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20 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [January 10, 1868. in general apearance, as to be monotonous, and the best of them are slightingly remarked upon as “only photographs.” That the family likeness is strong there is no disputing; and if photographic pictures are to become intrinsically valuable as works of art, it is evident that the true pictorial element must be more thoroughly amalgamated with them, so that they will be exponents of the thoughts as well as of the manipulative skill of the individual photographer. Photo graphic pictures, broadly speaking, should be an assem blage of lights and shadows, so as to form large masses of tints (yide Salomon) ; these, again, divided into smaller masses, until every appearance of contrivance is lost, and the whole together takes that harmonious and artless appearance which so exclusively belongs to natural arrange ments. At the same time the whole picture should be sub jected to the first intention, that whatever impression or sentiment was to have been conveyed is fulfilled in all things in the picture working together for one end. Unless the photographer does this he had better leave composition photography alone. With many other professions periodical meetings are held, and rewards, in some form or other, are given for the best productions. The Sketching Club is an instance of the successful working of this plan, and its arrangements un doubtedly tend to increase a love of the art for itself. Why could we not do something similar in addition to our ordinary meetings, and let these be increased to every month throughout the year ? I believe it has been suggested, but nothing as yet has come of it. We are certainly dependent upon daylight for our work, and could not manufacture a picture by candle-light in an hour or so ; but we could exhibit pictures made from some special suggestion in the interval between the meetings. 1 am, of course, presuming that the theoretical, and some practical, know ledge of drawing would be part of the stock-in-trade of each member, and who would be expected to contribute a picture at each meeting, worked out from the suggestion given. The details of such an association, of course, requires con sideration. I merely suggest, or re-suggest, the broad out line of a plan I believe would be attended with good results, would be worth a trial, and give an impulse to an unmistakably languishing profession, by making the production of good pictures a matter of friendly rivalry and love of art, rather than exclusively one of profit. The profit would, however, be a natural consequence before long. Again, a common idea is that photography can only achieve as much as it has done—can, in fact, be no more than a mechanical process. New apparatus can be made and ap plied in new directions ; we may improve definition and straighten the lines, but as to real advancement, from an artist stand-point it is out of the range of possibility. Composition pictures are certainly the most daring at tempts to burst the bounds of what is considered the limits of a process, and are attempts worthy of imitation by all. It is not, however, to be expected that we could produce lovely faces and figures as a skilful painter could imagine, with all the lofty supernatural beauty denied to us mortals. Fact, uncompromising fact, is what we have to deal with, and we must confine our attention to material snbjects, and in the varied and beautiful forms of nature find employment for our cameras. Being denied the ideal, and limited to earthly subjects, we must make up by light, shadow, and general outline for the deprivation. Much may be done, quite enough to allow a wonderful advance upon the present state of our particular craft. Light and shadows are our sheet-anchors. A clever arrangement of the chiaroscuro, and a few touches, will make a picture, when myriads of touches and bad lighting will make a photograph the derision of everyone who knows anything about art, perfect, perhaps, in its chemical aspect, but horrible in its pictorial one. It is evidently labour in vain to attempt to imitate the beautiful faces and forms of a Raphael or a Guido; but we can make a picture full of sentiment and beauty from the material we have at our command. A difficulty certainly exists in getting suitable figures, and in using them, when we have got them, to the best advantage. Our landscapes are always beautiful, and do not lack variety, and the time may come when paid living models- will be as necessary to the landscape photographer as to the painter. If the production of high class clever pictures were so easy,- their value would of course be less. The greater the difficulty of production the greater the worth. When we see a beautiful result we are apt to overlook the time, care, skill, energy, and battling with almost insuperable difficulties necessary to its production : the result is all we know, if it be good or bad, If good, no one can imitate it without undergoing the same ordeal to procure the negatives. The very difficulties enhance the value of the work, and, as I have before said, I believe the fewness of really good works causes the popular idea that photographers are incapable of doing better. The productions of many of the’great painters supply to us admirable studies of the proper balance of light and shade to which I have before alluded as of the utmost im portance to the photographer. I may here mention that the extraordinary power which the eye possesses of excluding all other things when bending its greatest strength of vision on any particular object, or part of an object, is highly interesting, and may be considered as the leading principle upon which chiaroscuro is based. The contrast of light and shade by which both seem to be increased in intensity when in near proximity one to the other is a quality in the laws of vision most invaluable. We may gain much by studying the activity of the eye ; its conclusive mode of reasoning, or rather the vast power it has when cultivated of forming true conclusions, apparently with out the necessity of reasoning proceeding from that power, wo may call unconscious knowledge. The careful study of these things will confer much more real benefit than the common place attentions they usually get, for upon these niceties of light and shadow the picture has solely to depend for all that is to give life and piquancy to that portion of effect that comes under the head of chiaroscuro. Many pictures will show, upon careful inspection, certain principles most carefully observed by each master. Amongst those to whom I would specially call attention as being most suitable for the study of the photographer are works of Rembrandt, Cor- regio, Rubens, Van Steer, Tenier, Ostade, and Ruysdael. Rembrandt, for instance, usually makes a great mass of shadow serve as a foil for a small quantity of light; Claude vice versa. We may recollect, in Rembrandt's works, clever arrangement of the chiaroscuro constitutes one of the prin cipal beauties of his pictures. Ruysdael, too, whose pictures of Nature in her more sombre moods are most beautiful—you cannot look at them without feeling their power and truth fulness ; in fact, the study of our national pictures ought to be the care of every photographer. Photographs are representations of reality, frequently too real to be beautiful; but by well managing the light and shade, and by the judicious introduction of figures, a work may be produced that will be the link between a drawing by hand and the more elaborate oil-painting—a source of gratification to lovers of true art, and of profit to the artist. We have numerous instances in which the drawing and chiaroscuro are sufficient to make a notable work ot art even when the colouring is but indifferent. This fact alone proves we have the power of making pictures if we only properly apply it. We must not forget that any one can, by practice and attention, produce perfect chemical results ; but it requires a real love of true art, and a just apprecia tion of the beautiful (qualities that may be obtained, more or less, by study), to be able to make a picture. This is the real seeret of successful picture-making. This is the quality that can never betbrought to such a degree of perfection as to be unimprovable; the more it is elaborated the wider seems the scope for improvement; each stage of advance but seems to unfold others before unthought of; and, to quote