DOI issue:
No. 13 (April, 1894)
DOI article:M., A.: On some methods of suppression and modification in pictorial photography
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17190#0026
Suppression and Modification in Photography
system of posing, lighting, and subsequent retouch- is allowable to use certain methods of suppression
ing. And it is no less an extraordinary fact that and alteration when preparing a negative for
the retouching, which is a destruction and altera- printing, and in the actual process of printing,
tion of the lighting and modelling of the figure, is Modifications are practicable even during the
almost invariably done by mechanical operators development of the negative and also in certain
who have never seen and have no kind of know- development printing processes. Every graphic
ledge of the sitter. Happily, however, there are representation produced by the action of light on
amongst professional photographers some few sensitive substances, with a lens or with no lens,
who in the work which they show at an exhibi- even without a camera is necessarily a photograph,
tion such as the Photographic Salon are able and so long as the results are brought about
to free themselves from commercial considerations, through the medium of light we may suppress,
A PHOTOGRAPH FROM NATURE BY ROUILLI2-LADEVEZE
and to become, in the best sense of the term, diminish, or accentuate, but we must not add any
amateurs. absolutely new matter. A common cry that such
An important question which is likely to force and such a picture is not photography cannot
itself upon our consideration more prominently therefore reasonably be sustained. But without
than it has hitherto done is, that, admitting the going too deeply into the point it is necessary to
tendency in pictorial photography to alter the qualify the statement regarding the adding of new
aspect of the subjects depicted as seen by the eye matter. We all know that mists, for instance, are
of the camera, and to produce instead impressions produced where no mist existed at the time the
more individual to the artist, how far such altera- negative was taken ; trees and other vegetation
tions and suppressions may be considered legiti- may be made to assume a different perspective
mate. The illustrations to this article have been from that in which a rectilinear lens would view
inserted as bearing considerably on the subject, them—and so on ; but the meaning of the restric-
It is from this point that they should be considered, tion will be sufficiently obvious,
whether their intrinsic merits be great or small. The work of Monsieur Rouille-Ladeveze, two of
Fewjpictorial photographers will contest that it whose pictures are reproduced, is strikingly illus-
system of posing, lighting, and subsequent retouch- is allowable to use certain methods of suppression
ing. And it is no less an extraordinary fact that and alteration when preparing a negative for
the retouching, which is a destruction and altera- printing, and in the actual process of printing,
tion of the lighting and modelling of the figure, is Modifications are practicable even during the
almost invariably done by mechanical operators development of the negative and also in certain
who have never seen and have no kind of know- development printing processes. Every graphic
ledge of the sitter. Happily, however, there are representation produced by the action of light on
amongst professional photographers some few sensitive substances, with a lens or with no lens,
who in the work which they show at an exhibi- even without a camera is necessarily a photograph,
tion such as the Photographic Salon are able and so long as the results are brought about
to free themselves from commercial considerations, through the medium of light we may suppress,
A PHOTOGRAPH FROM NATURE BY ROUILLI2-LADEVEZE
and to become, in the best sense of the term, diminish, or accentuate, but we must not add any
amateurs. absolutely new matter. A common cry that such
An important question which is likely to force and such a picture is not photography cannot
itself upon our consideration more prominently therefore reasonably be sustained. But without
than it has hitherto done is, that, admitting the going too deeply into the point it is necessary to
tendency in pictorial photography to alter the qualify the statement regarding the adding of new
aspect of the subjects depicted as seen by the eye matter. We all know that mists, for instance, are
of the camera, and to produce instead impressions produced where no mist existed at the time the
more individual to the artist, how far such altera- negative was taken ; trees and other vegetation
tions and suppressions may be considered legiti- may be made to assume a different perspective
mate. The illustrations to this article have been from that in which a rectilinear lens would view
inserted as bearing considerably on the subject, them—and so on ; but the meaning of the restric-
It is from this point that they should be considered, tion will be sufficiently obvious,
whether their intrinsic merits be great or small. The work of Monsieur Rouille-Ladeveze, two of
Fewjpictorial photographers will contest that it whose pictures are reproduced, is strikingly illus-