Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

August 2nd, 1933 The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER I a 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER e 1 USE A MAP ? SOME PRACTICAL HINTS ON MAP READING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS on TOUR CAN YOU THE photographer in the country, whether he is touring or ex¬ ploring a single locality, can have no better friend than a reliable map. It should, indeed, be as promi¬ nent a part of his equipment as a tripod or a light filter, and it has the advantage over a human companion that it can be stowed away in one’s pocket when it becomes tedious. But the photographer must be. able to read his map aright — not the simple task it at first appears. He must know what to look for in planning his route, and must learn to visualise a spot from its appearance on paper. The map itself must be a good one, such as those published by the Ordnance Survey or the Ministry of Transport. Personally I never use anything but an inch-to-the-mile Ordnance Survey. Whatever type is used, it is best to stick exclusively to that series, as not all publishers use the same signs. He should plan the whole of his excur¬ sion before setting out, and should pay chief attention to the following points. Firstly, he should try to include on his route as many villages as possible. For though the open country offers in¬ exhaustible subjects, yet the most striking pictures are generally obtained in or near villages. But when a choice of route is offered, which are the best villages to visit ? It is quite By S. WILL REED. possible to gain a rough idea from the map. First find the church. The map will show whether it has a tower or a spire. On Ordnance Survey maps all churches are marked with a cross ; where there is a spire a black circle is added, where a tower a square appears. The church found, how is it placed ? If it is at some distance from the village we need not be dis¬ pleased, for it is pretty certain to be nicely placed among trees. Chickney Church, in Essex, is half a mile from Chickney, but proved well worth the extra walk. If the church is in the village observe how the houses are grouped about it and, even at this stage, try to imagine a satisfactorv viewpoint for the camera. And though the little house we imagine nestling beneath the church may turn out to be a petrol station, yet should it be a gabled rectory or an ancient alms¬ house our foresight will have been re .varded . A village showing a green, where the road widens and the houses are ranged about it, is another type to be looked for, as it offers an infinite number of viewpoints for the photographer. As an added attraction, especially in the South and South-east, there may be a windmill near the village. These are nearly always worth an exposure and are marked on most maps. Care must be taken not to confuse the signs for windmill and wind-pump. The latter is by no means picturesque. Another factor to be taken ' into consideration is the height and slope of the country through which the photographer proposes to pass. A village or a church on an eminence has an obvious attraction. Careful study of the contours will, if the map is on a sufficiently large scale, give a fair idea of the level of a place and, inci¬ dentally, of the prospect it commands. Spot heights (marked in figures) on the route should be noted and the country around examined to gain some idea of the view they will probably afford. Perhaps the most attractive feature of al to discover in a village is that a river or stream passes through it. Inevitably there will be a bridge, often pictorially valuable. Antiquarian remains are usually pictorially attractive, and these are all indicated on Ordnance Survey maps in a particular style of lettering. They usually lie near a road and are worth a deviation. Thus it is seen that the function of the map is not merely to help us when we are lost. Its true usefulness is in leading us to those spots where good subjects are most likely to be found, and its intelligent use is a sure way to economy of time and a valuable aid towards better pictures. 'T' RACING TROUBLE J in DARK SLIDES IT is sometimes a convenience to know with certainty in which of your dark slides a particular negative has been exposed. Such faults as light leaks and lack of sharpness of focus can then be traced to their source ; the results obtained with the use of different stops, light filters or lengths of exposure can be compared ; or it may be useful in helping you to find out how you came to make two exposures on the same plate. This can easily be done by making notches in the rebate of the slide to correspond with its number.. The notches are recorded on the negative at the time of the exposure, and thus the number of the slide which was used is known. The accompanying contact prints, one edge of which has been left untrimmed, will make the method clear. T. B. Howell. 103 13