Tag Archives: photograph

kidding around …

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. … in the 1870s. Hard to imagine, but this crisp, well exposed portrait of a little girl is over 150 years old! Many prints this old – or far younger – have succumbed to fading,  lost detail, etc. This … Continue reading →

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soft subject, soft lighting

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. An unidentified writer (our editor?) said in a prelude to the article “Wither Soft Light of the 1930s …” “I’ve been perplexed for years by certain lighting of nudes during the pictorial period. I don’t make any great study … Continue reading →

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and the bridge came tumbling down …

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Robert

Toronto.  Editor Bob Lansdale received an email from England and began a search for a mysterious bridge. Bob writes, “The monster footings to the Steel Arch Bridge at Niagara Falls, built in 1897-98, proved to be the down fall of … Continue reading →

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powder … POOF!

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. The early light sensitive media were far too insensitive for dusk, night or  indoor shots (studios used long exposures, a means to hold the subject very still,  and large windows, ideally facing north, to let in copious amounts of … Continue reading →

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out, damned spot!

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. … with apologies to Bill and his Lady Macbeth. Bill was born long before photography was announced. When the minicam became prominent in the mid 1930s, negatives were enlarged out of necessity. And the nightmare began. To darkroom photographers, … Continue reading →

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snap shot or tech shot?

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. In the early days of transistors, the tiny marvels couldn’t operate very far beyond audio frequencies. In the late 1950s, Philco managed to create a transistor usable at radio freqencies. The SB100 transistor, as it was named, was offered … Continue reading →

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carbon without the tax

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Robert

Toronto.  Image collectors browsing the fairs and shows noticed many mid to late 1800s carded photos were faded and had poor contrast while the odd one was bright and crisp, seemingly printed just recently, belying its century plus age. Our … Continue reading →

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flight of fancy

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Robert

Toronto.  The cut line for the photograph at left says, ” Raúl Pescara’s 16-bladed helicopter leaves the ground at Issy les Moulineaux, France, to attempt the world endurance record in January 1924. Pescara’s flight set a new record, staying airborne … Continue reading →

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a different tank

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Did you ever wonder about tanks – military, not photographic? The tanks of WW1 were much different from those of WW2. And again, without photography we would have to rely on words and sketches. The Canadian War Museum has … Continue reading →

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perks and perils …

Posted on February 9, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. I often think about the risks some photographers take to get ‘that shot’ but this article in the Feb 1, 2024 issue of the Christian Science Monitor by Michael S. Hopkins (contributor and writer) with photos by his wife, … Continue reading →

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