Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

August 2nd, 1933 The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER s, 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER o Photographs that are DIFFERENT holiday is urged to avoid the “usual” thing when making exposures, and suggestions are given as a guide for photographs that are different. In the following note the amateur photographer on DURING the next few weeks, many amateur photo¬ graphers will be setting out for the annual holiday, either to taste the joys of travel or in search of relaxation. In either case, one can visualise the usual after-gather¬ ings of friends — and the usual glut of travel photographs. These photographs are intended to constitute a record of the ama¬ teur’s wanderings and experiences, in so far as they show the scenes he has visited and the places at which he has stopped en route. They are personally-created photographs, it is true, and they have doubtless cost the traveller a fair amount of time and trouble ; but most dis¬ interested observers would fail to find them different in any way from the familiar “ pictorial ” view-cards (real photographs, at that), which can be obtained for a few pence at stationers’ shops up and down the country. Nor is any difference to be ex¬ pected in the majority of cases — since most of the pictures to be seen of Cockington village and quaint Clovelly were taken from the same convenient viewpoints. That is why they are called the usual photographs. But need they remain usual ? Need this year’s output follow along the same lines ? It need not. And if the photographer can devote just a little more time to his ex¬ cursions, it will not. Planning. Nor is there anything perplexing about such a plan. It connotes merely a determination to avoid the habit of haphazard snapping — to make all pictures indicate some¬ thing that is personal either in their material or through the aid of expressive treatment. This method of working will admittedly be found to limit one’s possibilities, though it must be remembered that the only loss will be one of hackneyed pictures. And this is surely offset by the greater gain of pictures that are different , of pictures that will interest rather than bore the after-gatherings of tolerant friends. These gatherings, indeed, are often hard put to recognise in what way the worker’s photographs of Hastings Castle, of Beachy Head, of Yarmouth Pier and of Thame River differ from those taken by Robinson or Smith or the local professional. Hence the photographer can do worse than cast about him for the means of making them so. Figures. Perhaps the simplest method of introducing the personal touch is to bring a well-known member of the family or travel party into the picture. Nor is this to imply that the photographer can take a portrait of his friend with the Houses of Parliament, Notre Dame or the Coliseum ruins prominently arranged behind him. On the contrary, it is the place itself that should dominate the picture, the figure being intro¬ duced just in order to add pictorial interest to what otherwise would remain a drab record photograph. Nor is there any need to be satis¬ fied with one figure. Two or even more of the travel party may be introduced. Whenever it should be thought necessary to make portraits on a holiday, no local background matter can be allowed to share major importance with the subject itself. The rule always to make portraits with a plain or neutral background cannot even in this case be relaxed, though some milder suggestion of surroundings may be conveyed by using a highly-diffused background of sea wall or a sharper one of seaside sand. Other Devices. Other devices for investing “ per¬ sonal ” photographs with the neces¬ sary atmosphere are, fortunately, available in most places and in most circumstances. Thus the lone worker may be able to turn out good work despite his lack of companions — and the pure pictorialist to over¬ come his objections to figures. Such workers may permissibly make use (as foreground or middle distance matter) of their car or bicycle — for either of these may prove quite as personal and recog¬ nisable as any back view of the familiar party figures. For those who prefer to roam afoot neither of the foregoing alter¬ natives will be available, and it will be necessary to make use of other devices. These can still be obtained through the exercise of individual treatment ; and individual treat¬ ment may take the form of new and unusual viewpoints, angle pho¬ tography, the use of distinctive foregrounds, selective focussing and the like. Most of these devices and the methods of exploiting them are well known to the majority of workers, though the many possibilities with regard to foreground variations are not so widely appreciated as they should be. Foregrounds, of course, can be varied by changing the viewpoint or angle of photography ; but it is possible to obtain further variations by opening cattle-gates, altering the position of trailing hedge-growths and by many other means. And even should all these fail, the worker can easily bring himself into the picture — merely by using a shutter self-timer. Finishing. Finally, it should never be for¬ gotten that further individuality may be imparted to holiday photo¬ graphs through the adoption of distinctive finishing methods. In¬ stead of the usual straight print, often exemplified by the photo¬ graphic postcard, the effect of a properly finished and mounted ren¬ dering should be tried. 101 9