PHOTOGRAPHY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 167, 13 July 1912, Page 15

PHOTOGRAPHY.

.COMPOSING A 'PICTI"RJ.. Perhaps there is nothing -which tho average .photographer forgets so easily as hhc necessity for the selective eye in photography. "All art is seiect.ion," is a famous artistic maxiim, and it ought to be e:on-tan'lO-y remembered by users of the camera. There is more neeel for watchfulness and e_re in .election "in using a camera than a pencil or paint brush, for the simple reason that the pencil and the paint brush are under the direct <corttrol of the artist who uses' them, placing on record only that which he or «he chooses for portrayal. It is ifuito otherwise with tihe i-imera. It- ia scientific __-t.u_-.nt, ea.pable. in skilled hands of an astounding degree of selection. But in unskilled hands it does itwork just the same, only there is no selection, anil ever} -thing ugly and beautiful which comes wit-Mil the eye of the lens is faithfully registered on the plate. This explains the difference between -the random .snapshot of 'the beginner and the carefully com-po-eel pictures of the advanced worker. The one has just allowed his camera to pick up anything and everything ami jot them all down regardless of their pictorial interest or value to anybody. Excellent little prints, aye. and big prints, too. are .-!o_i_t__e.s utterly ruined beeati-e an ugly .telegraph pole or an advertisement hoarding was allowed ie> intrude itself into the view. The photograph. in his appreciation of the other parts of the little picture had .onr.tt.en the pre-sene-e of tlu-.se iHi-igh't-iy nlvjevts. \\-hie-h his eye passed over in its general survey of these scenes, but which were not unseen by the eye of the "photographic '1.n.. It i. im.poff in all cases -,-> utterly eliminate such objects from a •landscape whkdi is otherwise pleasing, .ut a good deal maj" ixft.n be done by changing the point of view, so that t-th-r the object is cut, out eif the camera's field of vision, or its ugliness i.s largely mitigated. Too many olographs of natural scenery are spoiled hy this want of selection, and a s;.r._n_e de- ! sire' which seems to attacks all p'emtogra.t.ihers at the start "to get as much as t'ney can on the plate." Never was there a greater heresy. The. keynotes of th. heat work arc selection and concentra4_on. j