THE CAMERA CLUB

 Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions.

A NEW PROCESS FOR SENSITIZING PAPER.

 

In the American Annual of Photography for 1896, Mr. E. W. Newcomb tells how to make vignettes with an atomizer by spraying the paper with a sensitive solution. This seemed such a clever idea that the editor made a trial of the method, and found that many artistic¹ effects could be produced in this way which could not be made by any other process either of printing or sensitizing the paper.

The sensitizing solution can be applied² so as to obtain any form desired, and paper thus prepared may be used in many different ways not possible with a paper which is coated all over evenly.

The atomizer must be of hard rubber—both tube and stopper—as metal either corrodes³ or injures the sensitive solution. The spray must be so fine that it is almost a mist, and the atomizer should be tried before purchasing. Clear water will do to test the fineness of the spray.

The first experiments should be made with the blue-print solution, as this is not only cheaper, but easier to prepare and handle, and when dry it shows just where the solution has been applied. Pin the paper by the corners to a smooth board, set it in an upright position, and holding the atomizer perhaps a foot away from the paper, direct the spray to the place on the paper where the heaviest printing is intended. Squeeze the bulb gently, so that the solution will not soak into the paper, and at the edges, where the solution must be applied lightly in order to produce vignetted effects, hold the spray farther away from the paper. By a little practice one can soon make any shaped vignette desired.

If any member of our Camera Club is looking for some new way of making prints for gifts, here is a suggestion: Cut plain salted paper in sheets 8 by 10 in. in size. Take an 8 by 10 in. card-mount, and cut out a square from the centre, leaving a margin⁴ 1 in. wide on one side and at the top and bottom, and on the other side a margin 1? in. wide. Over the corners of this mat paste triangles of paper in the way that corners are made for desk-blotters, pasting the edges down on one side, and on the other leaving the paper free from the card-board, so that a sheet of paper may be slipped under the corners. Take a piece of plain paper, slip it into the mat—the corners holding it in place—turn it over, and hanging or fastening it against the wall, spray it with the sensitive solution in the places where you wish to print pictures. The mat made of card-board protects the edges of the sensitive paper, and makes a nice wide margin. Half a dozen sheets sensitized, printed, and bound together with an attractive cover, either made of rough paper or some fancy card-board, will make a pretty gift for a friend, and something that will not be duplicated. To make a more elaborate present, select some familiar poem, easily illustrated⁵, choose negatives which will make appropriate pictures for it, print, wash, and dry the pictures, then with French blue water-color letter the verses of the poem in the clear spaces left on the paper. If a little taste is used in arranging and printing the pictures, putting them in different places on the sheet, one can make a very artistic little booklet. The side of the paper with the 1? in. margin is the edge for binding⁶. If a touch of gold is given to the lettering the effect is more striking. Small cakes of what is called water-color gold may be bought for 10c. or 15c., and is the kind used for lettering on paper.

This way of sensitizing paper will suggest many ideas for decorative⁷ work, such as menu-cards, letter-heads, calendars, mats for pictures, etc. The blue-print solution is the simplest to use in preparing paper in this manner, but the same result may be obtained with other solutions. The formulas given for tinted⁸ sensitive solutions in previous numbers of the Round Table could be used, and many delicate and attractive tones be obtained. Prints made on paper sensitized with a spray instead of being applied with a brush have the appearance of wash drawings.

Sir Knight⁹ Hugo Kretschmar sends a number of negatives and asks what is the matter with them. He explains that they were taken with a No. 1 kodak on a day when the ground was covered with snow, making an exposure of ten seconds. The trouble with the negatives is that they are much over-exposed. Ten seconds is a long time to expose a plate even on a dark day, and when the snow is on the ground the exposure should be instantaneous, unless plate and lens are both very slow. The best time to make snow pictures is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the shadows are long. If a slow plate is used, make an exposure of two seconds, and develop as for a time picture. The camera which Sir Hugh asks about is a good camera for a cheap camera.

Sir Knight W. D. Campbell, 420 Fifth St., Brooklyn, N. Y., asks if some member of the club living in St. Louis, Mo., will send him a view of the part of the city which was destroyed by the tornado¹⁰. In return he will send a good picture of the ocean greyhound Campania.

Sir Knight William Merritt, Rhinecliff, N. Y., wishes to exchange some interesting views taken at Rhinecliff, N. Y., for some views taken in Central Park, New York city. Will some of our New York members write to Sir William? He would also like to exchange scenery photographs with any of the members of the club.

Any member who does not receive a response to his request for prints may have the same printed again, after a reasonable length of time.

1 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 corrodes   

v.使腐蚀，侵蚀( corrode的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Corruption corrodes public confidence in a political system. 腐败可削弱公众对政治制度的信心。
• Iron corrodes unless it is greased or kept clean. 如果不涂油或保持清洁铁便会腐蚀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

5 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

6 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

7 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

8 tinted   

adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• a pair of glasses with tinted lenses 一副有色镜片眼镜
• a rose-tinted vision of the world 对世界的理想化看法

9 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

10 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。