Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

Thi amateur photographer p 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER a ^Deciders' Questions 'V ANSWERED General. — All communications for the Editor should be addressed : “The Editor, The Amateur Photographer and Cinematographer, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London, S.E.i,” and in every case, without exception, must give the name and address of the writer. Contributions. — The Editor is glad to consider original, up-to-date manuscripts on photographic subjects. All contributions must be typewritten, or in very legible handwriting on one side of the paper onlv. Letters oc communications arising out of matters already appearing in the paper are not paid for. The Editor disclaims legal responsibility for the safety of matter submitted to him, but he will endeavour to return rejected manuscripts, etc., when a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. MSS. or prints that are not actually accompanied by a stamped wrapper or envelope can in no case be returned. Reproduction fees for prints are onlv paid by arrange¬ ment beforehand. The sending of a print, without any condition stated, will be taken as permission to reproduce it without fee. Enquiries and Criticism. — Advice, Criticism and Information are freely given, but the following conditions should be read carefully before applying, as any communication which does not comply with the rules must be ignored . (i) See “ General ” above. (2) Every question and every print for criticism must be sent separately through the post, and must be accompanied bv a separate stamped addressed envelope. No exception can be made in any case to this rule, except so far as enquiries or prints from Overseas are concerned. (3) Neither enquiries nor prints for criticism must be enclosed with competition prints. (4) On the back of each print sent for criticism, in addition to the name and address of the sender, must be the title (if any), and the criticism coupon from the current issue. (5) Enquiries should be clearly written, on one side of the paper only, and should be specific and not general. Such enquiries as “ How can I take interiors ? ” or “ Can you give me some hints on outdoor portraiture ? ” are too genera] to be dealt with in this section. (6) All envelopes should be distinctly marked “ Query ” or “ Criticism,” as the case may be. (7) Prints are sent for advice or criticism on the distinct understanding that by so doing per¬ mission is given for their reproduc tion without fee. We endeavour to deal promptly with enquiries, but cannot undertake to answer by return of post, nor can we give precedence to any enquiry. A selection of those replies is printed each week, but all questions are answered by post. Enquiries from abroad must contain a coupon also, but it need not be from the current number, and should be cut from the latest issue tr reach the enmnrer Spotting Prints. How can I spot glazed prints without the spot appearing matt ? Should the spotting be done before or after4glazing ? J. H. P. (Wallasey.) It is doubtful whether there is any method of spotting a glazed print without the work being more or less visible. Our own practice is to mix up some water-colour pigment with a few drops of a rather strong solution of gum arabic. This should be allowed to dry, and can be worked up with a little water as required. The gum tends to make the spot of colour less obvious than it would otherwise be. It must, of course, be done after glazing, or the necessary soaking would remove the spots. Night Photographers. Can you give me the address of the Society of Night Photographers ? B. G. W. (Northampton.) Our impression is that the Society of Night Photographers has long ceased to exist. We have heard nothing of it for many years, and it does not appear in current lists of photographic societies. Colour of Negatives. Why do my negatives have a brownish tint, while those made in a shop are a nice bluish tint ? I send two negatives for comparison. I develop my own with Kodak powders in a tank. E. C. (Lambeth.) The reason for the difference in the colour of the negatives is that the de¬ veloping solutions are different. Your Kodak tank developer is pyro, while the other negative was developed with M.Q. or something similar. Other things being equal, we prefer a pyro negative to any other, but this is to some extent a matter of taste. So far from the " colour ” of your negative being a drawback you will probably find that it distinctly helps the quality of your prints. Selling Photographs. I have taken some 3 4 x 2 4 negatives of local shops. What should I "charge for prints, lantern slides and negatives ? S. T. T. We are quite unable to suggest prices as you ask. In all such cases it is a question of arrangement between buyer and seller, and it is obvious that in your case some people may be prepared to pay more than others, while some of them will probably not consider an offer at all. Fogged Prints. The enclosed print is typical of all snaps taken with my new camera. The centre of the picture is perfect, but why are the edges fogged ? S. N. D. (Bloemfontein.) There is no sign of what you describe as fogging in your print, but the defini¬ tion certainly falls off towards the edges. If all your prints are the same it looks as though the lens does not cover the plate properly, but we have ourselves used the same camera and lens with most satisfactory results. Sepia Toning. A handbook says that unless two fixing baths are used, sepia toning may produce stains on prints. Is this probable ? Has it been proved that sepia toning gives greater permanence ? E. T. (Cricklewood.) Provided prints are thoroughly fixed in a properly compounded and unex¬ hausted bath the trouble to which you refer is not at all likely to occur. The sepia toning solution will not produce stains unless there is hypo left in the print. The sulphide toning, to which we presume you refer when you speak of sepia toning, converts the silver of the image into a form that is more stable than the ordinary reduced, metallic silver. There is no reason why a properly-made print, whether toned or not, should not be as good in a quarter of a century as when it was first made. September 27th, 1933 Scratches on Negative. Ifsendja print. Can you tell me the cause of the scratches, which are on the negative ? D. G. H. (Manchester.) The scratches are certainly visible in parts of your print. They may possibly be the result of roughened rollers or some other surface over which the film is drawn, but they are more often caused by winding the film in a folding camera when it is closed, as the bellows often touch the surface of the film, and so abrade it. Stained Film. After fixing my’films in'plainf hvpoTI put' them through an alum solution, and I find that Verichrome films assume a pinkish stain. What is the cause of this ? S. G. P. (Brighton.) The pinkish tinge on your Verichrome films has nothing to do with the alum bath. The staining is part of the preparation of the film itself. If you use an acid hypo bath the stain will nearly or entirely disappear. If any slight coloration is left it may safely be ignored. P.O.P. I wish to demonstrate the making of daylight printing paper. Can you supply a suitable formula and hints on manipulation ? If not, can you refer me to a book ? E. B. T. (London.) We do not know to which particular daylight paper you refer, as it may be ferro-prussiate or a silver-coated paper. You will find information on both processes in “ The Dictionary of Photo¬ graphy,” published by Messrs. Iliffe and Sons Ltd., price 8s., post free. An account of the preparation of the plain (salted) papers occupies three pages of closely-printed matter. Grain in Print. The enlargement herewith is from a miniature negative. Can you explain the exaggerated grain ? D. R. M. (Cairo.) There is certainly strong evidence of granularity in your print. It is neces¬ sary with the camera you name, or any other of similar size, to use negative material and developer that will mini¬ mise image grain. We should guess however, from the appearance of your print, that you may be using direct condenser light in your enlarger. If so, we should advise you to diffuse it, either by using a matt globe to the lamp, or interposing a sheet of ground glass or opal between light and condenser. Enamelled Dish. I put some enlargements into acid-hypo in a new enamelled dish. As the accompanying example shows, the prints were covered with brown stains, and much of the enamel came off. How can I remove the rest of it ? W. S. (Swansea.) Presumably the new dish you have was not made for photographic purposes, and evidently the enamel will not stand acid. We cannot tell you how to remove the enamel, and can only suggest that you give the dish two coats of the anti-sulphuric enamel, which we have often mentioned, and which can be obtained from Messrs. Griffiths Bros, and Co. Ltd., Macks Road, Bermondsey, London, S.E.16. 38 303