Amateur Photographer Handbook
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The Amateur Photographer, a Complete Guide for
Beginners is a very helpful little handbook. This copy was published in 1891 and is the
revised ninth edition. The chapters on posing subjects, taking landscape photographs and
obtaining good light are full of useful hints, many of which apply even today. For
example, "Many commonplace scenes require only the proper lighting, and perhaps the
introduction of a proper figure in the right place to make it a beautiful subject for the
camera. The commonplace is always attractive when well treated. Simple subjects appeal to
everybody." The technical processes described are all quite complicated by today's amateur point-and-shoot , one-hour photo standards. Luckily wet plates developed with a Pyro-Potash solution are a thing of the past. |