Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1935)

December 25th, 1935 to them. The roadway was a piece of cartridge drawingpaper and coloured to represent an asphalted roadway ; the pavement was also drawn and coloured on cartridge paper stuck on to a piece of boarding £-in. thick. The wall was built up with “ Lotts ” bricks, stuck together, much to the disgust of my small son, only the red bricks being used, as it was desired to render the walls in a dark tone, and being red would photograph on an ortho, plate darker than on a panchromatic plate. The wall of the passage was a piece of grey card ; the window, an old negative backed with black paper, the film side being towards the lens and given a very slight sheen with Globe polish, a strip of paper being stuck on the face and drawn to represent a moulded window-frame. The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER p 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER a The beacon itself was a sixpenny "Beacon" pencil. This is obtainable at almost any stationer’s shop. The lighting arrangement consisted of three small flashlamp bulbs grouped together and run off two 2-volt accu¬ mulators, and rigged up on a roughly-made support with a paper shade adjusted to give the desired effect and approximately correct height. The exposure was 20 minutes at f/32 on an Ilford Iso Zenith plate. Any other form of lighting would have served the purpose, electric, gas, or even candle light, provided the exposure was regulated accordingly. With a strong electric light and a larger aperture in the lens the exposure could be a matter of seconds, but much of the fun for the keen amateur is the contriving and making up the entire outfit. Photography in the Sitting-room R.M.FANSTONE. AT the present time of the year when many photographers wish to carry L on operations, and extemporised dark-rooms in cellars or attics become uncomfortable, to say nothing of low temperatures which are not conducive to the best results, it is possible to carry on operations in a sitting-room, provided that a little attention is given to the points set forth in this note. Developing in the Sitting-room. If the photographer uses a tank for development it is quite an easy matter to carry on operations, and these call for no special comment. It is when plates or films are developed in the dish that the photographer has to give attention to those points which affect other members of the family, and also will avoid possible conflict with the domestic powers on the score of “ mess.” The first consideration is how to use the apartment as a dark-room. If plates or films are first desensitised, it is an easy matter to develop under sitting-room conditions. In such a case the desensitising is done outside the apartment, in a dark cupboard, or in the sitting-room itself if all lights are turned out and it is made perfectly dark for two or three minutes. After desensitis¬ ing, the lights can be turned on again, but the plates and films must not be subjected to direct light; they may be developed in a corner of the room for preference, without fear of fog. In the case of fast panchromatic plates, the dish should be kept covered during the early stages of development. Chemicals Needed. The best desensitiser is pinacryptol green — which is obtained in small i-gramme bottles, and the contents made up according to the instructions issued with it to make a 1 in 5,000 solution for use. Apart from the desensitiser, the other chemicals necessary for the work can be reduced to a bottle of single-solution concentrated developer such as Azol or Rodinal (which simply needs dilution with water), and a bottle containing hypo fixing solution (4 oz. hypo to a pint of water). These with three dishes, a jug of water and a bucket, will suffice for the development of quite a number of negatives in an evening. During the whole of one winter the writer developed all his negatives in a sitting-room, using a box with the lid removed, and placed on its side, as a screen from light. The plates had been desensitised, and there was electric light in the room, but fog was never once experienced. With regard to the sensitiveness of plates and films, it often comes as a surprise to many amateurs to learn that a certain amount of light may be present in the room, and once development has started the emulsion will be so much less sensitive that reflected artificial light will do no harm. A Safety Measure. A point that should have attention, if the powers that reign are not to frown upon photographic operations, is to take full protective measures to ensure that any spilt solutions, or drips from nega¬ tives or prints, are not transferred to the rugs or carpets. A sheet of floor¬ cloth upon which operations are con¬ ducted is an excellent preventative. Failing this an old metal tea-tray is an excellent support for dishes, etc. Printing. By the use of gaslight paper instead of bromide, print-making by the fireside is a simple matter, and the suggestions with regard to cleanliness apply equally. Provided that the paper is not subjected to direct light there is no fear of fogged prints. “The A.P. ’ Monthly Competitions AnovemberR THE outstanding feature of the competition for November was the particularly high quality of the prints entered in the Beginners’ Section. For some months these ha,ve shown a steady improve¬ ment in quality, but in this particular competition the high-water mark was surely reached, and extra awards have been given in consequence. The Intermediate Section was also extremely good, and the Advanced Workers’ Section was well up to the high standard it always is. The awards are as follows-: Advanced Workers’ Section. First Prize. — “ Barrons Hall (Penshurst, Kent),” by J. H. Clark, 304, Camberwell New Road, London, S.E.5. Second Prize. — “ Quo Vadis ? ” by H. Parkins, 1, Fairfield Avenue, Staines, Middlesex. Third Prize. — “ Violinist,” by M. Desai, Camera Art Circle, 3rd Floor, Cooper Building, Pawwalla Street, Bombay, 4. Mounting Prize. — “ The Storm Passes,” by James C. Gilchrist, Ballenoch, Skelmorlie, Ayrshire. Certifiqates of Merit. — “ On the Quay,” by J. F. Cutler, 53, Gibbs Green, Edgware, Middlesex ; “ Cot¬ tages, Otterton,” by George A. Slight, 18, Ewelme Road, Forest Hill, London, S.E.23 ; “ The Dying Age,” by Denis Whitlock, 44, Scotts Lane, Shortlands, Kent. The prints not receiving awards have been grouped, those in the first group receiving Honourable Mention. The others have been marked Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 respectively. Those awarded Honourable Mention are as follows : Yahya Arif (Cairo) ; Edward H. Austin (Liverpool) ; G. C. Backhouse (Leeds) ; John Battersby (Notting¬ ham) ; Octave Benselin (Belgium) ; F. Annis Burrows (Chalfont St. Peter) ; R. Rowland Hill (Rugeley) ; R. Gilbert Jones (Manchester) ; ' G. H. Neale (Hampstead, N.W.) ; (2) Mrs. K. M. Parsons (Reading) ; G. Warren Parrett (Margate) ; D. G. Sheldon (Hull) ; (2) Captain G. Tanner (Kenya) ; William R. Thorpe (Addiscombe) ; Robert Wales (Busby) ; G. T. Yang (Soochow, China). Intermediate Section. First Prize. — “ The Monster,” by Harold R. Clough, 28, Dan^hurst Road, Wallasey, Cheshire. Second Prize. — “ Age,” by P. K. Shah, 275, 12th Road, Khar, Bombay, 21, India. 608 Certificates of Merit. — “ Eventide,” by L. A. Ward, 21, Cranley Drive, Ruislip, Middlesex ; “ Pals,” by L. Wheatley, 38, Saville Street, South Shields ; “ Jean Harlow,” by R. Gordon Wilson, 25, Colchester Drive, Pinner, Middlesex ; “ Under the Willows,” by B. Woodmansey, 30, Station Street, Ryde, I.O.W. Beginners’ Section. First Prize. — “ Landfall,” by D. Fischer-Webb, Penarrow, Melville Road, Falmouth. Second Prize. — “ Small Boats,” by Miss Joan Wales, 86, Fore Street, Redruth, Cornwall. Extra Second Prize. — “ Lynette,” by A. A. Champion Harris, 82, Tressillian Road, London, S.E.4. Certificates of Merit. — “ Mother,” by H. Boscow, 7, Booth’s Hill, Lyinm, Warrington ; “ Portrait,” by J. Langley Davis, 9, Sinclair Drive, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, 18 ; ‘‘A View of the Eastern Harbour, Alexandria,” by J. Drescher, British Book Club, Alexandria, Egypt ; “ Floodlighting — Kirks tall Abbey, Leeds,” by R. Gatehouse, 40, Greenmount Place, Lady Pit Lane, Leeds ; “ Margaret,” by M. J. Wallis, Court Lodge, VVesterham, Kent. 1 1