PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21138, 25 June 1932, Page 18

PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES

[By Pajcchuo.]

In this column will appear week by week news and notes of interest to amateur photographers. It is intended to be of use to both sections of that large fraternity—those who are on speaking terms with facts, formulas, and darkroom lamps, and also to those who frankly confess themselves as mere " button pushers.” To the former it is hoped to render a technical service that ’.vill be useful, and to the latter " Panchro ” hopes to give an increased pleasure in the use ol a camera. Inquiries should be addressed to ” Panchro,” care of this office, enclosing a stampeo, addressed envelope for reply. Inquiries of general interest will also bo answered m this column. Of the uses for photographs there is no end. and “ Panchro ’’ read recently in a magazine of an enterprising Yankee tailor who photographs every customer who comes in for a suit of clothes. The “ patient ” stands in front of a white chart which is ruled off into inch squares, and is photographed firstlyfacing the camera, and is then turned for a profile view. The finished pictures give the cutter an excellent idea of the tvpe of figure for whom he is making 'a suit, and reference to the ruled lines supplies important measurements, including the “ sag ” of his shoulders and the “ embonpoint ” of his more prosperous customers. “ The Clothes Bandit,” as this hustling Yankee calls himself, goes even further than this. He keeps a file of the photographs, and if a client has not been in for twelve months or more the “ Bandit ” pastes the photograph on to a sheet of letter paper with the remark: “ We have not seen your face for twelve months; when are yon coming again?” or words to that effect. A typically American idea, to be sure, but one that could be applied in modified form to many businesses. A PHOTOGRAPHIC BUSINESS CARD.

Talking about using photographs commercially, I saw the other day a rather novel idea used by a salesman. His business card was a real photogrphic reproduction with a picture of the goods he was selling (in this case radio) in one corner, and on the other portion the usual particulars as to his firm and business. The glossy finish completed a card which must surely command attention and a sympathetic hearing for the man presenting it. PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOURS. “ D.A.5.,” Cavorsham, writes saying that he went to considerable trouble in taking photographs of the Octagon by night during “ Come to Dunedin Week,” and is disappointed because the illustrations have “ come out ” so poorly. The reason for this is that he used ordinary roll film, which is not sensitive at all to red, and not oversensitive to most other colours. Thus the only lights of any use to him were the white globes. Had he used a panchromatic film of any good brand, with a Beta filter in front of the lens, the results would have been very different. Panchromatic emulsions used with suitable filters are sensitive to all the colours of the spectrum, and thus give a more faithful monochrome rendering when photographing subjects where colours predominate. Owing to this colour sensitiveness panchromatic emulsions must be developed in total darkness. The correct development is ascertained by what is known as the ” time and temperature ” method (of which more will be heard later in ‘ Photographic Notes ’). Any good printing and developing house will develop panchromatic negatives for you, but it is just as well to point tou that they are panchromatic when handing them in for development; otherwise they may be developed in red light, and consequently ruined. PHOTOGRAPHY IN CHINA. The following extract from ‘ Tho Photographic Dealer ’ will be of interest to amateurs : “ Foreign residents in North China were the first to take to photography both as a pastime and as a profession. They engaged in this hobby for the purpose of collecting pictures of scones in China; many of them did their own cl. and p. work, and in those early days (late ’eighties) most of them used glass plates. This led to a large trade in glass plates as well as chemicals and accessories. Gradually the Chinese became interested in photography, but only those of some means; and. though the field for such materials has increased tremendously since then, the hobby is still ' lore or less restricted to those with money, and this class still constitutes by far the minority of China’s 450 to 500 million populace. It is only during the past fifteen years that photography has really become popular with the Chinese, the demand being principally for the cheaper cameras, such as box cameras, which schoolboys will buy. The business community nowadays prefers folding cameras, and this tendency is becoming universal among the Chinese. Those Chinese keenly interested m photography do their own developing and printing, and will probably use plates. But the major demand from the public is for films, though professional photographers still confine themselves to plates, cut films not having as yet made any real headway with this class The Chinese are not so familiar with the use of plates as arc professionals in other countries, but they obtain results satisfactory enough to meet their clients’ requirements. In the interior of the country the taste is still for black and white contrasting pictures, and only in the treaty ports and larger cities does one find more varied work approaching, and. in some cases, equal to western standards. Many Chinese prefer plates to films, as they find them easier to use in the hot months, the base being firmer and the gelatine not apt to get soft. In the towns ice is in general use. being cheap and easy to obtain, but in the interior the average Cliine.se photographer cannot afford ice, and so he does without it or any retouching, and supplies his customer with the ordinary print. Very few Chinese know much, if anything, about lenses, but the larger the size the greater their appeal to them, as they think they can use n big lens for all purposes. The average Chinese does not concern himself much about shutters, but if he does understand a little about photography he will try to. but with tho means at bis disposal a Cornpur shutter for the sake of accuracy; otherwise he will leave it to the dealer to choose what ho considers best for his purpose. There are many Japanese resident in China, and they, too, prefer cameras with large lenses, as they are usually more familiar with photography, and produce better results than the average Chinese. ’Die average Japanese in China has more money to spend, and docs not economise so much ns the Chinese. The Chinese equip themselves with as

much information as they can get from catalogues, booklets, and direct queries: some of which are often queer. For instance, Chinese prefer chemicals to pills, as thev like to mix their own chemicals, which is more complicated than using the ready-made pill; and tlie Chinese generally iprefers the more complicated way to the more direct Spring and autumn are the most popular seasons for photography among the Chinese, in winter they do not care to use their cameras, as it is too cold, though the light is quite good; in summer it is extremely hot. and there is the question of ice. In Shanghai and several other treaty ports Chinese photographic stores make no charge for developing, being .satisfied with the profit they make on the prints ordered.