Volltext Seite (XML)
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. Vol. VII. No. 272.—November 20, 1863. CONTENTS. PAGE 553 Scientific Gossip 554 New Light for Enlarging Photographs. By M. Me. A. Gaudin... 555 The Employment of Photogenic Powders for Printing Vig ¬ nettes, & c . By M. Me. A. Gaudin 556 Proportion of Salt in Albumenized Paper. By Alfred Harman... 556 The Recently Discovered Early Photographs 557 PAGE Proceedings of Societies—South London Photographic Society... 561 Correspondence—Scenic Backgrounds in Tints 562 Photographic Notes and Queries—Toning and Mounting—Elec ¬ tric Light for Photography 563 Talk in the Studio 563 To Correspondents 564 Photographs Registered during the past Week 564 CARD PORTRAITURE. We recently visited the establishment of Mr. T. R. Wil liams, to examine some improvements in Ills arrangements for the production of card portraits, which we propose to describe for the benefit our readers. We should remark at the outset, that amongst the cards we inspected were the most perfect examples of excellence in all photographic quali ties we have ever met with. The vignette whole-plate heads of Mr. Williams have long been a standing illustration amongst photographers of all the most desirable qualities of portraiture. His recent card pictures have been in all respects of excellence the counterparts of the vignettes. Bril liant as it is possible for photographs to be, yet unsur- passingly delicate, soft, and full of tender gradations ; wonderfully round and full of relief, and admirably defined at all points of the picture. The members of the Photo graphic Society, to whom Mr. Williams recently presented each a copy of their president’s portrait, will at once recog nize the union of many of the qualities of which we have spoken, in the charming picture they received ; but it was by no means an isolated example, as many of the specimens to which we refer are still more perfect photographs. In mentioning the recent cards of Mr. Williams, we do not intend disparagement to his former pictures of this class; but, merely to emphacise the fact, that the recent productions are best, and that their excellence is due to various specific improvements. The first improvement to which we shall refer is in the method of lighting. Mr. Williams’ glass room is con structed, as it is with many metropolitan and other por traitists, in accordance rather with the necessities of the posi tion, than with the design, which might, under other circum stances, be chosen. The light is derived chiefly from the top. The room is nearly square in shape, measuring about thirty feet each way. It has the usual ridge roof, which is dark or opaque on the slope at one side of the ridge, and glass at the other. The ridge is not, however, quite in the middle, the slope from the ridge to the eaves at one side extending further than the other, this side having the glass and facing the west. Adjoining the sky-light, there is also here a foot or two of glass in the front, but not reaching the ground by about eight feet. The skylight is furnished with double sets of blinds, one set being blue and the other white. The blind rollers are placed at the highest part of the roof, so that the blinds may, by partial rolling up, be made to admit the light to any extent and at any angle which the position of the sky light permits. These blinds are in three divisions, any of which may be completely down whilst the rest arc with drawn. The background is placed underneath the opaque roof fronting the skylight. If one of these blinds be withdrawn whilst the two others are down, it will be seen that a sitter placed under the latter will be illumined with what is practically a high side-light. If two be withdrawn and one down, the sitter under the latter will be illumined with a high side-light and top-light. If all the blinds be 1 withdrawn, or partially withdrawn, the sitter will be illumined with a front and top light. The varieties of lighting afforded by these arrangements were found to answer admirably for the production of large por traits. By keeping one or more of the blinds quite down, with the sitter under it, whilst the other blind was quite withdrawn, sufficient side-light effect was secured, and by turning the head the flattening effect of front light was avoided, whilst the amount of diffused light gave texture and softness, and carried detail into the shadows. This method of lighting, which answered so well for large head was not found so successful in card pictures. The exigencies of position in portraying full-length figures often compelled the use of front light, and in attempting to over come the flatness, a tendency to hardness resulted which was difficult to avoid. The presence of diffused light, which in large heads gave softness, in cards had a tendency to destroy relief and produce weakness. By the skilful management of chemical conditions it was possible to avoid allowing these tendencies to prevail in any exaggerated degree, but still the pictures so produced did not possess the qualities which had given such a pre-eminence to the vignettes. By an entire re-arrangement of the position of various objects, however, it was found possible to secure the condi tions of lighting which would give to card portraits the qualities which distinguished the others, and produce the charming pictures to which we have referred. This is effected by placing the sitter and camera at opposite corners of the room, thus altogether changing the relation of the light to the sitter. The background, &c., instead of being parallel with the front light, is placed cross-corner wise, and the camera at the opposite diagonal corner. The high front-light is thus converted into a high side-light, and more complete power in obtaining a direct light, from an angle largely under control, is secured. Instead of relieving the shadows by diffused light, it is largely dispensed with, and reflected lights are produced by a screen covered with blue calico placed at a suitable angle. The effect of this direct light is to give bold and well relieved contours, whilst there is sufficient of reflected light, and what the late Mr. Lacy used to call glancing light, to give texture and softness. The direct light has another advantage ; it causes the figure to cast a soft shadow on the background, which is of immense value in giving relief and preventing the inlaid effect some times seen when the figure stands against a spotless, plain background unrelieved by light or shadow. If those of our readers who have glass rooms constructed in a manner similar to that of Mr. Williams will try the experiment of working in the direction to which we have just referred, they will readily perceive the increased control they obtain over the direction and concentration of the light. In order to work from either corner of the room, as the state of the light or the desired position of the sitter may render necessary, there is a background in each coiner. In