Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

August 16th, 1933 is no lack of enthusiasm, and every¬ thing goes with a swing. Then things may begin to drift, and there may be a tendency to rest upon laurels won at a time when members were suffi¬ ciently interested to do big things. Apathy must be prevented from gaining a hold on even a small section of club workers. This task may seem a big one in cases where the trouble already exists, but much can be accomplished by the provision of sound programmes and satisfactory syllabuses. Programmes should be arranged to suit the two main seasons of the year, and should be varied to embrace a wide range of activities. During the present period, for example, production work in the open air can be varied by conducting a series of unusual ex¬ periments — such as the making of documentary sequences on super pan¬ chromatic only an hour or two before sunset (a technical essay which is already being attempted by a wellknown active society). Other useful activities for considera¬ tion at this time of the year include arranged visits to studios and proces¬ sing laboratories, and similar inspec¬ tions of the cinema apparatus on view at the Science Museum, the Kingston Library, and other places. During the autumn and winter session there should be a good show of films at all meetings (9 and 16 mm. subjects alternating according to the supply of serious films available) . Members’ own private shooting may be displayed only at meetings where there are no lectures or demonstrations to be included. Good films suitable for showing at society meetings may be obtained from societies responsible for their production, from organisations like the British Association of Amateur Cinematographers and the (American) Amateur Cinema League, and from private individuals. Films in the care of the two first-named are usually copies, and are freely and willingly loaned ; but individual workers who cannot always go to the trouble and expense of duplicating their original productions are not always anxious to effect loans. Something can here be accomplished by adopting a reci¬ procal arrangement — whereby films are exchanged for a stipulated period ; but even this is not always possible. There is also a growing tendency for societies to loan one another their films, and to indulge in straight¬ forward cross -criticisms. This repre¬ sents good practice, and the present is just the time of the year for programme organisers to approach one another on the matter. Smaller films should be shown at meetings wherein the major feature is the attendance of an outside lecturer. Such films should, of course, be dis¬ played at the opening of the meeting, for it is often extremely helpful to conclude with a brief discussion on the subject of the lecture itself. Lecturers occasionally bring their own films to illustrate certain points they wish to emphasise, and these must be shown as and when directed. The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER ! p G CINEMATOGRAPHER a I On such occasions the projectionist should be quick and dexterous, since lecturers are always pleased with good co-operation, and [always willing to come again where they find it. Programme organisers should, how¬ ever, approach their lecturers with care. Trade demonstrators must of necessity speak with marked bias toward their own commodities, and members whose interest is waning can be reclaimed only by frank, unbiased discourse free from commer¬ cial intentions. It is possible, too, to overdo the purely technical type of lecture. After all, technique is only of second¬ ary importance to the aesthetics of film making ; yet this fact is by no means apparent from a glance at club syllabuses. Perhaps the reason for this can be found in the extreme scarcity of lecturers on the aesthetic side and — thanks to the earlier teach¬ ing of photographic societies — in the comparatively great abundance of technical experts. Finally, cine societies can be further strengthened by restricting meetings to, at most, two in every month. Interests, in these days of motoring, sport and facilitated travel, are not confined to any one subject ; and it is far better to realise this than to keep the member away by making excessive demands upon his leisure. But keep him notified of every move in the society, for only when he is well informed can he lend help¬ ful support to any strengthening effort or improvements campaign. “ INFRA-RED PHOTOGRAPHY ” INFRA-RED PHOTOGRAPHY,” by S. O. Rawling, D.Sc., F.I.C., F.R.P.S., Blackie & Son, Ltd., 3s. 6d. net. This book is the latest addition to Blackie’s “ Technique ” series, and a very welcome addition, too. It contains a good story, and Dr. Rawling tells it exceedingly well. Not only the photographer, but that symbolical person the man in the street, has had infra-red photography thrust upon his attention with considerable force and persistence. He could not fail to be aware that there was such a thing as this apparently novel and really amazing form of photography. Probably he formed more or less erroneous views about it. Dr. Rawling quietly puts the matter into proper perspective. He reminds us that as long ago as 1910 so'me fine examples ■of this kind of work were shown by Professor R. W. Wood at the Royal Photographic Society, and that these were by no means the earliest productions of the sort. What has happened in the last year or two is that improved plates have been pro¬ duced, with sensitivity running much farther into the infra-red region, and these have been accompanied by improved filters. Although Dr. Rawling is one of the brilliant band of research workers connected with Messrs. Ilford, Ltd., he is somewhat reticent about the achievements of that firm in advancing along these difficult and interesting lines, and he tells his story impartially and without special pleading. Scarcely any technical knowledge is required to enable a reader of reasonable intelligence to comprehend the contents of the book from cover to cover, and judiciously selected dia¬ grams and illustrations give valuable aid. Many photographers who read the book— and all " real ” photographers should certainly do so — will be surprised to find that they can experi¬ ment with infra-red photography with comparative ease. The idea that special expensive apparatus is necessary is quite wrong. There are no more difficulties involved than there would be in an amateur using panchromatic plates and filters for the first time. The book explains most clearly and fully the fundamental principles of infra-red photography, and it goes further ; it is a practical handbook dealing with apparatus, exposure, development, and all that the photographer need know to enable him to produce infra-red photographs himself. All the readers who decide to launch forth on this thrilling ad¬ venture would do well to obtain the lists and information pro¬ vided by Messrs. Ilford, Ltd. Opening with an introduction explanatory of infra-red radiation, the book continues with chapters on infra-red sensi¬ tive materials ; handling infra-red sensitive materials ; and infra-red photography and its applications. There are four useful appendices and an index. The cloth-bound volume is well printed, and is quite one of the best of recent additions to photographic literature. It is likely to rank for many a day as the standard work on the subject, although the near future is certain to bring developments that will necessitate ex¬ pansion. l6l 27