The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 29, 1903, Page 9

HE question .of photography being an art has been brought up before the world at large on several occasions. It has been discussed and debated, and I dare say that every onme {h our profession ylelds“to the certainty that it is most decidedly an art. Every _one who is a . photographer knows that there exists a large margin in the composition of a’ portrait pro- duced by proper posing. It is not nec- essary to state that proper posing con- sists in doing justice to, your subject, . and careful adjustment of. light and shade leads to satisfactory results. The art of posing has undergone—ac- cording. to the opinion of many—great changes, but it ‘is ‘'my opinion that it has not;.art,is art, and posing is pos- ing. A.person who Is a genuine artist is always art{stic, no matter whom or what he poses; it’is not my intention to make remarks on how posing Is done or should be done, but merely to com- pare the different ways some photog-- raphers think they have attained the perfect way ‘of posing. 1 am convinceq that.no photographer ever_obtains the effect he expects. If he could produce a portrait posed and lighted in harmony with his.ideas with- out calling to his assistance camera, plates, etc., .some portraits would be no doubt very mnear ‘perfection, -but, as these subjections ‘are not feasible, we have to do the best we'can. ’ Lately, several atyles ofsphdtographs have made their appearance before the public, and some have made a hit; not because they are artistic, but because they are different. and :odd. - Some, styles appear dim and hardly visible; some are made with too strong lights and shadows, which spoil the mgin idea of art, harmony, :but, nevertheless, have found some supporters. These styles.of photographs are classed un- der the name “fads,” which never last; styles change, fads do the same. Some of.these new ideas are based upon the ground - that . photographic portraits should not be too sharply outlined, and should show:the contours in a subdued light. . I fully -agree with this, as she effects are more pleasing to the eye, and give.a certain tone to the work, which the. intelligent supporters df pho- tographic pigtures will admire. There gre several grades of.the so- called : fads . among the professional photographers. . Every one thinks his effort the best, and finds, necessarily, & certain number of supporters to his style. Those who cultivate fad photo- graphing seem to ignore to & great ex- tent the detalls of a portrait, I have been shown _photographs which were entirely out of proportion,’ not possess- ing the necessar: orrectness of dimen- sions, ecomparatively, to the figure standing or sitting. It would not'be &n effort to make many more remarks on this wsubject, but it is a fact known to every one who has the opportunity to handle portrait photography' that it ‘is+ most difffcult to obtain ‘the result desired.