THE CAMERA COLUMN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1288, 5 November 1896, Page 12

THE CAMERA COLUMN.

[_By Snapshot.j All readers requiring advice or opinion on matters connected with the Art are invited to make use of this column. Communications should be written on one side of the paper only, with as few words as necessary for the proper elucidation of the subject, and addressed to “ Snapshot,” c/o N.Z. Mail. Queries should bo brief, but must give full details, and should be accompanied by samples of faults, &c., where practicable. “Snapshot” will also be glad to receive samples of prints for criticism and notice. NOTES. I have to thank the committee of the Wellington Camera Club for a copy of their syllabus for 1896-97. I notice that the competition rules have been considerably altered, and there are fewer subjects for competition as compared with last year. I wish them a successful year.

The Southland Camera Club’s syllabus is also to hand. Tliere should be some very interesting competitions among this club’s members, as they have a splendid variety of subjects to choose from.

I hear that it is the intention of the Wellington Camera Club to hold an exhibition this year. It will not be held in June as formerly, but in January, as it is thought desirable to get the benefit of the large number of visitors that will be in Wellington at that time for the Industrial Exhibition.

Those who have to work in a small room are often troubled by not having the' means to keep their developing and fixing solutions at an even temperature. When ice is not obtainable, place the dish in a tray containing equal parts of ammonia nitrate and water.

An experienced workman claims that by washing a deeply-stained pyro-devel-oped negative with a strong solution of washing soda and alum, its colour may be changed to that of a negative developed with rnetor or eikonogen. Whether the risk of dissolving the gelatine film does

not offset this advantage is not stated. For my part I believe that the pyrodeveloped negatives give by far the finest printing image of any. • • • o The following is a good toning-bath for gelatino-cliloride paper, giving purplebrown tones: — Phosphate of sodium ... 40 grains Chloride of gold ... ... 2 ~ Water ... IS ounces This bath should be used as soon as mixed, and discarded when more than ten minutes are required for toning. The latest dodge to prevent a plate from frilling, according to Wilson’s Magazine, is to dip a finger’s end in vaseline and run it round the extreme edge of the plate before development. I keep a piece of candle and run it round the edge of the plate and I find I answers very well. Amidol gives excellent results used as a developer for matt bromide paper, and the following single solution developer may be used repeatedly : Amidol ... ... ... 1 ounce Sodium sulphite ... ... 10 ~ Potassium bromide ... ... 50 grains Water, to make ... ... 100 ounces For use, dilute four ounces of this solution with an equal quantity of water. The solution turns colour after being made up but will be found to work well for several weeks.

Capt. Abney recommends the following developer for plates that have had a short exposure : Amidol ... ... ... 5 grains Sodium sulphite ... ... 40 ~ Potassium bromide ... ... 1 ~ AVater ... ... ... ... 2 ounces This developer works best when newly made. Tho image appoars gradually, and attains a good density with fine contrasts in the half tones. Development should on no account be hurried.

AA 7 hen a building is to be photographed which is located on a busy street with a lot of traffic, and instantaneous work is not permissible, stop the lens down as far as possible, and make a long exposure. This will be found to give an excellent photograph of the building, without any blurring or signs of moving vehicles to mar the results.

Trade News, monthly, at os per year, is tho title of a new photographic journal published by AV. D. Gatchel’s Sons, Louisville (U.S.A.). It is a bright, wmll-printed little journal, conducted on the lines of the Professional Pointer.

At the British Convention Mr Alex. Haddon stated, as a result of careful investigation, that five minutes’ thorough washing is sufficient to remove all traces of hypo, from gelatino-chloride prints, while fifteen minutes suffice for albumen prints. Further washing, he claimed, is destructive alike to the appearance and permanency of the prints. For all that, I prefer to follow the makers’ instructions on this matter.