TREATMENT OF THE LANDSCAPE NEGATIVE.
It is essential that the print of the land scape negative should come off with a good clean space representing the sky, and to ensure this it may either be blocked out with black varnish or shaded in printing. The latter plan is preferable, as it is difficult to avoid a hard line with the varnish. Still, if it must be used, then the edges of the varnish are dabbed with the ball of the finger, so that the two tones graduate into each other as well as possible. A piece of card fastened across the frame, either with a serrated edge or one which curls upwards, may be used ; but perhaps the best plan is to soften the edge of the card by means of a strip of loosely arranged cotton woel. If the negative has a level horizon, this is a simple matter ; but if it possesses a tall spire, ships' masts, etc., then these must be roughly vignetted around. It frequently happens, however, that the sky in a good negative is dense enough, and does not require any masking. In any ease, care must be taken to remove spots or pinholes, as these would be especially apparent on a light ground. The print is now removed from the frame, and placed in a much larger one, containing the cloud negative, to allow of proper adjustment. As, these
negatives are usually upon films, they can be printed front either side ; and, if lighted more from one side than the other, can he made to match with the negative. The print is then adjusted over the film, and the frame closed up. Before exposing to the light, it must be masked so as to cover up the portions already printed on. In the case of a spire or masts, as already referred to, they may be ignored, and the clouds printed right over them. If printed to the proper depth, the slight difference in tint on them will not be distinguishable.
The two great mistakes made by novices in this work are printing too deeply and joining up abruptly. The lighter the sky is printed, the more natural will be the effect, and the easier to produce ; while the worker's aim should be to vignette the landscape portion into the sky portion, and not to make both join accurately. Very good skies may often be introduced on the negative itself by means of local treatment with ammonium persulphate, as described in the section on Redaction. Great care is, however, required to pro duce artistic results.