Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1935)

Tw AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER o 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER o story. I can recall colour films which are said to have been bathed in secret extracts of flowers gathered preferably in the month of May, and there have been descriptions of optical systems of such fiendish ingenuity that one wondered how the light rays could have found their way through such a maze of prisms.” The process he showed is a three-colour, virtually grainless film, continuous in tone, which can be printed and processed by practically normal methods. No dye, mordant, or toning is used. It is coated with three layers of coloured emulsion, on one side bluish green, and on the other side pink on the top and yellow beneath the pink. Some of the chemical details cannot be disclosed, but a few reels of the film were shown, and certainly appeared to lack nothing in colour rendering. At present the produc¬ tion work is limited to the making of advertising films employing trick photography, and the production of colour cartoons for entertainment ; but certain special cameras are on their way, and a film so good should lack no worlds to conquer. Trivial Ideas in Photography. What is the difference between the trivial and the simple in photo¬ graphy — the simple, of course, to be commended, and the trivial to be disregarded or despised ? It was put to us lately that a subject which consisted only of a reel of cotton casting an elongated shadow under artificial light, or the curl of a shaving, or some other insignificant single object, was trivial, but that if to the reel of cotton were added a pair of scissors, a few inches of February 6th, 1935 tape and a work-basket it imme¬ diately became an idea not trivial but simple, and therefore worthy to rank. There would be others, no doubt, who would say that in addition to the working material and utensils there should be a woman’s hands, perhaps an entire woman, before there is a picture, and that still-life photography is always trivial. We have heard that point of view expressed. Still-life is the only branch of photography in which a photographer has abso¬ lute control over his subject. He cannot command or assemble the landscapes, architecture, or human features, but he can dispose of small inanimate objects as he wants them, and in proportion to his control so will his result be judged. Many of these results are very far removed from the trivial. The A mateur Photographer” EXPOSURE T ABLE — February EVERY MONTH a brief exposure table will be provided for the assistance of our readers in their practical work. A glance at the current approximate exposures as here given will serve as a reliable guide for most purposes. The subjects will be varied to suit the time of year. The following exposures will serve as a working guide for any fine day during the month, between the hours of 11 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, with the sun shining, but not necessarily on the subject. Stop used, f/8. The exposure should be doubled if the sun is obscured, or if stop f/11 is used. For f/i 6 give four times the exposure. For f/5.6 give half. From 9 to n a.m., or from 1 to 3 p.m. double these exposures. From 8 to 9 a.m. or from 3 to 4 p.m., treble them. Subject. Ordinary. Medium. Rapid. Extra Rapid. Ultra Rapid. Open seascapes and cloud studies . . 1/20 sec. 1/30 sec. 1/60 sec. 1/80 sec. 1/100 sec. Open landscapes with no very heavy shadows in foreground, shipping studies or seascapes with rocks, beach scenes, snow scenes with no heavy foreground . . 1/10 y y 1/15 y y 1/30 y y 1/40 y y 1/50 y y Ordinary landscapes and landscapes with snow, open river scenery, figure studies in the open, light buildings, wet street scenes 1/4 y y 1/6 y y 1/12 y y 1/15 y y • 1/20 y y Landscapes in fog or mist, or with strong foreground, well-lighted street scenes . . 1/3 y ! 1/4 y y 1/10 y y 1/12 » y y 1/15 y y Buildings or trees occupying greater portion of pictures . . 3/4 y y 1/2 y y 1/4 y y 1/5 y y 1/6 y y Portraits or groups taken out of doors, not 3/4 1/2 1/3 too much shut in by buildings . . 2 secs. 1| y y y y y y yy Portraits in well-lighted room, light sur 1 roundings, big window, white reflector . . 6 y y 4 secs. Z secs. I2 y y y y As a further guide we append a list of some of the best known indicate the speeds referred to above. The hyperIlford, Golden Iso-Zenith. Ultra Rapid. Agfa, Special Portrait. ,, ' Super Pan. Film. ,, Super-speed Film. „ Isochrom Film. „ Ultra Special. Barnet, Press and Super Press. „ XL Super-speed Ortho. „ Soft Panchromatic. „ Studio Fast. „ Ultra Rapid. Eastman, Par Speed Cut Film. „ S.S. Cut P'ilm. „ S.S. Pan. Film. Gevaert, Super Sensima. „ Sensima Fast. ,, Sensima Ortho. „ Super Chromosa. „ Roll Films and Packs. Iso-Zenith. „ Hypersensitive Pan. Plates and Films. „ Portrait Film (Ortho Fast). „ Monarch. ,, Press. ,, S.S. Ex. Sens. „ Zenith Ex. Sens. ,, S.G. Pan. Illingworth, Fleet. ,, Super Fleet. „ Super Fleet Ortho. ,, Pan. Fleet. Imperial, S.S.S. Press Ortho. ,, Eclipse. ,, Eclipse Ortho Soft. ,, Eclipse Soft. Eclipse Ortho. makes of plates and films on the ■sensitive panchromatic plates and Imperial, Eclipse Pan. Soft. Kodak, Verichrome Film. Marion, Record. „ Iso Record. Selo, Selochrome Roll Film and Film Pack. „ Selo. Pan. Roll Film. Standard, Film. Wellington, Anti-screen. „ X Press. Zeiss Ikon, Pemox Roll Film and Packs. Extra Rapid. Agfa, Chromo. ,, Isolar. Extra Rapid. Isolar. Iso Rapid. ,, „ Chromo. Roll Film. market. They have been divided into groups which approximately films require less exposure than the ultra-rapid. Barnet, S.R. Pan. „ Studio Ortho. Ensign, Roll Film. Gevaert* Filtered Ortho. „ Chromosa. „ S.R. „ Regular Cut Film. Ilford, Auto. Filter. „ S.R. Pan. „ Pan. Film. „ Rapid Chromatic. Imperial, Non-filter (new series). „ Eclipse Pan. B. „ S.S. Ortho. Kodak, Roll Film and Film Pack. Pathe, Roll Film. Selo, Roll Film. Zeiss Ikon, Roll Film and Film j Imperial, Ordinary. Pack. ,, Pan. Process. Rapid. Barnet, S.R. „ Self-screen Ortho. Ilford, Screened Chromatic. „ S.R. „ Commercial Ortho. Film. Imperial, Non-Filter. „ S.R. „ S.R. Ortho. Kodak, Cut Film. Medium. Ilford, Empress. ,, Chromatic. Ordinary. Barnet, Ordinary. Gevaert, Ordinary. Ilford, Ordinary. Rapid Process Pan. 6 118