The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1935)

November, 1935 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-nine STILLS AND CAPTIONS By Harry Cottrell One of the first things the average person is apt to do upon opening a magazine is to go through it and look at the pictures, with their captions, before reading the printed text. No matter how excellent a write-up I may be, the right kind of stills make it § doubly effective. Therefore, the Still Department is one of the most important departments in a motion picture studio; it is really the right arm of the Publicity Department. Copy may take up two or three columns, but a still with a caption is apt to get more attention from the average reader. Last year our department here at Paramount supplied close to a million stills. Most of these go to New York, where they supply the different syndicates, newspapers and magazines all over the world. The fiftysix people in our department are kept pretty busy supplying Mr. and Mrs. Public with the right kind of photographs. After finishing with the negatives here, they are shipped on to New York and kept on file. Over sixteen years at this work convinces me that one must constantly be alert, experimenting with new formulas and improving methods. The thing to which I attribute most of the success of our department is the method of controlling the contrast of negatives in development. I might say it is the only photographic still department I know of where this method of handling panchromatic film has been worked out to an absolute science. By keeping the developer constant the operators know exactly the amount of contrast they will receive on the negative, then if they want more, they have to light for it. This method gives the photographer exactly what is shown on his ground glass and does not leave it to some employee in the laboratory to guess what he is trying to get. Like any other kind of work, the most modern equipment, such as we have here, is a great help. Take, for instance, our dryer, which was imported from England. It is chromium plated, heated by a one-inch copper water jacket, fed with a gas flame, and controlled by a thermostat, which keeps the heat regular. One hundred and twenty-five prints are dried in sixteen minutes, whereas with the old method of ferrotype tins that number of prints required at least an hour and fifty minutes to dry. However, the cost of the machine makes its use prohibitive in many places. I have been devoting some time to taking stills in color, with the idea of making color separation negatives on a single shot, three negative camera. From these three negatives it is hoped that the engraver may be able to make color prints on a par with the other photographers who are working in color. By this method it is believed that much valuable time can be saved by eliminating the color guide print. BRIDGE PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Stackpole, well-known photographer of Oakland, California, has been making a complete photographic record of the construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge. Many of his pictures have been reproduced in newspapers and magazines, and have been on display in various photographic exhibits. All who have seen Stackpole's bridge pictures marvel at the wonderful quality and artistic interpretation revealed. Climbing the "cat-walks" of various uncompleted sections of the bridge is in itself no easy — nor safe — task. When a camera is taken along, the danger is doubled. Stackpole uses a Leica camera exclusively because, after various tests, he found it the most satisfactory camera for his type of work. Its small size, compactness, ease and quickness of operation, and assuredly of results makes it invaluable. A larger camera would be a nuisance when balancing one's self on slender girders, or crouching in an uncomfortable and dangerous spot in order to get just the right camera angle. The Leica is merely tucked in a pocket, leaving both hands free. Even in use its small size permits many shots to be secured which otherwise would be utterly impossible. Peter Stackpole has a most complete record of the bridge job, and freely admits that the quantity and quality of his collection is due to a very great degree to his use of the Leica. He briefly explains his work with the Leica in the November issue of Leica Photography, the monthly magazine issued by E. Leitz, Inc., 60 East 10th St., New York City. A copy of this issue, together with various literature telling the complete story about the Leica, may be obtained by writing, requesting it. ROCK-STEADY pictures with this NEW EYEMO TRIPOD • Hand-crank at maximum speed if you want to — and in a 50-mile wind. Your Eyemo won't budge when mounted on this new special Eyemo Tripod that weighs so little, yet stands so rigidly. Pam and tilt are smooth as silk. Tilts straight down. Uptilt 60° without 100-ft. magazine, 45° with it. Single-geared quick-action leg clamps and steel spurs. 36-inches closed, 72-inches extended. Have you seen the new Eyemo with motor and magazine? It opens up a whole new field of usefulness . . . and still it has that same portability that is its claim to undying fame among explorers, news men, scientists. Write for complete literature on Eyemo and its new Special Tripod. BELL & HOWELL COMPANY 1849 Larchmont Ave., Chicago; 11 West 42nd St.. New York; 716 North LaBrea Ave.. Hollywood; 320 Regent St.. London <B & H Co., Ltd.) Established 1907. Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.