PORTRAITURE OUT-OF-DOORS.
The amateur will naturally make his first attempts out-of-doors, because there the light is so good that he will be able to operate with precisely the same apparatus which he uses for landscape work. If he has a rapid lens, such as we mentioned as desirable for instant aneous work, so much the better, but such is by no means a necessity.
The two conditions which we must secure for a por trait are—first, a suitable lighting ; and, secondly, a suitable background.
With regard to the first, a few words may be said which will apply to portraiture both out-of-doors and indoors. On looking at any set of good portraits, either photo graphic or otherwise, it will be at once evident that a great deal of the pleasing effect which is produced de pends on the fact that the face is not lighted equally from all sides, but that the light coming from one direc tion is stronger than that coming from another. This has the effect of causing the features to stand in relief, and gives roundness. . There is nothing worse from an artistic point of view than a portrait lighted in such a way that there is no shadow—mouth, nose, and eyes appearing merely as so many spots on the face. On the other hand, there is to be avoided too much contrast, such as gives a harsh effect ; and it must be borne in mind that the shadows on the face of a photographic portrait almost always appear darker than they in reality were.
It will be observed that unless advantage be taken of some object which shades the light from one side, the lighting out-of-doors will be equal on all sides, or nearly so. It is taken for granted that direct sunshine is avoided. It will also be found that the general direc tion of the light is from above. There is a great deal of what artists term "top light." Indeed, there is far too much, and unless care be taken to shade off a portion of it the effect will be to produce an unpleasant likeness. The lines under the eyes will be intensified, and there will be produced an effect as if the cheek bones were abnor mally high. The general effect will be an unfavourable portrait, making the sitter look old and ill-tempered.
In working out-of-doors we have to take advantage of some objects which will give a certain shadow on one side of the sitter, and will shade off some of the top light. To get shade on one side is almost always easy, but to stop off the top light is not always so. It is often possible to take advantage of the spreading branch of a tree or such like, but where this is not to be had a sheet or shawl should be used, so as to form a sort of awning.
With regard to a background, it is best when out-of doors to have a natural one if possible. An ivy-covered wall, the stem of a large tree, an evergreen bush, a rock, or even at times a wall with a little curving to relieve the monotony, may make a good background. The sitter should be caused to sit or stand not very far from the background, so that both may be fairly well in focus.
The position having been decided upon, and it having been determined how much of the figure is to appear,— whether the portrait is to be a full-length standing or sitting, or a half-length, or merely a head and shoulders,— the next thing to do is to pose the sitter. This is the
point at which the amateur may show whether or not he possesses any artistic feeling. Even presuming he has he must not expect all at once to achieve success in this most difficult art of posing. It is needless to say that the object to be attained is to place the sitter in such a position that he (or she) will look his (or her) best. No rule can be given for this. Pleasing portraits have been made with the sitter looking in any possible direction, towards the lens, at right angles to it, and looking up wards and downwards. The best course to pursue for the beginner is to cause the sitter to place himself in a chair in an easy attitude, and to make him look in first one direction, then in another. When what appears to he the most pleasing phase of the face is obtained, the next thing is to get a corresponding satisfactory pose of the body that shall harmonise with the features. The photographer must now direct the subject as to the placing of his hands and feet so as to give an appearance of unconstraint. It should be borne in mind that it is well to avoid having a hand or a foot projecting much forward, as such may then come out too large, especially if the lens be not one of very long focus.
The height at which the camera is placed is of import ance in the case of a portrait. It should be, as a rule, about level with the face. In the case of a sitting figure this involves shortening the legs of the camera considerably, and the operator will find it most con venient to sit whilst focussing. A focussing magnifier is particularly useful in portraiture, as the lens will, as a rule, be used full aperture or nearly so, so that if there be a small error in focussing, this will not be improved, as would he the case were a small stop used.
The eye of the sitter is, as a rule, the best spot to focus most sharply. If the face be three-quarters, so that both eyes are seen, but are not at the same distance from the camera, it is usual to focus first for the one, then for the other, then to divide as equally as possible the distance between them, so that there may be an equal slight want of definition in each. To bring into fairly good focus portions of the figure which are at different distances from the camera—for instance, the face and the chest, or, with a sitting figure, the face and the knees—the swing-back may be used if the camera be fitted with such.
After all the preliminaries are arranged as we have described, the exposure is made, the manipulations being precisely the same as in landscape work. From the table given at the end of the chapter on optics will be gained some idea of the length which this should last.
The sitter should be instructed to keep his eyes fixed on the same spot during the whole of the exposure. Any motion of them will spoil the expression. There is, however, no harm in his blinking.