THE CEMERA COLUMN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1291, 26 November 1896, Page 12

THE CEMERA COLUMN.

f [By Snapshot.J ! All readers requiring advice or opinion on ' matters connected with the Art are invited to make tise of this column. Communications should be written on one side of 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 be brief, but must give full details, and should bo accompanied by samples of faults, &c, where practicable. "Snapshot" will also be glad to receive samples of prints for criticism and notice.

f^OTES. "E.H." (Wanganui) enquires if it is possible to enlarge without the aid of a condenser. There are several methods employed, which give just as brilliant results as with the vise of a condenser. Get a box about two feet square, cut an opening iu one end for a metal chimney and another hole in the side for your negative. Arrange a large sheet of cardboard or tin as a concave radiator, and place a lamp at each side of the concave surface. This will transmit a great volume of light through the negative. Another method is to line the four sides of the box with corrugated mirror and the top with tin, using as an illumiuant a lamp about forty candle-power. It is advisable in using either of these methods of enlarging to place a piece of opal glass between the light and the negative. With a negative of ordinary density an exposure of fifteen to twenty minutes is required.

The photographers at Denniston (Westland) are endeavouring to form a club. I wish them success and will expect to see the Denniston Camera Club represented at our Exhibition, which I believe will be held some time in June, 1597.

A Home photographer asks the editor of the British Journal of Photography if it is possible to tell, by examination of a negative only, what colours the original object possessed, the photographer not having seen the object photographed. The reply he received' was that an experienced photographer could hazard a tolerably safe guess. Much, however, would depend on the original, and whether it had been photographed orthochromatically, but, generally speaking, it is possible for a photographer to do so. I must say that I was considerably surprised on reading the above answer, 'and while acknowledging the authority of the editor on all matters photographic, I think, iu this instance, ho has placed too much confidence in his own capabilities and more will be heard of this matter I feel sure.

The old method of improving negatives with harsh contrasts by coating them with bichromated gelatine and exposing before the shadows have acted thoroughly and before the high lights have had time to act, has again been revived by a writer in the Deutsche Phatogmphcn. Zeitung, who further suggests the tinting of the insoluble chromatedgelatine after thoroughly washing the various dyes. This method is extremely useful in certain cases, but presents no features of novelty and is somewhat inferior in results to bleachiug the images, redeveloping and refixing before the high lights are developed through.

At a recent seance of the Paris Academy of Science it was stated that the light emitted by a glow-worm was found to be able to penetrate black paper, and affect a dry plate folded in it.

By the photographic journals just to hand a case is reported of a lady (the wife of a doctor, who was also an amateur photographer) in East Sussex having been accidentally poisoned by drinking a solution of pyrogallic acid, in mistake for another medicine. The strength of the solution is not given. This would be interesting to know, as this is, 1 think, the first case reported of fatal poisoning with pyro, although it is known to be a poison. This case should serve as a warning to all photographers not to leave their chemicals where they can be mistaken for other thiugs.

It will be n-nuebered that Hdisou, being an inventor, sot up a theory of his own as to a-rays, and gave it as his opinion that they were high pitch sound waves. An American contemporary thinks the theory is unattached, and says : —" Mr Edison is still searching for facts in further confirmation of his theory."

" But, Mr Daubs. I don't think it looks a bit like'me!" "My dear madam, if you want a likeness you should go to a photographer; lam an artist."— Harpers Bazaar.

Heckler : You are a photographic scientist, and as such will you give me the simplest test of colour sensitiveness.-' Lecturer (tired of questioner) -. Certainly, sir, shake a red rag at a bull.

Bouncer: Yes, I have been to all the principal exhibitions, but saw nothing in any class of subject, with one exception, that I have not produced far better myself. Trouncer : What is the exception, Bouncer.' Bouncer: These new-fangled studies ot the undo. Trouncer (earnestly; : Jake them up at once, my boy—tell the naked truth for a start.

The Colonial Treasurer invites tenders for New Zealand Government 3i per cent.' debentures, representing .£IOOO, J.oOJ, ,j 200 and ,£IOO respectively. Through an error of staging six native ferns at the Horticultural Show, the iirst prize was awarded to I>. Crossley, but a revision of the error has awarded the premier X>lace and prize to G. Gibb.