Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1935)

THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER m <S^ CINEMATOGRAPHER EDITOR INCORPORATING "THE NEW PHOTOGRAPHER" "FOCUS" F.J.MORTIMER "THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS" &l "PHOTOGRAPHY" Subscription Rates: United Kingdom //fa. Canada //fa. OlC/er Countries /9/6 per asm post free from the putt/stiers Dorse/ douse. Stamford Street. Soudan. 5.C.I WEDNESDAY, January 30TH, 1935. THE differences between the amateur and the professional, and their respective advan¬ tages and disadvantages, may be variously defined, but the amateur photographer has usually laid the flat¬ tering unction to his soul that, unlike his brother the professional, he can follow his own inclination. That amateur par excellence, Mr. Bertram Cox, however, addressing his fellow pictorialists the other evening, ex¬ pressed some doubt as to whether the amateur was justified in feeling any pride on that score. We are apt to suppose that the work we do best is that which is dictated by nothing else than our own choice. Mr. Cox wonders, on the other hand, if the better work is not done under the constraint or direction of other persons. If only our amateur pho¬ tography were all done to order it might be much better work. The only question is, Who is to be . the photographic Hitler ? Mr. Cox, who has acted as judge at many exhibi¬ tions, expressed a rather poor opinion of much of the work at the smaller shows, where, he said, he had often some difficulty in finding anything at all worthy of award, and many prints which go into the exhibitions are really only suitable for personal albums. Pot-Hunters. The term “ pot-hunter,” which has a derisive signification in photo¬ graphy, was given another meaning at the R.P.S. last week when Mr. H. W. Haywood lectured on Alum Pot and its caves in the district of Craven in Yorkshire. There are bands of eager enthusiasts who find pleasure in exploring these dark and deep old caverns, descending 250 ft. or more, and clambering about narrow precipices, at the imminent Copyright — Registered as a Newspaper for transmission in the U.K. The Flower-Seller in Piccadilly Circus. A typical London snapshot. See article , " Take your Camera out to Lunch,” on another page in this issue. Vol. LXXIX. No. 2412. peril of knocking their heads against stalactites or falling into pools of water up to the neck. It is bad enough on a mountain-side in the open air, but to do it in abysmal caverns, lighted only by a tiny lamp in one’s cap, or by a flicker of daylight from some distant quarter, argues a kind of geological heroism which few possess. But^lr. Haywood managed to combine photography with such exploration, and he produced many curious and interesting photographs. His methods of work were described in his article published in last week’s issue of “ The A.P.” A Flower Photography Note. Those who specialise in flower photography may like a hint — if they have not already discovered it for themselves — on keeping flowers fresh and straight. It is not always possible to photograph cut flowers on the day they are received, and if they have to await the following morning, it is a good plan to immerse them in a bucket of water right up to the petals. Then, however sick and sorry they may have begun to look the night before, they are as crisp as ever next morning. A gentleman who lectures on flowers and kindred subjects was mentioning this fact not long ago in a lecture to an East End audience. He showed a slide of flowers looking a little the worse for wear, and then said that the thing to do was to soak them in a bucket of water right up to the neck all night long, when they would appear as straight as in the next slide. But, unfortunately, the next slide, which appeared at that instant, was a portrait of the lec¬ turer’s wife in a very erect position. By the way, .has it been generally noticed that if you look at a picture of a flower like a dahlia on a lantern 95 5