International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

October, 1934 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER By Karl A. Barleben, Jr., F.R.P.S. Nineteen Left — Like all good newspaper cameramen, Kip Ross constantly seeks picture material. The H. C. E. sunshade on his Plaubel Makina is plainly seen. You'll never catch Kip Ross without a sunshade on his camera. — Photography by Karl A. Barleben, Jr. Upper — How the picture of Ross was made, showing how low Barleben will stoop to get a picture. — Leica photo by Rosa Ross. Center — But newspapermen get their revenge — Ross shoots right back at Barleben. — Leica photo by Rosa Ross. tube out of it — a tube which, when completed, fits snugly around the front of your lens. The roll is then fastened securely by means of lantern slide binding tape, Scotch tape, or similar material, so that the cardboard won't unwind. A simpler method is to get a pill-box, the mouth of which just fits over the lens. It is then necessary only to cut out the bottom of the box, and there is a sunshade. Or again, if you are handy with metal, a serviceable sunshade may be made from thin brass or tin. But wait — it is not as simple as all that, after all. In making a shade, it is necessary to see that the bell or tube is not made so long that it will cut into the angle o f the lens, thus vignetting the corners — or more. The exact length of the tube can be determined by setting the camera up and focusing upon an object upon the ground glass. Note carefully, when you place the homemade sunshade on the lens if the corners of the ground glass darken. If they do, it's a cinch that the tube is too long and is cutting off the corners of the picture. It must be shortened. Naturally the tube-length is determined by the focal length of the lens, and the style and shape of the sunshade. A shade with a flare to it towards the end can stand a greater length than one which is straight, or the same diameter throughout. These details must be worked out by each individual. Not being particularly handy, but being fussy, I prefer to buy my shades ready-made. In that way I get a shade of durable metal, which is shaped properly and designed for the proper length in accordance with the focal length of my lens. Well, if you must know, my weaknesses in this matter are the H. C. E. and the Rhaco — but this does not by any means disparage the others, for all of those mentioned are conspicuously popular, and besides, I have my personal likes and dislikes, just as you have. They may not at all agree with yours, hence I do not tell you what you should use — I only mention what I personally use. You can, and should, please yourself in this matter — a la Tristram Shandy. Now that the question of sunshades is settled — I hope — let's for a few moments dwell on the subject of filters, and before we begin I might just as well confess that I shall not divulge anything really new, only a bit of common sense. My primary plea in this matter is in regard to the kind of filter to use. Again, if you are interested in my personal preference I would unhesitatingly say that I'll take solid glass filters every time, thank you. And I'll tell you why. To begin with, gelatine absorbs more light than does glass, hence we get a little more light through the glass kind — maybe not enough to make any difference, but still. Secondly, the filters which consist of gelatine cemented between two pieces of optically flat glass are not especially stable, especially in the tropics. The heat and dampness, once they get a toe-hold on the interior of the filter between the outer pieces of glass, play havoc. This is an unquestioned fact, nevertheless a British photographic magazine on reviewing one of my books in which I made a similar statement criticised me in no uncertain terms for the remark. The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER has in the past published numerous accounts, one of which I distinctly recall, in which a professional cameraman related his difficulties in the tropics with (Turn to Page 26) Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.