DOI article:
Charles H. [Henry] Caffin, Some Impressions from the International Photographic Exposition, Dresden
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31042#0053
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fessionals, but distinguished as a group, presumably, by the principle, at least,
of subordinating commercial to artistic considerations. It included, as did
the professional group, representation from various countries, so that the aggre-
gate presented a twofold comparison: on the one hand, between the character
of the work of different countries and on the other between the aims and
methods of what I may venture to distinguish as the artistic plus commercial
with the commercial plus artistic. The general conclusion that I drew from
these two sources of comparison is, that in artistic photography America un-
questionably takes the lead, but just as conspicuously falls behind some of the
other countries in the photograph of commerce. In enlarging upon this I
desire to individualize as little as possible, for in the main my impressions were
general ones, and such value as they may have must be rather in the nature of
generalizations.
A distinction that separates the artist photographer from the photographer
of commerce is that the former aims chiefly to satisfy himself, the latter his
clients. The “professional” regulates his standard of achievement to their
level of appreciation or seeks to raise the latter to his own more cultivated taste.
In either case his success must depend upon his work possessing certain dis-
tinctive features. He may not, like the artist photographer, strive for personal
expression; but his prints must have a measure of individuality in order to
attract and keep a particular clientele, and it is by the nature and character of
this individuality that they may be fairly judged.
Now from an exposition such as that at Dresden one becomes aware of
a broad distinction in the nature and character of the individuality, as exhibited,
respectively, by those who play down to and by those who lift the level of popu-
lar appreciation. While the latter are disposed to rely on the actual resources
of the photographic medium, the former adopt more purely ad captandum
devices and are rather disposed to imitate the tricks of some other of the graphic
mediums.
Here, for example, is one who adopts the catch phrase a “ Photographer
of Men,” and his exhibit demonstrated how strenuously he regards his vocation.
He had arranged his group of portraits, so that big prints alternated with small
ones, the whole forming a kind of chequer board of very and less emphatic
spots; so that the general effect was one of a series of detonations, due to the
explosion of a gigantic firecracker. It was impossible not to be violently im-
pressed. I almost found myself begrudging the originals their pride of place in
such a conflict of blusterous assertion. It must be exhilarating to find oneself
recognized as a man among men, so aggressively upholding the unadorned
virtues of one’s own sex in face of the trimmed and tricked out vanities of the
other. Great, indeed, is Man and the “ Photographer of Men” is his prophet!
Then, again from Fifth Avenue, New York, hails another “professional,”
whose inclination is toward the fairer sex and whose speciality consists in mak-
ing his prints counterfeit the appearance of an Eighteenth Century mezzotint.
That the latter, at best, but feebly reproduces the subtleties of light, which
comes easily within the grasp of the photograph, does not distress him; for as
35
of subordinating commercial to artistic considerations. It included, as did
the professional group, representation from various countries, so that the aggre-
gate presented a twofold comparison: on the one hand, between the character
of the work of different countries and on the other between the aims and
methods of what I may venture to distinguish as the artistic plus commercial
with the commercial plus artistic. The general conclusion that I drew from
these two sources of comparison is, that in artistic photography America un-
questionably takes the lead, but just as conspicuously falls behind some of the
other countries in the photograph of commerce. In enlarging upon this I
desire to individualize as little as possible, for in the main my impressions were
general ones, and such value as they may have must be rather in the nature of
generalizations.
A distinction that separates the artist photographer from the photographer
of commerce is that the former aims chiefly to satisfy himself, the latter his
clients. The “professional” regulates his standard of achievement to their
level of appreciation or seeks to raise the latter to his own more cultivated taste.
In either case his success must depend upon his work possessing certain dis-
tinctive features. He may not, like the artist photographer, strive for personal
expression; but his prints must have a measure of individuality in order to
attract and keep a particular clientele, and it is by the nature and character of
this individuality that they may be fairly judged.
Now from an exposition such as that at Dresden one becomes aware of
a broad distinction in the nature and character of the individuality, as exhibited,
respectively, by those who play down to and by those who lift the level of popu-
lar appreciation. While the latter are disposed to rely on the actual resources
of the photographic medium, the former adopt more purely ad captandum
devices and are rather disposed to imitate the tricks of some other of the graphic
mediums.
Here, for example, is one who adopts the catch phrase a “ Photographer
of Men,” and his exhibit demonstrated how strenuously he regards his vocation.
He had arranged his group of portraits, so that big prints alternated with small
ones, the whole forming a kind of chequer board of very and less emphatic
spots; so that the general effect was one of a series of detonations, due to the
explosion of a gigantic firecracker. It was impossible not to be violently im-
pressed. I almost found myself begrudging the originals their pride of place in
such a conflict of blusterous assertion. It must be exhilarating to find oneself
recognized as a man among men, so aggressively upholding the unadorned
virtues of one’s own sex in face of the trimmed and tricked out vanities of the
other. Great, indeed, is Man and the “ Photographer of Men” is his prophet!
Then, again from Fifth Avenue, New York, hails another “professional,”
whose inclination is toward the fairer sex and whose speciality consists in mak-
ing his prints counterfeit the appearance of an Eighteenth Century mezzotint.
That the latter, at best, but feebly reproduces the subtleties of light, which
comes easily within the grasp of the photograph, does not distress him; for as
35
