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July 31, 1891.] THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. 543 anything but a curiosity ; and a still more objectionable effect is when the head is posed against a white background and lighted from back, no reflection used on the shadow side, so that the face cuts very harshly against the ground, the whole face appearing very dark except the nose, which, with the upper corner of the forehead, gets a full whack of light. Now you see that, owing to the nose being a very prominent feature, it is difficult in this shadow treat ment to make it succumb to the rest; it will stick out and catch some light in spite of us, and even when it is a handsome nose, it ought scarcely to receive all the light when the rest of the features are not receiving any. Another difficulty with shadow pictures is to prevent all the lower portions of the face from falling into too low a tone, because, from the cheeks rounding in, and the chin receding, and the mouth being overshadowed by the nose, the bottom half of the countenance is lost. An excellent way to study these matters is to look at such work with your eyes nearly closed. In this way you will lose all the details, and you will perceive only the main masses of light and dark. You will then perceive how absurd the effect often is, and you should never lose sight of the fact that your main masses of light and dark must be well composed if you are to produce a good picture. The features of man are so formed and combined that, with knowledge and care in the bestowal of the shadows, a perfectly har monious arrangement is produced even in the blocked-out mass, regardless of the finer details, and when the details are wrought upon a justly arranged foundational effect, we have the most perfect whole as a result. When it is desirable to make what is called a shadow or Rembrandt picture of a head or half-length, a much better effect is got by using a black or very dark background, because the flesh then at once takes its place as half shadow, and, by contrast, has a certain luminousness; while against a middle tint or very light background it will appear dull and heavy. But such treatment—that is, casting the face in shadow—is best suited for handsome sitters, and where the plumpness of youth gives the flesh an evenness of texture that aids in securing softness. With the hollowness and wrinkles of age, dullness and hardness is too apt to be the result. Much has been attained in some galleries where great pains has been bestowed in the matter of the casting and formation of shadows. The almost insurmountable difficulty of harsh ness of contrasts has been greatly overcome. It is a subject that requires much knowledge and practice. Nor should it be a matter of surprise to the photographer that it is so. Is not the work of the beginner in painting hard ? and does it not take years of study and practice to enable the portrait-painter to attain the vigour and, at the same time, the softness and harmony of a master ? The man who attains the most vigorous contrasts of light and dark —for that is what makes the work telling upon the eye of the spectator, and, at the same time, avoids harshness and consequent hardness in his work—is the successful man from an artistic point of view. In order to make a good artistic head, the deepest touches of shadow should come under the eyebrows, under the end of the nose, and about the mouth and chin. These should be supported by a proper amount of half-shadow coming about the eyes, under the cheeks, and about the chin, falling in such a way as to give a proper amount of roundness to the face and projection to the features. All this can be greatly aided by a nice timing of the exposure and careful development. How often do we see, even in large, carefully-got-up heads, a perfect uniformity of whiteness in all the directly lighted portions—the flesh, the white hair and beards of old men, and the white linen of collar and shirt-bosom being identical in whiteness. This should not be. The linen should represent the highest light, the hair should come next, and then the light flesh, a little lower in tone than either of the others ; and then, in the flesh, we should be able to pick out readily five grades or degrees of tone, from the highest lights, which are accentuated on the upper corner of the fore head, over the eyebrows, over the cheek-bone, and on the bridge and end of the nose, to the very deepest touches of shadow under the eyebrows, under the nose, and about the mouth. These latter are the portions that remain clear in development, and in the old wet-plate days were represented by clear glass in the negative. In conclusion, I have not said anything about the practical details of arrangement of skylight, its accessories, or posing, because my remarks are intended for those who are supposed to be well versed by actual experience in these matters, are working on a high standard of excel lence, and are aiming to bring forth still better work. With all such I am in full sympathy, and, at a future time, will hope to offer some remarks about the very impor tant matter of being able to secure the number of delicate gradations of tone, from high-light to deep shadow, of which I have spoken. It is a matter of emulsion, timing, and development. Unfortunately, the emulsion or brand of plate is not entirely 7 under the control of the general photographer. It is a matter of the best success of the best makers. The development, owing to the difficulty of obtaining absolute equality, is not as satisfactory 7 yet as we will hope it may become, and the timing—well, we all know the difficulty. It is a matter of good judgment and hourly experience.—American Journal of Photograpluj. Photo-Mechanical Specimens.—We have received from Messrs. H. Webber and Sons, of Kirkdale Road, Leytonstone, Essex, a fine series of collotypes, including portraits, landscapes, interiors, trade samples, machinery, and copies of old engrav ings, all of which are well rendered, and indicative of a consider able amount of skill in the working of the collographic processes. They are printed in inks varied according to the character of the subject to be represented. Antiquity of the ELECTRIC Light.—Those who suppose the electric light to be a production of the present decade will be able to correct their apprehension of the subject after reading the following item from the Scientific American, December 9th, 1848:—“New Electrical Light.— 1 The inventors of a new electrical light, exhibited at the Western Literary Institution, Leicester Square, London, on its recent reopening under the new auspices, expect, it is said, to apply it generally to shop and street illumination, and they state that, while the convey ing will cost no more than gas, the expense of illumination will be one-twelfth the price of the latter light. The current of electricity, in passing through the two pieces of charcoal which form the poles of the circuit, and are excluded from all access of air, gives, in this case, it is said, an intense and beautiful white light, with the effect of daylight to a much greater extent than the lime does, and having this advantage, that it is sustained and continuous. If Messrs. Staite and Petrie can thus producea steady and sustained light they have accomplished what has hitherto been the sole preventive to the substitution of galvanism for gas. The Mechanics' Magazine states that this one light completely eclipsed ten gas lights and an oxyhydrogen. The gas companies had better look out. The dissatisfaction of the public with their mismanagement may have begotten a rival destined to eclipse many more than merely ten of their gas lights.”