The American annual of photography . eing that is to berepresented, they express but very little. It shows a narrowmindedness of the portraitists that theystill insist upon portraying every man in his superficial, pleasantaspect, believing this to be his most sympathetic side;—andthe worst of it is that, as a rule, they do not even succeed intheir aim.—Very often the smile is but an affected grimace. It would certainly be unfair to apply the highest principlesof art in judging the work of the average professional photo-grapher,—but photography may be made an art, and he whothinks of it as an a
The American annual of photography . eing that is to berepresented, they express but very little. It shows a narrowmindedness of the portraitists that theystill insist upon portraying every man in his superficial, pleasantaspect, believing this to be his most sympathetic side;—andthe worst of it is that, as a rule, they do not even succeed intheir aim.—Very often the smile is but an affected grimace. It would certainly be unfair to apply the highest principlesof art in judging the work of the average professional photo-grapher,—but photography may be made an art, and he whothinks of it as an art and works in it as an artist, must begoverned by the noblest rules of art, and must expect to becriticized accordingly. In all of his works the true artist must express himself inhis own, individual manner.—If you cannot create your ownstyle, you lack the originality required in real art;—you simplyreproduce the impressions received from the representationsof others;—you imitate the artistic productions of others. 269. IN A FIX AND OUT OF IT By E. CLAYPOLE SHORT time ago I made a journey on purposeto record the fine Saxon Tower of Earls Bar-ton Church, Northants, which stands on a hillterminating at the extreme edge of the church-yard, on the south and west sides, in a dropof several feet to the road from which a photograph isimpossible. In order to secure certain details it was necessary that thenegative should be secured from a position at the south-westside of the churchyard, and the camera being set up at theedge of the hill at this side, it was found that the focus ofthe lens was too long to admit of the image being sharplydefined on the plate. To move backward was impossible, to take the photographin section undesirable, and the loan of a suitable lens out ofthe question, so an experiment had to be made. The imageof the tower was focussed as clearly as possible and arrangedwith the open shop, which produced a decided blurr. Thelens was then stopped down to
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyorktennantandw
