International photographer (Jan-Dec 1935)

August, 1935 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five A Day At Home With My Miniature Camera By Nina Brownrigg lr.f< Upper left — Clowning at the bar. Upper right — The Bridge Came. Lower center — Pals. Upper center — Japanese Silkies. Lower left — "Hands Up!" Lower right — Father and the parrot. Leicaphotos by Nina Brownrigg. UR miniature cameras are indispensable parts of our travel equipment. We take them with us \j&$§TA wherever we go, be it for a day, a month or a year. With pride we show our friends our vacation pictures, or the pictures we took at the theatre the other evening. Rarely do we find much to photograph in and around our homes except upon very special occasions, or when the camera is new. Since the things which surround us in our daily lives are generally most treasured by us, why is it that we do not photograph them more often? Many, many pictures, if we had only snapped them, would be of interest now, if only to the family. On a rainy day, what fun it is to gather together all the old photograph albumns of years past and to pore over the pictures in them, only wishing that many of them had been better, showed more detail, or had not faded ! The miniature camera exactly fits the need of the person who likes to keep a full record of the many activities of his family from day to day and vear to year. Its very versatility in getting all of those difficult and interesting shots away from home makes the miniature camera an ideal camera for home use. We can quickly whip it into action under many conditions which would be impossible with a camera of another type. Also with a miniature camera, we are certain of being supplied with enough film to catch those unusual pictures. We can try and try again for that special picture, for we know that we have from thirty to forty pictures on a single roll of film. This helps tremendously when Baby or Bozo refuse to get just that position or look as we press the button. Children and dogs usually move fast, and so with our fast shutter speeds, we are certain of the picture, that is, if they are not past us before we click. Then we try again. As a rule, we home cameramen and women devote ourselves almost exclusively to out-of-door photography. We photograph our gardens and the exteriors of our houses. And we bring our friends outside in order to take their pictures. It is a good idea to master out-of-door photography first of all, but we are missing a great deal of fun if we so confine ourselves. There is a great thrill and fascination in getting interior shots. With a miniature camera and fast lens these interior pictures should be as easy as the exterior ones. However, one can enjoy taking interior pictures, and instaneous exposures at that, without a speed lens. My Leica is equipped with an f:3.5 lens, and I have found that by boosting up the light inside the house, exposures of one-sixtieth and one-fortieth of a second at f:4.5 or f :6.3 are not difficult. They only require the extra light given by two of the large new Photofloods in reflectors. The lights must be as near as possible to the subject in order to lessen the exposure time. If one does wish to use Photofloods, it is quite possible to get good interior pictures by the light from windows or with the aid of ordinary 60-watt lamps. The exposures will then range from about one-fifth of a second to three or four seconds at f:3.5, depending of course upon the amount of light and kind of film you are using. I have found it possible to get "candid" photographs with a half to one second exposure. In attempting these, you deposit your camera on its tripod at the outskirts of a socially chatting circle and pretend that you do not even dream of such a thing as taking a picture. Meanwhile, be sure that you have obtained a focus on your victim and that he has a little latitude in the view finder. Talk to your nearest neighbor with an eagle eye on your man (Turn to Page 27) Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.