Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1937)

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December 22nd, 1937 The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER p 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER 0 ^ mb os sing Photographs By H. A. ROBINSON. THE following way of finishing photographic prints has the effect of making the main features of the image stand out from the rest of the print in strong relief, and was a method that received considerable attention from amateur photographers about thirty years ago. The pos¬ sibilities in the method have not, however, decreased with the years and a description of how the work was carried out is given below. It was not suggested that all prints should be embossed, indeed many, such as those full of minute detail, are not suited to this treatment. Bold prints containing one or two clearly defined items are, however, very suitable and emboss well. Portraits are particularly adapted to the process. Accessories needed for the work are a little tissue paper, two " bulldog ” clips, a rectangular frame of |-in. plywood, another (this time solid) rectangle of wood and some J-in. cardboard. Taking the tissue paper, clip it over the print and trace the outline of the items to be embossed. Do this lightly, or a groove will be left in the print. The outline can be darkenedin away from the picture. Now clip the tissue to a suitably sized rectangle of the £-in. card, with the pencil lines downward toward the card. The outline will be quite visible through the tissue and so it is an easy matter to go over the line with a hard pencil and impress a rendering of it on the card. Having done this take a sharp-pointed knife and cut away the card inside the outline as indicated in Fig. 1. The card is shown thicker than necessary for clearness. The print is now prepared for treatment. This is done by pasting it on to a rectangle of thick blotting-paper, using if possible one of the special photographic pastes which contain no chemicals that can hurt the picture. These pastes are also of the right consistency, being neither too thick nor too thin. Well coat both the print and the blotting-paper, rubbing the adhesive in with the finger, and after placing together evenly and making sure there are no wrinkles place the two under some light weight for about a quarter of an hour. At the end of this time the print with its backing should just be nicely damp and pliant, but in no sense wet, a little practice will soon give the correct state to aim for. Now take the two clips and the frame (which must be of suitable size) and clamp all together as Fig. 2, with image on the print lying exactly over the opening in the card ami the frame on top. Work on the actual embossing may now start after placing the whole on a wood block as shown. The embossing is effected with round smooth instruments like the back of a spoon and bone handle of a tooth-brush, etc. Start with a light circular motion gently pressing down¬ wards the general area that lies within the mask (Fig. 3). Do not press too hard as you may burst the paper and ruin the effort. As the motion of the instrument begins to take effect the edges of the image may be made rather more pro¬ nounced by a little harder rubbing. Of course the art of the process lies in giving special promi nence to certain parts such as noses, chins, and portions, say, of dress, always bearing in mind that in the main high lights should stand out, while shadow parts are usually farther back. Raised shadows and depressed high-lights give a very poor result. While doing the general embossing, pressing down on the block it will be found possible to give the final little ridges, etc., holding the print and mask in the hand and working from the back, while looking at the front. Very marked ridges can safely be given by pressing fairly heavily on the back with a blunt point if a finger is supporting the front to prevent the paper breaking. The whole business is one that improves rapidly with prac¬ tice and it will be found that little personal methods, individual to oneself, are soon devised which give quickly and accurately certain realistic effects. When at length the relief has been worked up to one’s own satisfaction the print (still clamped in the frame) is put on one side to dry. As the moisture leaves, the paste stiffens and the relief becomes permanent. When quite dry, trim the print and blotting paper truly and then mountby securing it to the card with glue run round the edges only. The process forms a very novel and pleasing form of picture finish¬ ing, and is quite worth a trial. We have received a copy of a new B.T.H. leaflet dealing with Photoflood and Photo-Pearl lamps. The first, fami¬ liar to every photographer, are small bulb3 which, while giving about as much light as a standard x, 000-watt lamp, consume only 275 watts. This low consumption makes them safe to connect to ordinary household circuits. To get this brilliance at so low a current con¬ sumption the bulbs have to be of the over-run type, giving them only a short life of about two hours continuous running. They cost 2s. 6d. each, and include a fuse to ensure that when their life is over they do not blow the main fuse and plunge the house in temporary darkness. Photographers with more ro¬ bust electric mains, particularly those who wish to do a good deal of artificial light work, will find the Photo-Pearl lamp of interest. This, while giving about the same light as the Photo¬ flood, consumes 500 watts of power and, being much less over-run, has a life of 100 hours of continuous use. It will outlast dozens of Photo floods, yet costs but 20s. The bulb is about 4 in. in diameter, and the overall length, including the screw cap, about 7 in. The leaflet contains specimen portraits and groups, with diagrams of the lighting used for each and exposure tables for both still and cine work. Our readers should obtain a copy ; it will be sent post free, on application to the British Thomson-Houston Co., Ltd., Lamp Sales Dept., Crown House, Aldwych, W.C.2. 710 27