The artistic side of photography in theory and practice . the lighter and softer tones being , an evening scene may often move theartist to use a very few dark tones; and so long as theartist remembers that even twilight is luminous, thisprint in a low key may be both truthful and enjoyable. The contraction of a scale of gradations which strikessome predominant note into quite a few tones in thehigh, low, or middle key is satisfactory, so long as thework is well and artistically done. But I think theremust be some predominant note around which tocontract the tones. One of
The artistic side of photography in theory and practice . the lighter and softer tones being , an evening scene may often move theartist to use a very few dark tones; and so long as theartist remembers that even twilight is luminous, thisprint in a low key may be both truthful and enjoyable. The contraction of a scale of gradations which strikessome predominant note into quite a few tones in thehigh, low, or middle key is satisfactory, so long as thework is well and artistically done. But I think theremust be some predominant note around which tocontract the tones. One of the most delightful of modern hymn-tuneswas composed on three notes by an organist of ChristChurch, St. Leonards : the hymn was an eveninghymn, and the predominant note of this music wasthe lowest of the three. Mr. Cadby elaborates hisessays on children in the same simple manner, andstrikes a predominant note in the childs flesh-value,which is usually the lowest note in his theme : this iswhy his work is so strong. 143 A PORTRAIT By George H. Seeley 144. <J£ Tone and Key This predominant note may be the highest, lowest,or betwixt and between ; but I think there must besome predominant note to justify the contraction oftones—some accent to give point and emphasis to thewhole. Perhaps the lack of a predominant note isthe reason why the general run of photographs, whichhave been simplified into a few tones, are so eminentlyunsatisfactory. When one considers that the quality of photographylies in the rendering of the delicate gradations of light,shading, and shadow; when one considers that theordinary negative renders these gradations in a mar-vellous way ; when one considers that the beauty ofan ordinary subject, done into a photograph, lies inthe full, rich harmony of light, shade, and shadow,one can see the absurdity of rendering such a subjectin only a few tones of drab colour : it is like taking apiece of music composed for a full orchestra and playingit on either a viol
Size: 1465px × 1706px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectphotogr, bookyear1910
