The advance of photography : its history and modern applications (1911)

210 THE ADVANCE OF PHOTOGRAPHY graphy and painting, and how an incorrect choice produces quite an abnormal picture. General Hints. — The art in photography is more often than not left to take care of itself. Of course one could scarcely expect such a pleasant pastime as photography to be the monopoly of the limited number of persons who are gifted with the artist's eye, but there are many ways in which a worker with an average amount of taste and common sense can often greatly improve upon the views obtained by one who is absolutely careless as to pictorial effect, and only aims at correct exposure and what is commonly known as a good print. The unfortunate part about the matter is, that relatively speaking so few artists have taken an active interest in this subject. With the average amateur photographer such details as the amount of foreground or sky which will best suit a certain landscape are too often left to be arranged when the print is taken, and this not by any means because it is always impossible to make the necessary adjustments of the camera before exposing the plate. Then, again, a stream or road has very different appearances when viewed from different standpoints, and when they occur in the foreground of a view, they may often by a good selection of position for the camera be utilized as a means of introduction to the principal subject of the photograph, rather than appearing, as is too often the case, a great counter-attraction for the attention of the observer. If possible the camera should be so arranged that the road or stream appears to run in a sinuous or zigzag line from the front edge in a more or less diagonal manner, thus leading the eye gradually into the picture up to the object round which the chief interest centres. There is no need for the sinuous line to appear absolutely unbroken — in fact, a better effect is often attained when it