The beginner will use an ordinary chair for posing ; but the amateur who goes the length of making photo graphy a hobby should purchase a studio-chair, the form and colour of which are particularly adapted to photography.
A few words on the manipulation.
In posing the photographer should give freedom to the sitter so that he may have the opportunity of freely arranging himself into suitable posture.
It has been of course by this time decided whether the portrait shall be•bust, half-length, or full-length. The beginner will have observed that to get a large scale for head alone, or for head and shoulders, he must bring the camera nearer to the sitter, whilst for the small scale necessary in sitting or standing figures he has to do the reverse. It is somewhat difficult for the beginner to be quite sure, in the case of head and shoulder pictures, that he has not got the head either too small or too large. If he finds this difficulty he should look out from his album a portrait, the head of which is about the scale desired. He should measure this, from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin, and should focus his camera till he gets the head on the ground glass of the same size. Great care must be given to get the head the correct height on the ground glass. It should be remembered that, especially where a portrait lens is used, the definition is much better towards the centre of the plate than near the edges. The nearer therefore the
head is kept to the centre the better, but care must be taken that it will not be too low on the paper in the resulting print.
The use of the stop and swing-back may be explained here. Focussing is performed for the eyes, as explained before. It will now probably be found that the chest if a head and shoulders be taken, or the knees and feet if a sitting position be adopted, will be much out of focus, because they are nearer the camera than the eyes.
If the camera is fitted with a swing-back, this is tilted somewhat backwards,—that is to say, away from the sitter and towards the operator. Focussing is again performed, when matters will be found to be vastly improved.
By trying various angles of the swing-back any two points may be brought into correct focus ; if the camera have no swing-back, stops must be introduced till the desired definition is secured. If the camera be with out swing-back a much smaller stop will have to be used than if it be fitted with this adjustment. The exposure will consequently be longer.
In working indoors it is not necessary to keep the camera or the dark slide covered with cloth during manipulation.