Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1935)

January 30th, 1935 I Ihi AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER | lo 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER a 1 ake your Camera out to Lunch ! By LAUREL PASCAL. FOR the great town army of amateur photographers who earn their him and “ D. & P.” money at totting-up ledgers, sending out income-tax returns or at kindred indoor tasks, opportunities for day-time studies seem few and far between. This is where the midday break comes to the rescue of the really keen amateur, with sixty minutes or so of precious daylight to play with. And this when the light value is at its maximum. In my own case, lunch-time has become adventure-time — a quick bite at the nearest “ Lyons,” and 1 am off on the search for scoops, armed with my Rolleicord and small folding tripod. The Road-menders. So much for street work. If you are lucky enough to labour near parks or gardens your lunch-hour chances are positively legion. People, and more particularly children, feeding the feathered pensioners, make charming studies. These midday rambles 1 find are hard on one’s shoes. A notice, “ Neat Repairs,” lured me into a dark little shop — and there sat my picture of the week ! A typical lunchhour haul ; a character study for my special album, and a new client for the cobbler. Apart from rich returns in the way of pleasing pictures not otherwise obtainable at this time of the year, this habit of being out and about with one’s camera “ at the ready ” is very apt to bring in an occasional welcome guinea or two from appreciative picture editors. Interesting happenings — and people — everywhere abound, and e.en a cheap little box camera “on the spot” is worth a whole collection of reflex models left at home waiting for the sun to shine ! The Cobbler. On my first few jaunts, let me hastily admit, the interest I aroused, particularly when making a ” time” exposure, caused me some embarrassment, but now I have become fairly case-hardened with almost the self-assurance of a pukka Press photographer. “ Please look the other way,” I ask my victims, or — “ Carry pn as usual and ignore the camera.” And very pleased and able everyone is to enter into the spirit of the photographic game. The two road-menders appearing to be so heartily en¬ grossed in the business of bread and cheese and tea, were very well aware of the camera and of me behind it, not to mention the dozen or so interested Londoners crowding at my elbow. However, so well accustomed were they to working and resting in a blaze of appreciative publicity, even the witty remarks of their co-workers as to the hitherto unsuspected beauty of ’Arry Smith and Old Bill failed to destroy their gravity and repose. Errand Boys at Work. 8 98