WELLINGTON CAMERA CLUB

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 111, 13 May 1939, Page 13

WELLINGTON CAMERA CLUB

Portraiture is probably the most popular subject with amateur photographers the world over, and there was a large number of excellent entries in the Wellington Camera Club's portrait competition held recently. The champion picture was exhibited by Mr. F. W. Lyon, Mr. H. F. McDonald being runner-up. The three awards in A grade went to Messrs. McDonald, E. T. Robson, and J. W. Chapman-Taylor. Mr. Lyon secured first place in B grade, Mr. L. Southward was. second, and Mr, N. Hodson third.

Mr. Earle Andrew, A.R.P.S., who was one of the judges for the competition, followed up his recent demonstration on lighting in portraiture by commenting on the pictures and making helpful suggestions. In photographing a baby or a child, he advised members not to go so close that only a large head was visible in the viewfinder. This would lead to unpleasant distortion of the features. Mr. Andrew was in favour of including the hands in such pictures, which was also the view of Mr. Chapman-Taylor, who remarked that the background and the hands, if properly used and not too assertive, could each give some indication of the sitter's character and habits. The background should not be so totally devoid of detail and gradation that the person's head appeared to be floating in space. On the other hand, of course, a strongly patterned background could effectively "kill" a portrait. Mr. J. W. Johnson's advice to photographers was to see that the subject was comfortably seated before the camera, otherwise a rather strained expression was bound to appear.