International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

December, 1929 I \ T [•: K N A T ION.U I'll (j TUGK A FIIEK Forty-one Bob cRKoberts Finds Plenty to ^hoot at in ^Africa *_ Mb* M >-9 ao-sigEIESBOB ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHING THE AFRICAN PIC -QIC ART PHOTOS IN AFRICA SOMEWHERE IN AFRICA, August, 1929. — Bob Roberts, Akeley cameraman, with the M-G-M "Trader Horn" expedition into Africa, is enjoying a rare opportunity to get camera shots of tropic scenery and exotic subjects such as native witch dances, wild animals in their natural state and barbaric aborigines on the hunt and at home. Like the postman on his day off, who spends the time in taking a nice long walk, Roberts, in addition to his photographic duties, gets out on his own and is accumulating a pictorial library of African lure and lore. After stalking wild elephants, crocodiles and what not, there is at his disposal— in the midst of the jungle — a modern dark-room, a double lined black tent furnished with electric light, electric fan, and electric refrigeration for the protection of chemicals in this torrid heat. For some wild animals Roberts is using a Graflex 5x7 and is having success with the new Eastman Filmpack loads, with which he was supplied by Ned Van Buren for the purpose of testing them under adverse conditions. With the Filmpack twelve exposures can be made from one load by simply pulling a black slip of paper out after each shot. In an elephant charge, Roberts, using Filmpack, took four Graflex shots in rapid succession before it was necessary to get out of the way. With plates one shot only would have been possible. Bob's advice to amateurs who contemplate a visit to the African wilds is interesting. The African light is deceptive, due to the absence of actinic rays. In this respect Africa is unlike the islands of the South Seas, where Roberts also operated an Akeley under the direction of Mr. Van Dyke, on two visits, one to film "White Shadows of the South Seas" and the other for the production of "The Pagan." Twelve of the Bob Roberts South Sea Studies will be found in the new edition of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Amateurs, he says, can get good Kodak results in Africa by shooting at onetwenty-fifth part of a second with wide open lens, provided the lens works only at a stop of 6-3. Otherwise they will probably have under-exposed photos, even though taken in the bright sunlight. Under foliage and in deep shadows, he says, it is impossible to get good photos without time exposure. Roberts prefers panchromatic film and recommends it for use with the Filmpack as a result of his experiments in Africa, where he has been the first to put the combination to test. The "Trader Horn" production is getting some wonderful shots of actors in combination with wild animals, as required for the story. This is due in part to the use of a vignetting device for the Akeley camera perfected sometime ago by Roberts and now in general use on the Akeleys employed by the M-G-M in Hollywood and elsewhere. With Director Van Dyke, Roberts has now covered a gaod portion of the globe having been with Van Dyke to Alaska on "The Trail of '98"; to Panama and Costa Rica on "Tell It to the Marines"; Texas on "The Big Parade" and elsewhere as before stated. "There is no place in the world like Africa for oddities and beautiful views," says Roberts. "Some of the scenery is so unreal that Van Dyke has hesitated to use it in the Trader Horn story as the audiences will hardly believe it is genuine." "© 1 W. E. OPENS LAB. (Continued from Fagre 3S) one. Some are slightly different; others radically different. The new laboratory will undertake to study such problems and to provide the studios with the knowledge and technique for achieving such new effects. With such a laboratory in the heart of production, the necessity for tests and experimentations by the producers will be eliminated, thus enabling producers to devote time and studios to production. The laboratory and a large staff of experienced sound engineers and research workers will be under the direction of K. F. Morgan who has been engaged in voice transmission work for many years. The laboratory is housed in a new building at the corner of Sycamore Avenue and Santa Monica Bouleva rd. Captain Bob Roberts bags his first big game in the Dark Continent.