FLASHLIGHTING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 22, 29 November 1911, Page 33

FLASHLIGHTING.

By

FREDERIC G. HODSOLL.

Mr. Hodsoll is a pioneer in the art of tak iny flashliyht pictures, mid before he shared irhat it nas possible to do in this direction the recordiny of a niyht scene by means of photography was practically unheard of. Mr. Hodsoll has accumulated a store of in lei'esl iuy pictures and a fund of anecdote in many parts of the world, on which ire are able to draw for the benefit of our readers.

Till', biggest Hash I ever used in outdoor night photography was in 1901, when I llashlighted, on the stroke of midnight, the annual New Years' Eve gathering of Scotsmen outside St. Paul's Cathedral. 1 think 1 may justly claim that this is the largest Hash that has ever been used, and it created an altogether un-looked-for sensation. The subject was a difficult one and had never, to mv

knowledge, been attempted before, for even at this date flashlight photographs in the open air were something of a novelty. Taking with me a speeial illuminating powder of my own invention. I perched myself up on a windowsill overlooking the Churchyard, the vast area of which it would be necessary to light up if my photograph was to Ire of any value. I therefore used an extra amount of powder, and on the stroke of the hour pressed the button. There

was a loud report, and what ap|M*ared to Im* a vivid sheet of lighting allot up into the air. the effect of which was remarkable on the waiting crowds Iwlow. busily engaged in singing “Auld Lang Syne.” and grasping one another's hands with good wishes for tin* Xew Year. Instantly there was a dead silence, which lasted for quite an appreciable time, ami then the people lM*gan asking each other what had happened. I am afraid that, innocently enough. I alarmed some of them rather badly, for I was quite unnoticed up aloft, ami there were main among the crowd, which instantlx began to disperse in all direction-', who went home with tin* uncomfortable conviction that they had witnessed an omen of evil import for the coming year. Others.

again were inclined to think that it was a satellite that had mysteriously droplad from the heavens. The intense brilliancy of my illumination is clvarlv shown on looking at the resulting photograph (reproduced), for it will ‘•e seen that the buildings on the opposite 'ide of the ( hiirchyard. ami the |M*ople i’l front of them, are easily discernible In fact, as I afterwards learned, tin .lash was seen at Elstree. Hertfordshire, twelve miles away! It also attracted considerable attention in the newspapers, several of which contained references to it during the week. ami. in fact, it wus not until my photograph was published in one of the weekly illustrated papers that the mystery was solved.

Some of my mo>t exciting flashlighting ex|M»riciicvs occurred some years ago when 1 was exploring the wikis of Western America with a camera. The photograph reproduced below was taken on the plans of New Mexico, one hundred and fifty miles from the nearest railway station, and had an exceedingly 4*111:011* sequel. I had l>een travelling all day. and in the evening discovered a party of cowlxiys who were rounding up a large herd of cattle. Fellowship

on the plains is proverbial, and 1 was soon enjoying a sumptuous repast of yearling beef, molasses and biscuits at the camp. The cowboys, who were a rough looking lot. most of them with several months’ growth of beard, were keenly interested in my camera, and very much wanted me to take their photograph. As it was too dark for anything else I suggested taking them by flashlight, grouped round the camp fire. They readiily agreed, and about twelve o’clock I fixed up my apparatus and performed

the operation, much to their delight and astonishment. Naturally enough, they bad never seen a flashlight photograph taken before, and were quite imprejiared for the brilliant spurt of flame and loud report. The night was a dark one. and the plains were illuminated for a great distance around, and. although the cowboys soon recovered from the shock, the effect on the cattle was much more alarming, for they promptly stampeded. <MF across the plains they dashed in all

directions, mad with fright, and there was a wild scene of confusion as the cowboys rushed shouting and cursing to their ponies, and, saddling up in the dark, started in pursuit of the runaways. The terrified cattle, however, had a good start, and, scattering for some miles round, it took several hours’ hard and exciting work before they were headed oil' and brought back to »eamp. The cowboys, I am thankful to say, took the (incident quite good-humouredly when they returned, which was fortunate for

me, as they have an awkward way, at times, of shooting on sight if they imagine they have a grievance. The next photograph reprodueded is, I think, one of the most unique flashlights ever obtained, representing, as it does, a phase of Western life that, so far as 1 know, had never been taken before. The scene illustrated ds the interior of a gambling saloon at an out-of-the-way tittle settlement called Lookout, near the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico. 1 arrived at the township late one evening, and, after attending to my horses, looked about for a place where 1 could get some refreshments. There was only one saloon, and so in 1 went. The den was full up with a forbidding-looking crowd sitting and standing at tables

gambling as hard as they could go- They' were much too intent on their games to pay' attention to me, however, and, having called for a glass of whisky, 1 watched the play for few minutes. There were a number of cowboys present who had just come, in from the plains with three month's wages, ami it was easy to see that they were being fleeced by the professional element. In such places as this they' frequently lose their all in a single night, and, if they create a disturbance, as likely as not they lose their lives as well. I had not been in the place very long before it occurred to me that here was a subject f?r my camera that might not to be missed, although I felt very doubtful as to whether I should be allowed to take it. However. I could see that if done at all it would have to be done quickly, for, although most of my prospective sitters were fairly sober, liquor was being handed round plentifully, and here and there a six-shooter glistened ominously on the tables. 1 thereupon ap proa’ehed the proprietor of the place, who, after consulting his customers, and much to my surprise, told me to go ahead as soon as I ehose, 'but to get it over as quickly as possible. I think it was the novelty of the thing that appealed to them, for I am certain there

was not a single person present who had been tlashlighted before. I at once ran back for my camera und obtained the picture, which is here reproduced, but which, however, does not contain portraits of all those who were in the saloon, for 1 noticed that several

desperate-looking characters took great pains to be well out of range of my camera. Doubtless there was a very good reason for this. 1 made myself scarce with all possible speed aftei taking the photograph, and 1 have every reason to believe that after 1 left things became pretty lively, for my night's rest was punctuated at intervals by the sound of pistol-shots coining from the direction of the saloon. Another photograph which was taken under exceptional circumstances was also obtained in the course of my wandering in the mountains. Coming across a large circular opening in the ground one day, which evidently led to a cave of some sort, I. and two friends who were with me, at once decided to explore it. We descended by m<?ansofa tree-trunk, which we lowered down the hole, and found ourselves in a huge cavern. We at once caught sight of the fresh tracks of a bear on the damp floor of the cave, and without a moment’s hesitation returned to the surface for pistols. Well armed, we once more descended the cave, while I, in addition, took with me a camera and some flashlight powder. We all carried lighted torches, but after a thorough search were unable to discover the animal. Presently we noticed a hole in the wall of the cave, evidently leading into a second chamber. We went through the opening

cautiously, and the sight that met our gaze was, 1 think, the most magnificent that 1 have ever seen. The roof and the floor were literally covered with stalactites and stalagmites of exceedingly beautiful formations which scintdated in the flickering light, casting grotesque

shadows from the glare of our torches. In the centre of tliis chamber two ex-

ceptionally line cones had grown to such proportions that their needle-like points almost met, and it is almost unnecessary to add that 1 there and then took a flashlight photograph of them. This I did with one of my companions on either side of me with their fingers on the triggers of their pistols, in case the bear should make his appearance. The flash blinded us all for a few seconds, and whether it frightened the animal or not I am unable to say, but we certainly failed to find him, although the freshness of ids tracks clearly proved that he must have been in the place quite recently. We afterwards discovered a passage leading into the open, so I suppose he must have made a hurried escape that way. One of the most exciting experiences I had was when I was dispatched to follow up the hunt for two convicts who had escaped from Borstal Prison. The affair had attracted considerable attention, for the men. who were both desperate characters. had held up a mail-coach after their escape. They were supposed to be

hiding in the big woods near Faveraham, and search-parties of police and civilians were out looking for them, but without The next night 1 arranged with the driver of the mail-van to ride with him to Canterbury, traveling over the road on which the two convicts had previously attacked the coach. In some parts there were dense woods on both sales, and our ride was a decidedly uncanny one We were going slowly up hill in a particularly dark and lonely *pot. when a man came out of the wood- and demanded a

lilt. This naturally enough, we were nut all disposed to give him—for one thing theie was n<> room, ami for another we were a good deal sil>*|dciou>» of his real intentions. On our refusal to take him up the man made a rush for the eoaeli ami scrambled up behind. As far hs I eoiild see in the darkness he was a rough looking eiistoiner but as to whether he was om* of tin eonviets or not it was dillienlt to say. Anyway, he had no light where he was. ami so I took the driver's revolver ami. asking him Io whip the horses up. ordered the interloper to get oil*. I'he man elung on, however, until we had gone about two hundred yards, and ‘then dropped oil* and disappea red over a gate. Soon afterwards we eanie to an isolated inn. where two policemen were stationed. I told them what had happened. whereupon they immediately started oil’ to try and track the man. This gave me an opportunity for another flashlight which shows the ollicers on the trail with their lanterns. The man got clean away, how- • •ver. but the next day the two convicts were captured. Ret iiruing home from my travels, my next llashlight work was done in London. where, as I was absolutely unknown to the Press and anxious to work up a connection. I looked about for a unique and dillienlt subject, and one. if possible, which no other photographer had succeeded in taking. This was in 1900. and I soon found what I wanted at the Karl's Court Exhibition of that year, which was “Savage South Africa.” 'l’he chief attraction was a most realistic performance in the vast arena, called ‘•.Major Wilson’s Last Stand.” This depicted the massacre of the gallant band of Britishers by the Alatabele. and although several flashlight photographs had been attempted they had all been failures. 'l'he reason. I imagine, was that no photographer had been able to make use of a Hash sufficient Iy quick and powerful to cover such a large area. I at once approached the management. asking* for permission to take a photograph of the scene. They refused to entertain my proposal, giving as a reason that it had already been attempted, but had been

found impossible of realisation. This only mad<» me the more determined, and I submitted prints of my previous work. I hrs’, fortunately, impressed the authorities to su<h an extent that they gave me the desired faeilith s. but at the same time they informed me that they had \<*ry little hope of m\ being successful. I hey furthermore added, sum* what sig nilicantly. that the experiment have to be made at inv own expen-\-bu't that they would give me .1 'perial |M»r forma nee. I at oiue commenced operations. There was an immense amount of | reparatory work to be done, as this was, at the time, the biggest undertaking of the kind that had ever Iwen at tempt (si. [ decide I that it would be necessary, in <»rder to secure sufficient illuminating power, to use seven separate Hashes, all of which would have to Im* fired simultaneously. Ihe first think I did. therefore, was to arrange for the laying down of electric • allies from the main plant into the arena. This in itself was a considerable item, as to run the current to each of the seven flash points I had to use nearly two hundred yards of cable. In fact, before 1 had every thing readv to take

the photograph, I was twenty pounds <mt of pocket. This sum imduded in addition to many incidental expenses, the erection of stands to hold the Hash-

light powder, fitted with fu-ps an<! bright tin reHectors. To make doubly sure of success I used two cameras with twelve by fifteen plates. 'These I had to place in the front row of the auditorium, about two hundred feet away, to enable me to get in the entire scene. Einally I had everything ready: Major Wilson’s party took up their positions, while the Alatabele were just in front of me with their assegais, waiting to rush across the arena to the slaughter. As I stood with a pneumatic release in each hand I must confess that 1 felt not a little anxious as to the fate of my twenty pounds. The signal was given and the savages charged, brandishing

their weapons, and j’< st as they were in t4ie ,act /of mass-acrPng Hie tntrepid Britishers I pressed both bulbs to expose niy plates and touched the electric

button to ignite the powder. The combined flash went off magnificently, and I think it alarmed Major Wilson’s gallant men a good deal more tluln did the Alatabele. (hi developing my plates 1 was very glad to find that I had obtained excellent pictures, which, when submitted to the authorities, brought me a • ongratulatorv letter. stating that “what they lielievcd to be impossible had proved to be an entire sucTlie picture next repr<Mluce<l, showing Sir George Martin playing the organ in Westminster Abbey, is not particularly exciting to look at, but it is a wry good example of the diHkmlties under which a flashlight photographer sometimes has to work. As the organ-loft was very small, there was not room to operate, and I was at my wits’ end to know how to take the photograph, for I was unable to place my camera far enough away from my sitter. At length, however, 1 saw a way out of the difficulty. I fixed a rojM? to the top of the organ loft, and tied my camera on the end of it in such a position as to allow’ the lens to project through Sir George’s peephole. 1 then let off my Hash with niy camera in mid-air. The fact that the flashlight photographer must netsls be resourceful and prepared for eventualities is, 1 think fully proved by my experiences when I photographed the home-coming of General Sir Redvers Buller from South Africa. 1 went to Southampton to meet the ship, which I found had been delayed owing to fog, which made the time of her arrival very uncertain. Late at night 1 met a reporter running for the docks, who shouted out as he passed me that (General Buller’s ship was just coming in. I was quite unprepared, but knowing there was not a moment to be lost, 1 hurried back to my hotel, grabbed up a box of flash powder and a snapshot camera, and, dashing into the kitchen, commandeered a saucepan lid in which to fire the pow’der. Then

I set off post haste for the docks, picking up en route a reporter to whom I gave the news. The ship was just coming alongside when we got there,

and as it was necessary for me to take a position well above the level of the ground, we < limbed up into a loft of a convenient shed overlooking the scene. It was quite dark in the place, but as we could lust see a door on the opposite side we made a rush towards it. Then

without the slightest warning we Itoth almost <lissap|H*ared in a heaped-up pile of some soft, Hutly, choking, substance. We had, it appeared, broken into a grain warehouse, the loft of which was being used to store some kind of tine middlings. The awful stuff was several feet deep all over the floor, and through it we floundered and struggled, gasping for breath and well nigh suffocated." At length, however, we fought our wav through and reached the door just as General Buller was stepping on the gangway; but, fortunately for me, an officer went up to speak to him ami detained him for a little while. 1 hastily poured the powder into the saucepan lid and gave it to my friend to hold, and told him to ignite it with a piece of lighted paper as quickly as possible. Then, steadying myself against the doorpost, I held the snapshot camera in my hands as firmly as possible and waited. At first my friend was unable to ignite the powder, and the anxious moments were flying all too rapidly when suddenly it flared up. My unfortunate companion, taken completely by surprise, was sent flying on his baek with some badly burned fingers and a shock to his nervous system. The resulting photograph, however, was, all things considered, very satisfactory.