Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

(Hi AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER p 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER a November 15th, 1933 this dodge says that experiments are easily made, and for a start advises exposing a sheet of “ hard ” paper one ,3’ard from a candle for about ten. minutes before placing it behind a negative. Reflections. When we assembled — pictorialists all of us — to hear Mr. Bertram Cox discourse on reflections, we thought that we were in for a nice ouiet evening. Were we ? The subject proved as difficult and technical as abstruse chemistry and physics. The study of reflections in water appears to involve geometry, the higher mathematics, geology, me¬ teorology, and other natural sciences ; perhaps also a little theology, not to speak of a deep knowledge of human nature. . Armed with the blackboard, and also with a long pencil balanced on a sheet of glass, Mr. Cox puzzled us with one illus¬ tration after another of the laws governing reflections, and when he went on to say, “ I wish now to explain something a little more intricate," the most intense and conscientious of us laid down his pen. The water in which the re¬ flections appear may not be unfathomable, but the subject un¬ doubtedly is. Who would have thought, getting a picture of those intriguing reflections which are no¬ where seen so well as in the enclosed waters of docks and harbours, that the things themselves were so mys¬ terious, that the laws governing that delightful “squiggle" — Mr. Cox’s own word — were as profound as anything in nature ? Anyway, we cannot put even the most elementary of them in a paragraph. The Philistine. Mr. A. J. Bull, in his talk to the pictorialists the other evening, recalled the fact that, twenty-five years ago, he was shown what was regarded as a wonderful piece of pictorial photography, and looking at it he said, “ Oh, is that London Bridge ? ’’ “ Yes, of course," was the impatient reply, “ but cannot you see the suggestion of sunlight ? ” Mr. Bull candidly replied, “ No.” All he saw was a certain want of focus which induced an aching of the eyes. The photographer who produced that picture — his name was mentioned so/to voce, though not by Mr. Bull — had quite a vogue for many years, but Mr. Bull said that he happened to know, having come across a little confession, that other people were accustomed to find in his work a great deal of which the author himself was hardly conscious. On another occasion Mr. Bull was among those august people, the members of the selecting com¬ mittee, when a set of large prints came along. He could not make out what they were, but his flippant remarks were received with coldness. He derived warm support, however, from a plate-maker who happened to be present. “ I know what they are, Bull,” he said, “ they are plate defects. I have had them in a bad batch of glass.” Actually they were examples of the gum-bichromate process. /^acts and /formulae : NEW SERIES A selection of useful hints classified according to subject CARBRO PRINTS. The word Carbro is an abbreviated combination of carbon and bromide. The process enables an actual carbon print to be produced through the medium of a bromide print made either by contact or by enlargement. Thus the method dis¬ penses with enlarged negatives, and is independent of daylight. * * * Any colour obtainable in unsensitised carbon tissue may be used. In the case of olive brown the No. 2 bath should be reduced to three-quarters of the normal strength. In the case of red tissues the time of immersion in No. x bath should be increased from 3 minutes to 5 minutes. * *' * Single transfer paper is used for the final print, in which case the image is not laterally reversed. Most bromide (and even gaslight) papers are suitable for the original print. Matt or semi-matt surfaces are preferable, and it is advisable to keep to the same brand of paper to facilitate standardising the operations. A correctly exposed and fully developed print is best. * * * If a gaslight print is used as the original it should first be bleached with ferricyanide-bromide solution, as if for sul¬ phide toning, and then redeveloped. Unless this is done the first Carbro print from it will probably be a failure, although subsequent results will be satisfactory. * * * ' Of the two baths for treating solution for the first is : Potassium bichromate Potassium ferricyanide Potassium bromide Water to the carbon tissue the stock I oz. I oz. I oz. . . . . . . 20 OZ. The working bath is 1 part stock solution, 3 parts water. * * * The second solution is : Glacial acetic acid . . . . . . . . . . 1 oz. Hydrochloric acid . . . . . . . . . . 1 oz. Formalin (commercial solution) . . . . 22 oz. The working, bafth is 1 part stock solution to 32 parts water. * * * An outline of the operations is as follows : Place the bromide print in cold water. Immerse the tissue in Bath No. 1 for 3 minutes. Drain for 15 seconds. Slide into Bath No. 2 for 15 to 30 seconds. Put bromide print on sheet of glass, lay sensitised tissue face downwards upon it, squeegee without shifting papers, put between damp greaseproof paper under pressure for 15 minutes. Soak transfer paper in cold water for 3 minutes. Strip tissue from bromide print and squeegee into contact with transfer paper. Leave under pressure for 20 to 60 minutes. “ Develop ” as in carbon printing. * * * The stripped bromide print may be washed, redeveloped, and used again for further prints. The number of times it can be used varies, but may be ten or even more. Repeated use tends to loss of the lighter tones. * * * In a general way, longer immersion in No. 2 solution gives a softer print ; curtailed immersion gives strength and contrast. Further control is obtained by the temperature of the water in “ developing ” the carbon image. * * * The yellow stain in the final print is removed by immersion for about ten minutes in a 5 per cent solution of alum. 8 440