The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 11.1867
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1867
• 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-id1780948042-186700008
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18670000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18670000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. Vol. XI. No. 482.—November 29,1867. CONTENTS. PAGE Some Novelties in Photographic Portraiture 569 Preserving Sensitive Paper 570 Skylights, Lighting, Ventilation, &c 570 The Intensifier of Persulphate of Uranium, and Ferridcyanide of Potassium 570 Critical Notices 571 Foreign Miscellanea 571 A Lesson Learned in Paris. By a London Photogragher 572 1'ireside Musings. By W. T. Bovey 573 Obscured Glass for Skylights, Ventilation, &c 574 A Chat About Park Tents 575 PAgm The Nitrate of Silver and Nitrate of Ammonia Printing Process. By J. E. Schindler 575 Improvements in Photography 576 Various Photographic Remarks. By M. Carey Lea 577 Proceedings—Oldham Photographic Society 577 Correspondence—The Magic Lantern.—The South London Test of Prints Preserved by Varnish and by Collodion—The Latent Image—M. Salomon’s Portraits — Soldering—Cast Shadows in Sunlight 578 Talk in the Studio 579 To Correspondents, 580 SOME NOVELTIES IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITURE. It has afforded us much pleasure lately to meet with several special novelties in photographic portraiture, excellent in themselves, and calculated to lead, we believe, to increased activity and prosperity in this branch of our art. It is un necessary to refer here specifically to the portraits of M. Salo mon, which, in style, as well as excellent, were decidedly new; nor to dwell upon the advantages of the cabinet portrait, which, although it is steadily progressing in favour, and has already increased the profits and reputation of those who have taken pains to introduce it, has ceased to bo a novelty before it has become a universal success, at least, in this country. The novelties to which we refer have as yet scarcely come under public attention at all, except so far as some of them were shown at the recent exhibition in Conduit Street. The first to which we shall refer consists in some charming card pictures by Mr. T. Edge, of Preston, a name which will be remembered by photographers, associated some years ago with that of Mr. Ogle, in the production of some of the best stereoscopic pictures of that period. The speci mens before us of Mr. Edge’s speciality in cards consist chiefly of studies of rural figures, all characterized by singularly fine artistic feeling. There are amongst them some examples which belong, or may belong, to the domain of portraiture, and introduce a novel and interesting feature into that de partment of our art. The first impression which strikes on examining one of the pictures is, that it is the most perfect combination of landscape and figures, or the most successful production of a portrait with landscape background, which has ever been produced in photography. The next feeling is one of wonder as to how this effect has been produced. The figure is of course, as it should be, the principal object in the picture, and all the rest is accessory to the effect of the figure ; but every other part is not the less as wonderfully perfect as the figure. Each picture possesses an exceedingly pretty bit of foreground, with grasses, ferns, thistles, &c., evidently all natural and growing. Amid, or partially be hind, this foreground the model is placed, generally standing. Behind the figure is a landscape background, consisting of trees, mountain scenery, &c., and this is also evidently from nature. And here is the source of one of the singular charms of the picture: the figure and foreground are brilliant and clear; but the landscape background, although suffici ently made out in parts, recedes far into the distance, and is soft, hazy, and strangely atmospheric, giving an effect very often seen in nature in our climate, when objects close at hand are clear and bright, yet at a little distance all seems enveloped in a delicate robe of atmosphere, almost amounting to a mist, yet the forms are not out of focus, but perfectly, although delicately, defined, The effect of this in these pictures is not merely to give great pictorial beauty to the whole, but to give also rare force and brightness to the figure and foreground, which are exceedingly effective. The result of the best painted background is immeasurably inferior to the effect before us, which impresses as much by its suggestion of truth as by its undoubted art excellence. A little examination satisfies us that this effect is the result of some method of double printing, the figure and fore ground being produced at one operation, and the land scape background the result of a separate printing, a negative taken from nature being used.* But when this conclusion is attained two difficulties remain : first, how in such small pictures it is possible to effect the double print ing so perfectly, without any trace of the joining of parts, even where light grasses in the foreground print over dark parts in the background; and next, how the singularly atmospheric effect is produced. The exact method of double printing must for the present remain undescribed, but the source of the atmospheric effect we can explain. The figure and foreground are taken in the studio with a plain back ground graduated from light grey at the top to dark grey at the bottom, which by its gradation gives a somewhat aerial effect when the picture is printed, without any added effect. The suitable landscape negative is then lightly printed upon this grey and graduated tint, and so gives this charming effect of distance and atmosphere. When this is described, however, as a clever and ingeni ously simple method of getting a most valuable effect, let not any one suppose that it is to mere mechanical arrange ments these pictures owe their chief charm. The photographs in all cases were perfect, uniting great delicacy with much force and brightness ; but their greatest charm is conferred by the fine artistic judgment of the author, which is dis played in the pose and arrangement of each picture. Another illustration of the fact we continually endeavour to impress upon our readers, that the advancement of photography is dependent chiefly upon the art culture of its votaries. The next novelty which has attracted our attention and admiration is found in the portraits exhibited by Messrs. Hennah and Kent, in Conduit Street. These consist in each case of head and shoulders only, apparently taken on a 10 by 8 plate, the picture not being vignetted , but printed solid and cut oval. The heads, which were chiefly of chil dren, were a little less than half the size of nature, being in the pictures from three to four inches long. These, although not enlargements, but taken direct in the camera, were per- * In some few instances Mr. Edge has used negatives taken from engraved landscapes instead of from nature, adopting still the same mode of treat ment. The effect, although pretty, is not equal to that produced by nega tives from nature. We may add, likewise, that we believe Mr. Edge pro duces these studies for publication, and that, if we are not mistaken, any reader may procure an example on forwarding to Mr. Edge eighteen postage stamps, If we are wrong in stating this, Mr, Edge will correct us..