PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21216, 24 September 1932, Page 3

PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES

[By Panchro.] In this column will appear week by week nows and notes of interest to amateur photographers. It is intended to be of use to both sections of that largo fraternity -those who are on speaking terms with fact?, formulae, and darkroom lamps, and also to those who frankly confess their selves as mere “ button pushers.” To tiie former it is hr Ted to render a technical service that vill be useful, and to the latter ** Panchro ” hopes to give an increased pleasure in the use o\ a camera. Inquiries should be addressed to “ Panchro,” care of this office, enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope for reply. Inquiries of general interest will also bj answered in this column. CLEAN HANDS IN THE DARKROOM. If the amateur photographer would only remember that it is as essential to Pave the hands as clean tor the commencement of operations in the development of films or in printing as it is when sitting down to a meal there would ho less heartburning ever spoiled material. Hands contaminated with hypo, even in weak concentration, will stain and mark any photographic emulsion. Wash the hands thoroughly in clean water before commencing, and don’t forget to rinse them freely m clean water and dry on a clean towel between development and fixing, etc. And. by the way, the towel should he up to normal standard of cleanliness, and not used for wiping hands which have just come out of the developer or fixer. TESTING DARKROOM LIGHT. To those amateurs who are in the habit of doing their own film developing a word of caution is advisable with the new fast films. The darkroom lamp used may he quite safe for ordinary film, but quite unsafe for the newer ones. To test for safety expose the film in sections of varying duration, say in stops, increasing tne exposure ten seconds each step, keeping one section entirely protected from the light. On giving your film the usual standard development there should ho no difference between the section which was not exposed and the one which had, say, sixty seconds' exposure. 11 there is a greyness on the* parts exposed cut down the* power of the lamp used or get a properly tested safe light. With flic lengthening days amateur photographers are contemplating their favourite hobby more seriously. The increasing sunlight tern... to encourage us out for walks or drives, where the camera comes into its own. These are the limes when those happy snapshots arc secured, when those views which appeal are seen and recorded, and it is to the negatives made during the next few months that the keen photographer can turn during the winter months, when printing and enlarging can be indulged in to the heart's content.’ And that brings me to the point of those notes. How are you going to look after those negatives until they are required? Are yon going to tumble them higgledy-piggledy into some odd corner to collect dust and abrasion marks, or are you going to store them methodically where they can bo looked out when required? Really the easiest way to look after negatives is to store them in a proper negative album, where they can he indexed and found when wanted. Negative albums arc made with transparent envelopes, through which the subject can quite readily be seen. Those who use plates can store them in the small sweet hags used by confectionery stores, and cither number them or print the title on the outside. It is well worth while taking this little extra trouble to protect negatives which can perhaps never be duplicated. BLOCKING OUT BACKGROUNDS. It is surpriisng what little thought is given as a rule to the photographing of friends and relatives. How often do we see a snap taken against a back garden fence or brick wall or other such homely hut nevertheless unsuitable background, and realise what an improvement would be affected if the background were deleted. This can be done without much difficulty. Secure the negative to a piece of glass supported above a white paper which reflects a good strong light; then by means of a blocking-out medium, which can he secured from any photographic dealer, paint out carefully the offending background. The print from this will show the figure standing against a clear white background. PHOTO TELEGRAPHY. The speed with which the big Lon- ” dailies ” can produce pictures of topical interest secured in other centres is evidenced in a picture of the King opening the new Lambeth bridge over the Thames. This picture, which was the 10,000 th transmitted from London by the • photo-telegraphic system, was wired to the Manchester office of the ' Daily Dispatch ’ and its allied newspapers. Before the crowds had dispersed from the opening ceremony in London this picture was boipg printed in Manchester. The present system of photo-telegraphy was installed in the London and Manchester offices of Allied Newspapers Ltd. four years ago, and to such a pitch of perfection lias flic system evolved that to-day pictures can ho telegraphed in ten minutes ns easily and quickly ns you would send a telegram from the Post Office. DESENSITIZING. Many people arc unaware of the ease with which development can bo carried out by resort to desensitising. One solution [jacked by a leading English house is a deep red colour, and can be purchaser! locally at 3s per 3oz bottle. The bath is prepared by using one pari of dcsensitol in fifty parts of water and immersing the negative in it for one minute, prior to developing it by the light’of a candle. It is renllv fascinating to watch the imago hniltling up as deevlopmont progresses under these conditions, especially when one

can use the warm Jiving room instead of being relegated to sonic cold corner temporarily rigged as a darkroom. PHOTOS BY FLASH LAMP. Although recent developments in the manufacture of hypersensitive plates have placed in our hands the means of greatly extending our photographic activities, the special plates required arc not suitable for the amateur who uses only a roll him camera. With the plaics mentioned above exposures of one or two seconds in ordinary room, lighting at night yield

good printable negatives, where with ordinary film the same type of negative would require as many minutes. This, of course, rules out the taking of any interior portrait, as movement would he certain to show. How, then, can such portraits he taken at night? There are several ways. We can rule out any system of artificial Jigh ting which would necessitate the use of high-powered electric bulbs on the score of expense and unwieldincss. Then there is magnesium ribbon, which has a high actinic value, hut would require comparatively longer exposure than is satisfactory for any portrait study. This brings us to the consideration of an illuminant which will permit of a short exposure. The best known of these is flash powder. This is available either loose, when the requisite quantity can be mea snred out for firing, or in cartridges of various sixes aecoidiug to the area to bo illuminated. While flash pow der is a splendid illuminant, enabling exposures of about IMOth second to he made, care is required in handling it, as the heat generated in the flash will give a severe burn if it is carelessly handled. These illuminanfs have now boon supplanted by a new method which makes use of an electric bulb filled with a combustible substance. The

charge is fired by screwing the Lamp into an ordinary lighting socket or into a special' portable holder, and on switching on the current, a brightflash sufficient to illuminate 200 square feet of floor space is made.''The flash is so quick that all movement j- rrrested, and one gets a good negative under unusual conditipns. The outstanding feature of , these bulbs is that they do their work silently and effectively, no smoke or dust or fulnes foK lowing—a feature which saves the ardent amateur any “blasts” from the lady of the house for making a mess. ■