CLOUDS AND THE LANDSCAPE.
The subjea of clouds in photography is one that, although given some thought by advanced amateurs, has not been given the attention which it deserves. It is not alone an interesting study, but it is necessary that one understand how to produce clouds in his pictures when he is unable to obtain them diredly in the negative. Frequently we pick up a landscape ; both the composition and lighting are good but there is something lacking in order to give that harmony which is so essential in landscape work. Above the landscape we see a blank white space and a second thought sug gests that a cloudy sky would have given a finish to the piaure that could be obtained in no other way.
There are two methods of obtaining clouds : First, to photograph the landscape when there are clouds in the sky ; second, to obtain the clouds by the printing-in process. Both have their advantages. With the former the great difficulty lies in being able to give an exposure that will allow of obtaining a negative having a sky and foreground of proper relative print ing densities. In most cases we expose for detail in the foreground and by so doing we over-expose the sky, and the result is that that portion of the negative is strong or dense and lacks almost entirely in detail. If we expose for the clouds, we under-time the foreground.
Kodoid Plates and N. C. Film are particularly adapted to this class of work because of their orthochromatic qualities, which make it possible to obtain better color values. This results in a negative having more even density. We may also use the color screen, or filter, which in a large degree compensates for the want of agreement between the sensitiveness of film or plate and the sensitiveness of the eye relative to color. The best results, however, are obtained by the combination of Kodoid Plates or N. C. Film and the color screen. Occasionally, even when using orthochromatic film or plates in conneelion with a color screen, we obtain a dense sky, due to over-exposure and sometimes to over-development. It then becomes necessary to reduce the strength of that portion of the negative if we would obtain detail in our prints.
The following formula for reducing will be found to give very satis faelory results if the instruelions are properly carried out : To oz. of Red Prussiate of Potash add 16 ozs. of water. Dissolve
and keep from the light in a tightly corked bottle. Then make a separate solution composed of r oz. of Hypo-Sulphite of Soda to I2 ozs. of water, to be kept in a separate bottle. With the above solutions, a couple of trays, plenty of water and several tufts of absorbent cotton you are pre pared to do the work.
After placing 4 ozs. of the Hypo solution in a tray, add about 6o drops, or one teaspoonful of the Potassium solution. This is known as the reducer. If, after a trial, this is found to be too weak, add more of the Potassium ; if too strong, add water. After thoroughly washing your film or plate, place it against a sheet of ground glass (sky down) which has been inclined at an angle of 45 degrees, over a tray that will catch the drip, and before a light that will enable you to see through the negative. Now take a tuft of cotton soaked in the solution and gently rub that portion of the negative that you wish to reduce. You should also go over the surface every three or four minutes with a second tuft of cotton kept saturated with clear water in order that the negative reduce evenly. Be sure to keep the reducer off any portion of the negative that you do not wish it to ad upon. Watch the action of the solution closely so that it does not go too far. When the negative is reduced to the proper density, place it in running water for an hour or so in order to stop all action of the reducer.
Before attempting to add clouds to your landscapes by the printing-in process, it would be well to obtain a collection of cloud negatives in order that you may be able to select one that will fit each case, for it must be remembered that the clouded sky needed in each instance depends almost entirely upon the conditions existing at the time the landscape negative was obtained. For instance, should you piClure a landscape when the sun is direCtly back of the camera and then print-in from a negative, the clouds of which have received their illumination from immediately in front of the instrument, you can readily imagine the result, due to cross lights through out the piEture.