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Page 1: Figure Composition in Photography

Figure Composition in PhotographyAuthor(s): Tudor Jenks and E. S. BennettSource: The Monthly Illustrator, Vol. 3, No. 11 (Mar., 1895), pp. 353-355Published by:Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25581986 .

Accessed: 15/05/2014 23:36

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Page 2: Figure Composition in Photography

FIGURE CO'MPOSITION IN PHOTFOGRAPHY

BE TIUDOR JE.NKS

ZI/uslra/cd (tfrom f///(2ra ./s 1)1' E. S. Btiltc/.

A MlODERN' CH \RLOTTE CORD \A'

PHIOTOGRAPHY is the legritimate daughter of art, and

scienlce is but lher nutlrse. 'Tlhe motive that urged milent

to fix the image of the camera obscura, was the love of

the beautiful rather tlhan the desire of knowledge. 'Tlhe

manifold apl)lications of the camera to indclustries and

comiamerce tendcl to obscture its linieage; an cl the i;rofes

sional photographer, who mllust conlsicder first tht' comll

mercial side of his business, nlaturally lenids himllself to

hiis art's cleo-radlationi. His pati-oiis pay for resemnblIance

andcl to secure resemiblanice witlh the least expendlitutre

of time, taste, audI trouible, will bring him the most geni

eral and best-paying custoilm. But the amateur shIouldC

be an artist. He canl never comiipete wvitlh professionals

upon their clhosen field, but lbe has already shown that

whlere pure art is concernied the professional is ou"t of

the race.

Tlhe artistic quality to wvhiclh photography canl best

establish its claiml- is comiipositioni-tlbe arrangement of objects artistically. l he

draftsmani slhould excel in accelnt, the colorist in harmony, anid chiaroscuro may xvell be sttuldiecl by both as a miieanis ____ _ ____

to\vard reachlinig aniy especial quality. But in photography accenit is r-eachecl

olyl through dI 1 loCIges "' in printing or

retoucllin, ainld color-harmony is out

of the qulestioll. BuLit composition is for

the photographer as for the dlraftsimiani

or- colorist. From giv-eni objects hie may

conlstruict a picture or milake a hotchl

potch ; andl his ar-tistic ranik is deter

iminied by his position betw-een these ex t re mies.

AW'itlh this paper ar-e somiie illtustr-a

tiolis of picture-making, with sl)eciall r-eferenice to the possibilities of compo sitioi before the camera. The picture,

for example, " No Thoroughlfare,'' is

onae whlier-e the g-rouplilng is (ood0, the

attittucles are pleasillo, andcl the comiposi

tionl is simple and(i effective. It is lack ill) o1lyN7 in a bit of " Slherlock Holimies"

dletail. If the inotice wvere real, the gate

wvould be closecl, or at least capable of N'O TllOlhOlCHJ ARE

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Page 3: Figure Composition in Photography

- , 1*~.4 7-*

THr-- DRYAD'S PAT

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Page 4: Figure Composition in Photography

Figure Composition in Photog,rphy 355

beinlog closed ; and nlowN, the sigll is so

placecl that the gate must slhut against it.

TIlhe Dryad's Patlh " is excellenitly

coniposed, in that the attentioni is con

centrated oni the figure, the linies of the

pose are graceful, anid the masses suffi

*cien-tlv brokeni. Possibly the picture

Would have gainied in suLgoestiveness

if the eves lhacl beeni dir-ected down

ward. Best of all is "Thl e Cross-cut."

-i

THE CROSS-CUT

The linles are clmarilliolvIx varied, the

(la-rk points well placecl, anid thie broadl

lighlits harmonizecl. The avoidance of

the vertical linie gives a subtle sugges

tioIn of ImlotioIn. This picture it w\ould

be difficult to imipr-ove. T akeni altoo-etlher, the pictures are

pleasinig andcl satisfactory-and what an

adlvance they ar-e over the hicle-bound

subject with hiis headl in a vise, anid his

hand oll a. tLuncalted pillar

4~~~~~N

-''

IN STRICT CONFIDENCE

THAT'SI HIS A130T1, NO-!

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