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[April 11, 1862 180 Ualk in tbe Studio. 1 Uo Corxespondents TH uE n depar course thank photo energe their< demar tefusei tnduci The Alkaline Dry Process.-A correspondent of Ilumphreij's Journal says:—“ I have been lately trying the various dry pro cesses—the tannin, resin, and sine-preservative process—so as to be ready for the field next spring, and have obtained good negatives from either. Last evening, having read in the Journal Bartholomew’s new and simple gelatino-alkaline pro cess, I set right to work and dried six plates, which I exposed and fixed this morning, all with perfect success. They are all they claimed to be ; not one showed even an inclination to peeling or blistering, without any precautions taken, and par excellence, seem fit for in-door animated views. What a boon tliis will be !” Have any of our readers in this country tried the process further? Amateur Photographic Association Prize Prints.— Wo have recently had an opportunity of looking over the prizes and other prints from negatives contributed to the Amateur Photographic Association. The prizes are all excellent pictures: perhaps that of Lieut.-Col. Shakspeare, of “ Corfu from the Island of Vido” is in many respects the finest, both as a work of art, and as a specimen of skilfully surmounted photographic dif ficulties. The picture, when trimmed and mounted, measures 13 inches by 9 inches, and is apparently an instantaneous picture. It possesses an exquisitely perfect natural sky with delicate clouds, the soft refections of which in the water are charmingly rendered. “ Hoar Frost: a park scene,” by the Earl of Caithness, is a very perfect piece of photography, but is too mechanical in composition to please our taste. The other prizes are also good in many respects. Tastos will, of course, always vary ; but we fancy that some which have only received honourable mention are superior to some which have received prizes, especially in artistic characteristics. Our own choice would certainly have fallen upon some of the productions of Captain Plaiffin, Mr. Edwards, or Mr. Ebbage for some of the prizes. Mr. Coles’ “ Bow Church” taken on a tannin plate, which we don’t see mentioned at all, is exceedingly delicate and lino. There are many good pictures in the portfolio, which wo cannot refer to in detail. There is, of course, as we from our Exchange-Club experience anticipated, a large mass of mediocre photography and common-place subjects; but very little, nothing that we remember, absolutely bad. The varied exhi bitions of British and Foreign Photography, which photographers will have an opportunity of inspecting during the coming summer, will, we trust, give a fresh impetus to tho artistic progress of photography, which wo so often see desirable. THEI forth Socit with< to set the F made copy upon give colon of th of th the n that. In oi think of ai grapl the si reflec spott this juxta migh have The t togra tact a Then may 1 nize. Secret hang Colom if he ■ feet e We havin ’Uch j theu Pictur be act such < the hi Contri effect amount of glass in the sides of your room. Your screens for arrangins disposition of light and shadow may be of white calico ; judgment taste alone can guide you as to their disposal, as they will continual quire varying to suit circumstances. . E. Clark.—Either of the iodizing formulae referred to will give good rest but we prefer that on p. 84 as being the one we generally use, and B most experience with ; we think it will possess greater keeping qua than the other. We see no reason why you should not succeed in iodi, for yourself. If not try No. 1 or No. 3, or a mixture of either with No. Nonplussed.—You kept the solution too long, and the gold has been gt ally reduced in the form of a dark powder as you describe. Never 1 more than yon will use in a few weeks at most. 2. The addition of 1 acid to a solution of hyposulphite of soda tends to decompose it. The dition of a strong acid like nitric would certainly do so ; the milkinesss the smell of rotten eggs you describe indicate that decomposition has enst The bath may still be used for fixing negatives, but it is so much we than before. The addition of a few drops of acetic acid has been ref mended for the fixation of collodio-albumen plates ; but it is not neces with wet collodion plates. A. II.—A light bluish grey is a good colour for the inside of a glass room J. II.—The Referees of the Photographic Exchange Club are obliged by! kind suggestion ; but they have undertaken their work without desir reward. In any case it will be obvious to you, that whilst we migb willing to give publicity to your wish as regards our colleagues in matter, being ourselves concerned, we cannot with any propriety i your suggestion in our pages. Young Photo.—If your lenses admit of the arrangement, you may use front lens, reversed, as a landscape lens. Or you may use the combin as it is, well stoppered down. Try either the tannin or the collodio4 men process ; the first is the simplest, the latter the most certain, will find a good deal of information in the Almanac which you hat this time received. Mr. Hughes’ recently published shilling Manua also help you. Subscriber.—The best method of becoming familiar with all connected’ alkaline toning, is to read the various communications on the sul which have appeared from time to time in our pages. There is no’ published on the subject. The Photographic News Almanac conta concise and clear statement of the various formula? recommended. An Amateur Subscriber.—It is probable that a less proportion of a brol would be desirable for a portrait collodion than Mr. England uses i instantaneous collodion for views. We have never found that forpor ture it was desirable to use more than one grain of bromide to the o We will endeavour to obtain some further information regarding the 1 slide. All, or the greater part of Mr. Wilson’s stereoscopic views aret with a single lens of six inches focus. There is not a triple lens mad believe, for stereoscopic work. It is for views 7+42 that Mr. Wilson’ the triple. No. 35.—You mistook our meaning. We did not for a moment doub some of the lenses referred to were good, or even very good ; but frod information we believed them to be uncertain, the result largely depen) upon chance. The gentleman to whom you refer is a good profess! authority in chemistry, but not, we believe, in optics or practical P graphy. We are obliged, however, for your communication. Simplex.—The best arrangement for groups is an irregular crescent having the ends nearest to the lens and the centre the most distant favor the curvature of field which exists. If your lens does not co" group so arranged it is faulty. Put a smaller stop in. Be careful to inartistic formality in such an arrangement. 2. When the diaphragm off a portion of the subject it is in the wrong place, too far forward-, are glad you find Mr. Window’s articles of so much service. They believe, treat of the subject you name before they are concluded. W. II. T. N.—You have made a mistake. We nowhere stated that“st scopic vision is attained by converging the axes of the eyes until tb‘ eye sees the right hand half of the picture, and vice versa. 1 ' Sir) Brewster, in endeavouring to prove that Chimenti’s pictures are st scopic, says that the originals are so mounted as to render necessary convergence, and that if transposed they would be seen by the ord process of stereoscopic vision. We remark that the fact of their 1 mounted in a mode which would require a mode of examining them is always difficult and often impossible, is an argument against any i intention of stereoscopicity in the artist. There need be neithe vergence nor divergence of the optic axes in stereoscopic vision simply parallelism, each eye being fixed straight on the picture bef" See below. Painting Transparencies.—From a mistake in reading the MS., al occurs in the tenth line from the top of the column, in the communi of T. P. E. For “ fading to tan glass,” read " fading to bare glass."a T. P. E.—We are obliged by your offer, and shall have pleasure in rece your communication. North Briton.—We will take an early opportunity of ascertaining, 8 you know. Juvenile.—A few drops of a saturated solution of proto-nitrate of , in the last washing water, is perhaps the most delicate test for hyPe will produce a dark turbidity if but an infinitesimal portion of N present. But if we remember rightly, the committee appointed somtj ago to report on the causes of fading, after trying this and all other"esgj tests, came to the conclusion that there was no chemical test sut4‘5: delicate to determine absolutely when all hypo was removed, andt o treme care was the only safeguard. We cannot tell you whgee machines have really done, but there have been others which profes do similar things to this of yours. We do not doubt at all the P0/0; of sufficient washing being effected, by proper care, in an hour or the in the absence of strong proof, we doubt the wisdom of expending " of a patent in such a matter. teg Thomas Bell.—See answer to Juvenile. Wc will endeavour to prints as far as possible at an early opportunity. v W. Deane.—The most probable cause of the spots in the negatr(cip from seeing the print, we can suggest, is some accumulation of a P in the bath, which wants filtering out. A precipitate of iodide o • p dust, or almost anything of that kind at the bottom of the ,n tUro cause such spots at the bottom of the plate, which would stir -5 slightly up. W. W. 8.—You shall receive attention. Several correspondents in our next. To Advertisers and the Trade.—Next week the Photo graphic News will bo published on THURSDAY. D. D.—Where it is convenient, a glass room should be built so that the sitter should face north or north-east, in order to secure a steady light all day long. Whichever direction it be built in, it is important to have an open expanse of light uninterrupted by high buildings, &c. The size must largely depend upon the class of operations intended ; for moderate pur poses 25 feet to 30 feet long, and 14 feet to 18 feet wide, will give a good size. The height about 8 feet in the lowest part, running up to about 14 feet. Decidedly as much glass at the sides as you conveniently can. F. I*.—In asking " what is the size of a whole plate lens,” we presume you mean of what diameter are the lenses in the combination. They vary in lenses of different makers : from 3 inches to 4J inches. Thomas Martin. —The object of acetate of soda is to convert any free nitrate of silver into an acetate of silver ; but as we have no means of estimating cor rectly the quantity of free nitrate in the prints, it is difficult to state what quantity of acetate will be required. The only plan is to use the solution over and over, and strengthen from time to time, when a precipitate of acetate of silver ceases to be formed. 2. In developing large plates the plan of first washing the plate with a little distilled water, then applying the de veloper, and afterwards adding the silver and distilled water is, an excellent method of avoiding stains, and also conduces to softness. We see no ob jection to the plan at all. W. G. IL.—We do not know of any. Cornish Chough.—We will take an early opportunity of trying the collodion and reporting upon it. The operation of the oxides of methyl in collodion is but little understood. There is a strong prejudice against their use in many quarters, which we conceive to be without good ground, as after con siderable experience we never detected any injurious results. Their ope ration in discharging the colour from free iodine, or preventing its forma tion, is generally observed only when a bromide is present as well. The reason is not understood. A very excellent plan of precipitating excess of acetate of silver is to weaken the bath by the addition of an equal volume of distilled water, lower the temperature as much as possible, and filter out the precipitate which will fall. Then make up to the proper strength. Bolus.—You will get the feet of your sitters better lighted by extending the
