The Photographic Times An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Interests of Pictorial and Scientific Photography. 333 Sidney Allan WHAT PHOTOGRAPHERS MAY LEARN FROM THE OLD AND NEW MASTERS.... Paper I, with Illustrations.... PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES FROM ENGLAND. Rev. F. C. Lambert, M.A., F.R.P.S. 341 TERRACE OF THE VILLA D'ESTE, TIVOLI, NEAR ROME. Illustration.. SOME GARDEN PICTURES UNDER THE APPLE TREES. Illustration.. IN THE PERGOLA. Illustration.... 346 347 348 Edward Conner 349 W. I. Lincoln Adams 352 353 353 SUBSCRIPTION RATES one dollar and fifty cents a year, payable in advance. Foreign Postage 50 cents, Canadian Postage 25 cents. Single copies 15 cents. Subscriptions to the PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES received by all dealers in photographic materials in this and foreign countries, also the American News Co. and all its branches. 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Cash should be sent in registered letter CONTRIBUTIONS.-All literary contributions, correspondence, "Queries," etc., should be addressed to THE EDITOR; all advertising matter to the Advertising Manager. LETTERS should be addressed: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, GEORGE B. CARTER, President. D. RANDOLPH Cook, Secretary and Treasurer. 135 W. 14th Street, New York. Entered as second-class matter January 17, 1905, at the Post Office at New York, N.Y.,under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. CAMBRIDGE, MASS ThePhotographicTimes VOLUME XLII SEPTEMBER 1910 NUMBER 9 WHAT PHOTOGRAPHERS MAY LEARN FROM THE OLD AND NEW MASTERS. BY SIDNEY ALLAN. PAPER I. On the Choice of Subjects. N AN article in 1894 I had occasion to say, "I believe that even a picture like Millet's 'Angelus' could be done by photography, by engaging suitable models and training them, by carefully selecting the appropriate scenery and patiently exposing plate after plate until one has attained the desired result. Only the color would be lacking. That is the only drawback. And should color photography ever be rendered successful only imaginary pictures will hold their place in painting. The allegorical themes of Watts can not be photographed but Corots and Israels might possibly be." I endorse the same belief to-day. The range of subjects at the disposal of the photographer is well nigh limitless. The perfection of lenses, rapid plates, developing solutions, halation. antidotes, orthochromatic emulsions and color filters has put almost every phase of life and nature within the reach of the ambitious pictorialist. Only the imaginary subject (I refer to a picture like Raphael's "Transfiguration," for instance) is barred. And even that may be disputed. I am certain that Herzog would not shrink back from tackling a subject like Watt's "Diana and Endymion," Fig. 1, and if my memory serves me right he has a similar composition to his credit. Of course it is not straight photography. It is a production of the combination of plates, of scissors, paste, and crayon sauce. I had always my doubts whether this could be called photography. If the different parts are so well blended together that they yield a harmonious effect to the unbiased eye, no special fault can be found with such a combination picture, as it is, after all, the final result and the impression we receive from it, that decide the merit of any work of art. From the normal standpoint of photography as most amateurs practise it, Watt's ideal figure composition is an impossibility. Fig. 2, "Hamlet and the Players," by von Czachorski, on the other hand, is photographable. The moving picture studios would consider the handling of such a group a comparatively easy task. Of course, they depict action, and composition, as understood by the artist, does not enter strongly upon their scheme of representation. The ordinary pictorialist, whose aim consists in the depiction of the most favorable view of such a scene, could manage it only with the greatest difficulties. He had to construct an interior specially for the purpose, he had to select the costumes with infinite care as to their relative values in monochrome, and invite a company of actors to perform the scene for him, as ordinary models would never be capable of such a task. Despite all preparations the result I fear, would always look a trifle stiff and awkward. It is really not worth the price. A photographer should avoid every subject that depends on conditions outside his skill as a photographer. A Mona Lisa can not be photographed. unless you have a Mona Lisa for a sitter. You can not force your models to |