If the subject be such as a ship, yacht, or boat, cross ing the field of view not far from the camera, it wants great nicety of judgment to be sure of getting it properly on the plate. It is not unusual, when the photographer makes sure that he has such a subject right in the centre of his plate, to find on development that only half his subject is on the glass, the remainder being nowhere, or even to find that there is no trace of the subject at all.
To obviate this difficulty, " finders " have been con trived. These are arrangements whereby, a supple mentary lens and ground glass being used, the operator is able to keep his eye on this, and thus knows better when the image will occupy the centre of the sensitive film.
A very compact apparatus of this kind has been designed, and is entitled the Academy Camera. We illustrate it here. The lower portion of the cut shows the instantaneous shutter, behind which is the principal lens. Above this is the supplementary lens. The in strument is so constructed that a dozen plates are carried in it, and can be exposed one after another without the use of any dark slides at all.
The photographer may hold the instrument in his hand, watching the ground glass behind the upper lens, till the effect he wishes is produced, when he lets off the shutter. The larger sizes are constructed to hang on a stand of such construction that motion in any direction can be obtained, so that the subject may be as readily followed as if the instrument were held in the hand.
A piece of apparatus, possibly still more compact than the Academy Camera, is that which we here illus trate. It is known as "the Miniature Camera." The picture shows the camera half size, so that it will be seen that it is indeed in miniature. The principal differences between the Academy and the Miniature are that in the case of the latter, instead of, as in the case of the Academy, watching the picture to be taken on the ground glass, it is "sighted "—after focussing on a separate ground glass—through the little tube which is seen on the top. This is a far easier operation than watching
the inverted image on the ground glass. Also that the shutter is a drop instead of a revolving one. This makes sheeling of the camera less likely. Lastly, that instead of the plates being carried in the apparatus, they are carried in small separate shutters, of which the photographer may carry any number he pleases. By this arrangement the bulk of the apparatus actually to be held in the hand during exposure is reduced to a minimum. The cut shows the apparatus with a slide in position, ready for exposure.
Of course it will be understood that the very small negatives produced in the Academy and Miniature cameras may be enlarged to a much greater size. For the method of performing this operation the reader is re ferred to a subsequent chapter.
With regard to the development of pictures which have received so-called "instantaneous" exposure, little requires to be said, as it scarcely differs from that ap plied to ordinary subjects. We may, however, say that patience is the great thing. Development must not be hurried. It is better to wait than to hurry on the pro cess by the use of an excessive quantity of the ammonia solution. We may start with a developer containing a slightly larger proportion of the ammonia solution than we generally use. Possibly three parts of ammonia solution to two of gyro and bromide, or even one part of the one to two of the other.
A final piece of advice we may give to the instant aneous photographer. Let him avoid hurry and nerv ousness in exposing. It is difficult to do so, but the effect, unless everything be done with calmness and con sideration, generally is to expose either just too soon or just too late.