FIRELIGHT EFFECTS Effects represented in photographs appearing to have been taken by the fireside and by the light of the fire. Firelight is too weak to illuminate the sitter for photographic purposes without an undue exposure, and artificial aids are necessary. Daylight is the most satisfactory light for the purpose, and the illustration shows the method employed by H. Essenhigh Corke. A suitable window is selected and blocked up with brown paper or other opaque material, leaving, how ever, a space about 2 ft. square, the bottom of which should be level with the top of a table or platform arranged close to the window. The light admitted by the space is the " firelight," but the space itself does not show in the photo graph. A fender and hearthrug may be arranged to make the deception more complete, loose tiles or wallpaper with a tiled pattern being placed in the fender. The sitter should be placed as near to the " fire " as possible, so that the light may be concentrated upon him. A dark
background should be used.
Firelight effects may be taken at night by the aid of magnesium. Throwing magnesium powder into a real fire is rarely satisfactory, and a better way is to use a magnesium lamp in an empty fireplace, firing the powder when all is ready for exposure. Any other lights in the room may be left on, as the average artificial light will do no harm. In some cases it will be advisable to use a weak supplementary flash in the room in order to assist the very deep shadows. If there is a good draught up the chimney no magnesium smoke will escape into the room and show in the picture, but if the draught is poor it will be well to fit a sheet of plain glass in the fireplace, in such a way as to trap the smoke. The finished print should be stained with an aniline dye of a suitable tint, so as to give it a firelight colour, and various experiments in toning may be tried.