print in a slow light, using two thicknesses of tissue-paper over the frame. When the negative is hard, a great improvement may be made by backing the plate with mineral paper and working over the shadows instead of the lights and half-tones. By using a freshly sensitized paper and printing in direct sunlight a hard negative often yields good results. The half-tones in underexposed negatives are often marred by chalky effects. By tinting the paper this excessive whiteness will be overcome. This is accomplished by simply exposing the paper before placing it in the printing frame. Negatives can sometimes be colored for the purpose of equalizing the lights and shadows, but in that case must never be exposed to direct sunlight. Where there is too dense a shadow on certain parts of a portrait they may be lightened with yellow paint or Prussian blue. Errors in focusing may often be palliated by clever trimming. It will generally be found necessary to trim the print in order to get it in proper shape for mounting. There will either be too much fore or background, odd spacing at the sides, and other irregularities, which the judicious use of the trimming-knife will overcome. TONING AND FIXING. Fortunately there are ready-toned papers now, and the amateur is not compelled to master the rather difficult process of toning, unless from a desire to thoroughly understand all details. Toning is a very delicate operation, and undoubtedly a few unfortunate experiments will precede the accomplishment of expert results. For the ready sensitized paper, which it is probable the amateur will use, the borax bath is recommended. This is made from the following formula: Gold chloride, 1 grain; borax, 100 grains; water, 10 ounces. It should be made about an hour before using. Purple tints can be obtained from this toning, but not blue or cold tones. The prints should not be allowed to remain in the solution too long, as otherwise the action of the chemicals will produce the opposite results to those desired. The best rule to follow is to watch the whites in the print, and as soon as bleaching or a bluish tinge commences to show, to take them out, as the shadows will be already sufficiently toned. The process of toning can be stopped in gelatine prints when they are taken from the bath by putting a handful of salt into the toning bath and redipping them. The toning bath for gelatine papers is made as follows: Gold chloride, 2 grains; sulpho-cyanide of ammonium, 30 grains; water, 16 ounces. Toning by gaslight is often preferred by those who use papers which have been sensitized by themselves. Toning after fixing is resorted to by some photographers. The process is as follows: Take three ounces of hypo and dissolve in twenty ounces of water to make the fixing bath. In this immerse the prints for ten minutes. Then wash them for two hours. Take a grain of gold chloride and increase it with water to one ounce. For one minute immerse the prints in this and then remove to the ordinary toning bath. Be careful to watch the toning by reflected light, and, when perfect, wash the prints for another hour and they will be ready for enameling or burnishing. ENAMELING. The prints can be taken direct from the bath. See that the enameling plate is clean, free from scratches, and has a brilliant surface. Warm the plate slightly and rub roughly over it a piece of pure beeswax. With a dry, soft flannel rag warm the plate until the wax melts. With the rag rub it all over the plate until every particle of the glass is covered. Being sure of this, commence rubbing the wax off again on the flannel. Rub lightly, in a circular direction, and evenly distribute all over the plate. When the wax has almost disappeared from the glass take a clean flannel and give it a final polishing. Stop as soon as the wax has become invisible over the entire surface of the glass, which will then really be covered by a thin film of wax. The glass is now in perfect condition, and the prints, after being allowed to drip for a few minutes, should be laid, face downward, one at a time, on the plate glass. Press them firmly into contact with it and use a squegee to remove any air-bells. Then stand the glass on end in a dry, warm place, and as the prints dry they will gradually drop off, each one being beautifully polished. If any of the prints stick, they can be removed by loosening the edges with a knife. MOUNTING. The final process of mounting is one requiring only care and cleanliness. There are any number of good mountants in the market, although it may be well to give a formula in case one may desire to make their own. Dissolve one ounce of gum arabic in three ounces of water and mix in a mortar with one ounce of starch. Heat in a dish until clear. When the mountant is ready for use lay the prints face downward upon some oiled paper and carefully apply the liquid to the back. Then place it on the mount or cardboard and squegee it so as to make sure of it adhering firmly. Laid on top of each other with glass plates and small blocks of wood between, the cards soon dry and are sure to be perfectly flat when unpacked. We now have our photograph ready for any purpose, having gone through all the various processes necessary to perfect it. OUTDOOR PORTRAITURE. A few additional hints may serve to smooth the way of the amateur, and among them may be given something about the taking of various kinds of pictures which require special handling in order to insure good results. Objects in motion can be photographed successfully by observing a few common sense rules. For instance, in every action there is a position which may be defined as essentially characteristic. It is to seize this opportunity that the operator must wait and watch, obtaining an exposure just at the moment the object can be caught to best advantage. When the position of the object is oblique, either from or toward the camera, results will be obtained much more easily and satisfactorily than otherwise. This rule should always be remembered when an attempt is made to photograph animals, vehicles or vessels in motion. The shorter the exposure made for this purpose the better the results will be. Marine negatives are very beautiful if properly taken. The composition of them should be the reverse of that for a landscape, because the more spirited it is the more pleasing the result. The crested waves at a vessel's bow and the glimmer of the sunlight on the waters lend the necessary enchantment to a good marine view. Care should be taken not to overexpose in such cases, or blurring will result. The way that fancy pictures are made and tricks performed with the camera is scarcely worthy attention, but may be worth mentioning. A square piece of black paper is placed in front of the lens at a distance equal to of the back focus, so as to hide half the range of the lens. One exposure is made, and the piece of paper is then turned over so as to cover the other half of the range. Then another exposure is taken, any objects in the exposed part of the range having been meanwhile transferred to the other half before the lens was uncapped. Care should be taken not to move the instrument while the exposures are being made. This is how spirit photographs are obtained. One of the first experiments that the amateur will probably make with the camera will be to take a familiar object in the vicinity of home. One's back garden | is frequently the scene of the first experiment. The victim, either a neighbor or a member of one's own family, should be cautiously lured into the garden, and seated facing the north, out of the direct sunshine. Employ the services of a friend to hold a large umbrella at such an angle as will shade one side of the sitter's face and the top of head. The exact positioning in summer and winter. Quicker plates, as a for the umbrella can be ascertained by finding at what angle a good modeling of the features is obtainable. For a background an old yellow blanket, kept moving while the exposure is made, will serve very well, and a good picture can be obtained with little trouble. Landscape photography will doubtless be one of the earliest things attempted by the amateur. The easiest method to pursue, until one desires to attempt more ambitious things, is what photographers term "natural focusing." The main point of this method is to focus the principal object in the view, allowing all other points to be subordinate to it. The result on the negative is a picture which exactly represents the scene as it appears to the naked eye. Pretty and effective pictures can be obtained in this way, but the rules given concerning exposures made according to the laws regulating the foci will prove generally safe to go upon. The beginner will do well to bear in mind the different conditions which prevail in regard to photograph rule, will be found more advantageous in the winter and a larger stop can be used on the camera. In developing plates or films it will be found advisable to warm up the developer slightly in very cold weather, so that it will work on the negatives more quickly and effectively. With these few hints, for they are scarcely more than that, on the important subject of photography, the amateur should be able, by asking a few questions now and again, to acquire considerable skill in the use of the camera. By observing the working of the necessary tools many things will be learned which reading would never teach. Of course much of the work could be simplified, if desired, for the amateur, by buying readymade developers and adopting the short cuts afforded by the numerous new inventions which are always crowding the market. |