The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 12.1868
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1868
• Sprache: Englisch
• Signatur: F 135
• Vorlage: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Rechtehinweis: Public Domain Mark 1.0
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-db-id1780948042-186800009
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18680000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18680000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

298 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [June 19, 1868. Meagher, Mr. J. T. Taylor, Mr. Nash, Mr. Leake, Mr. T. Sebastian Davis, Mr. J. K. Johnson, Mr. Booty, Mr. Dallmeyer, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Werge, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Rejlander, "Mr. E. Cocking. Your Committee have another source of satisfaction in having obtained for the presentation prints for this session specimens of such well known art photographers as Messrs. Rejlander and H. P. Robinson : from the former, a photograph in silver, entitled “ Homeless,” and from the latter a large photograph in carbon entitled “ Going to Market.” Your Committee desire to thank Messrs. Elliott and Werge for allowing the Committee to hold their meetings at their ware houses. In conclusion, your Committee hope that, as hinted in last year’s report, the possibility of shadows occurring having passed away, the future of the Society may be all sunshine and success. The Treasurer’s account was then read, and showed a balance in hand of £4 8s. 7d. The Officers for the ensuing year were then elected as follows:— President: The Rev. F. F. Statham, M.A., F.G.S. Vice-Presidents : Mr. T. Sebastian Davis, Mr. G. Wharton Simpson, and Mr. V. Blanchard. Committee : Messrs. Bedford, Bockett, Elliott, Hart, Johnson, Pearce, Werge, and J. T. Taylor. Treasurer: N. Edgar Fitch, Gwydyr Villa, St. John’s Road, Brixton. • Honorary Secretary : Edwin Cocking, Queen’s Road, Peck ham. After votes of thanks to the President, Treasurer, and Secre tary, for their valuable survices during the year, Mr. Charles E. Pearce read a paper on Portraiture, (see p. 292). The CHATENAN, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Pearce for his able and interesting paper, referred to a recent article in Cassell's Magazine on photographic portraiture, in which the prevalence of a “ put on ” expression in photographic portraits was regretted. He thought that,to avoid this dazed, solemn, and unusual expression was well worthy of consideration. Sometimes it was true that by skill or good fortune a photographic por trait was obtained without it, but the opposite was the rule. Possibly if instantaneous effects could bo produced it would be better. He thought it a pity, too, that something more was not attempted in backgrounds : such as the introduction of natural objects as accessories instead of the common stock appliances of curtain, column, balustrade, table, and chair. Mr. Davis said that Air. Wharton Simpson had, at a recent meeting, exhibited some charming examples of portraiture with natural backgrounds. The Chairman also thought that it would be possible for the photographer to keep in his studio some articles of drapery by which he might modify the dress of the sitter. He referred to the portraits of Gainsborough and Reynolds, in which the sitters were often represented in character, so as to communicate pictorial interest to the portrait, independent of its likeness. Mr. Wharton Simpson exceedingly regretted that he had not known that the subject would be brought before them, otherwise he would have brought with him various examples of the class of work to which the Chairman had referred : por traits with natural backgrounds, and portraits which, without being theatrical, or without attempting strained or unreal characters, were so treated as to give them pictorial value apart from mere portraiture. The cards by Mr. Edge were known to many, and some of Mr. Robinson’s recent cabinet pictures would have admirably illustrated what the Chairman had described. It was, however, impossible to get natural effects to any extent without double printing; whilst, however, the variety of effect which natural backgrounds gave was valuable, it should be borne in mind that with few and simple accessories very valuable background effects were possible. M. Salomon— who had, perhaps, more than any other photographer shown the effect of the background in giving value to the head—con fined himself to a few of the simplest and most common-place accessories. He showed that in the mode of using them, rather than the objects themselves, all the importance of the subject rested. Mr. Blanchard asked Mr. Pearce if he had brought some of his own fine examples with him, referring to some excellent effects in backgrounds produced by using the gloom of a dark ¬ ened room, seen through an opened door, instead of a screen for the background. Mr. Pearce had not brought the examples with him. Air. Blanchard did not think that very great rapidity in portraiture was desirable. If portraits could be taken quite instantaneously it would be very well; but as that was impos sible, he preferred in portraiture an exposure of 15 or 20 seconds to one of 5 seconds, as time was thus allowed for the sitter to get over the twitching or rigidity of the first few moments of sitting. He thought, too, that a quiet sober, expres sion was better than a simper or a smile. The Chairman complained of a want of intelligence or interest in the expression of so many. He thought the practice of asking the sitter to look at a definite point like a nob was injurious. What interest could a sitter have in his counten ance when told to look at a nob ? Air. Blanchard would not ask him to look at a nob ; nor was that, he thought, the practice of skilled portraitists. He would prefer to engage the sitter in a conversation which interested him, and then seize the opportunity of exposing when a satisfactory expression was on the face. Some desultory conversation on the subject followed. Air. Howard said, that in the earlier days of photography, stiff expression and want of character were common enough. A photographer seeing his sitter for the first time, and taking the portrait at once, could scarcely be expected to do it much justice ; but now sitters as well as photographers were getting more educated in regard to photographic portraiture, and he thought that a large class would willingly pay more for better work. He thought that if the sitter had an interview with the photographer previous to the sitting, so that the latter might have time to make up his mind as to the best mode of treat ment, superior results would often be secured. Of course, higher charges would have to be made ; but the result would be worth the cost, and many would be. glad to pay the higher rate for the superior portrait. Of course, unless the sitter aided the photographer by properly entering into the spirit of the thing, very good results could scarcely be expected. He believed that by judicious double printing much better pictorial effects in background could be secured. Air. Blanchard said that his dark room window was arranged so that he could, unseen, study the sitter; and he found a great advantage in the arrangement. Air. Davis said he thought it was a great mistake for high class photographers ever to take sitters under any but the most favorable circumstances. If they would only do this, and never send out any but really first-class work, the public would learn that photography was something more than a merely mechanical art. Unfortunately, the ablest men would some times send out bad work, and so people lost faith in them. He believed that many of the public would gladly pay high prices if they could be certain of receiving first class work. Some general conversation followed, in which the Chairman again referred to the introduction of a variety of natural objects, such, for instance, as were found in many Dutch paintings, those of Gerard Dow, for instance. Mr, Simpson said that there were two serious difficulties in the way of doing this. First, the multiplicity of accessories which would be necessary to avoid uniformity of result, inas much as the photographer could only introduce such objects as he could place absolutely before his camera ; and secondly, that by photography, the accessories placed in different planes could not be produced in focus. The only mode of effecting the object would be to use double printing. A few well selected background negatives might be made to produce a variety of effects by using different parts of the plate with different figures. ' . Air. Blanchard deprecated the use of a multiplicity of objects in portraiture, and quoted an apothegm by Mr. Cherrill from the Year-Book of Photography, to the effect that as photographs are always elaborate in finish, the subjects of photography should always be simple in design. After some further conversation on the subject, Mr. Pearce agreed, at the suggestion of the President, to provide a paper on the subject of double printing in portraiture for next session. Mr. Blanchard also promised a paper for next session. After some discussion on the subject of out-door meetings, it was agreed that a meeting should bo held on the first Saturday in September, at Hampton Court, the members meeting at I “The Mitre ” Hotel, at 5 p.m.