Photography in the Studio and in the Field Informative Summary

Overview:

Published in 1887, “Photography in the Studio and in the Field” by E.M. Estabrooke provides a comprehensive guide to the art of photography, covering both studio and outdoor practices. The book begins with a detailed explanation of the collodion process, then transitions to the newly popular gelatine bromide dry plate process, outlining its advantages and providing instructions on preparing emulsions and developing plates. Estabrooke meticulously explains the optics of photography, emphasizing the importance of camera lenses and their various types. He provides detailed descriptions of camera boxes and stands, along with their features and applications. The second part of the book focuses on field photography, guiding amateurs through the selection of equipment, making exposures, and developing their own negatives. Additionally, the book explores various printing methods, including silver printing, gelatine bromide paper, and non-silver processes like the blue print.

The book concludes with a detailed section on photomicrography, highlighting the tools and techniques for capturing images of microscopic objects. Throughout the book, Estabrooke emphasizes the importance of careful preparation, meticulous technique, and a keen eye for detail to achieve successful photographic results.

Key Findings:

The introduction of gelatine bromide dry plates revolutionized photography, significantly shortening exposure times, increasing sensitivity, and reducing the need for cumbersome wet plate processes.
Camera lenses play a crucial role in photographic quality, with advancements in lens design minimizing distortion and chromatic aberration, leading to sharper and more balanced images.
Different camera types are tailored for specific purposes, from studio portraiture to outdoor views and copying, requiring specialized lenses, stands, and shutters.
Printing techniques have advanced beyond silver-based processes, with gelatine bromide paper and non-silver processes like the blue print offering alternative methods for creating prints.

Learning:

Collodion Process: Estabrooke meticulously details the wet collodion process, guiding readers through preparing the glass plates, coating with collodion, sensitizing in a silver bath, and developing the image.
Gelatine Bromide Dry Plate Process: The book provides a thorough introduction to this revolutionary process, explaining the steps for preparing emulsions, coating plates, developing, fixing, and clearing the negatives.
Lens Types and Functions: Estabrooke explores the optics of photography, defining different lens types such as double convex, plano-convex, double concave, plano-concave, and meniscus, explaining how they affect light refraction and image formation.
Camera Equipment: The book provides detailed descriptions of different camera boxes, stands, and shutters, outlining their features and applications for both studio and field photography.
Printing Processes: Estabrooke guides readers through various printing methods, including silver printing on albumen paper, gelatine bromide paper, and non-silver processes like the blue print. He outlines the steps involved in each method, from preparation to toning and fixing.
Photomicrography: This section details the equipment and techniques for photographing microscopic objects, including microscope selection, camera setup, illumination techniques, and development methods.

Historical Context:

“Photography in the Studio and in the Field” was written in 1887, a period marked by significant advancements in photographic technology. The dry plate process, still relatively new, was rapidly gaining popularity, replacing the older, more cumbersome wet collodion process. The demand for faster lenses and shorter exposure times was driving innovation, leading to advancements in lens design and shutters. The book reflects this exciting time of rapid change in photography, offering readers a glimpse into the evolving practices and tools of the era.

Facts:

Collodion, discovered by Maynard, was first used for photography by Archer in 1848. Archer’s discovery made photographic negatives possible, paving the way for modern photography.
Ambrotypes and ferrotypes were the first positive photographs on glass and iron plates, respectively. These early processes were later superseded by more advanced techniques.
Gelatine bromide dry plates are significantly faster than wet plates, shortening exposure times and enabling photography of moving objects. This revolutionized the field of photography.
The development of a negative involves depositing metallic silver onto a latent image in the film. This process transforms the invisible image into a printable negative.
Cyanide of potassium was a common fixing agent for positives, while hyposulphite of soda was preferred for negatives. These chemicals dissolve the unexposed silver salts, making the image permanent.
Mercurial intensifiers were used to strengthen negatives by increasing the silver deposit. These solutions enhance the density and contrast of negatives.
Gelatine is a crucial component of dry plates, its quality and consistency directly impact the emulsion’s sensitivity and durability.
The “Sensitometer” is used to measure the sensitivity of dry plates, with higher numbers indicating greater sensitivity. This tool helps photographers choose the right plates for specific tasks.
Dry plates are sensitive to light, requiring careful handling in a dark room with safe lighting.
The “Eclipse” shutter was a popular pneumatic shutter, allowing exposures to be made silently and remotely. This invention allowed photographers to capture candid moments.
The “Duplex” shutter was an improvement on the “Eclipse,” enabling both timed and instantaneous exposures. This further increased the photographer’s control over exposure.
Head-rests are still essential for portrait photography, even with short exposure times, to keep the subject’s head steady. They help maintain a consistent pose.
The Bowdish posing chair was a popular and versatile studio tool, adaptable to various poses and positions. It allowed photographers to create dynamic and comfortable poses.
The “Fairy” camera was a compact and lightweight camera designed for amateur photographers, offering portability and high quality. This innovation made photography more accessible to a wider audience.
“Wide-angle” lenses are designed to capture a wider field of view, ideal for cramped spaces or panoramic scenes. They allow photographers to capture more of a scene within the frame.
Dallmeyer lenses were renowned for their exceptional quality and performance, highly regarded by both amateurs and professionals. They offered sharpness, detail, and wide illumination.
“Achromatic” lenses use two glasses of different densities to minimize chromatic aberration, resulting in sharper images without color fringes. This advancement significantly improved lens quality.
Photo-micrography involves capturing enlarged images of microscopic objects using a microscope and camera. This technique allows for the study and documentation of microscopic details.
The “Triplexicon” was a highly efficient oil-burning magic lantern, suitable for amateur use and slide projection. It offered excellent illumination and ease of use.
“Lantern slides” are prepared on glass plates, either by contact printing or using a camera, to project images on a screen. They provide a versatile way to display photographs.

Statistics:

A 50 per cent. solution of citrate of soda can be used to restrain over-exposure during development, especially when multiple plates are overexposed. This helps to salvage overexposed negatives.
The “Phenix” Argentic dry plate is six times more rapid than wet plates, requiring exposures of 1 to 3 seconds in good light. This demonstrates the significant speed advantage of dry plates.
The Eastman flexible negative support, made of gelatine-coated paper, allows for 24 exposures on a single roll, significantly reducing the weight of carrying equipment. This invention revolutionized field photography.
A good oil-burning lamp can produce a light of 30 candle power, sufficient for photomicrography with high powers. This shows the advancements in illumination technology.
A 1½ inch objective lens for photomicrography requires 3 to 5 seconds of exposure time with a 30-candlepower lamp. This demonstrates the sensitivity of dry plates and the need for precise exposure times.
The “Fairy” tripod, weighing less than 2 pounds, can be folded to a length of 16 inches. This showcases the lightweight and portable nature of modern photographic equipment.
Anthony’s “Eclipse” shutter can achieve an exposure speed of 1/200th of a second, enabling sharp pictures of moving objects. This illustrates the impact of technological advancements on capturing motion.
The “Duplex” shutter allows exposures ranging from one-tenth of a second to minutes, providing versatility for various photographic situations.
Anthony’s collodio chloride is a liquid emulsion of plain collodion and silver chloride, offering a simple and effective method for printing on various surfaces. This process provides a cost-effective alternative to silver printing.
The “Triplexicon” magic lantern uses refined petroleum oil with a three-wick burner to achieve high illumination, comparable to gas lanterns. This shows the effectiveness of oil-based lanterns in slide projection.
The “Fairy” camera, with a 5×8 body, can be extended to 8×10 using an additional body and bellows, offering two cameras for the price of one. This showcases the versatility and adaptability of modern camera design.
Anthony’s Rapid Dry Plate lens uses a double achromatic combination to create instantaneous views, portraits, and groups. This demonstrates the importance of lenses in achieving quality results.
A 30-inch extension bellows camera, combined with a range of objectives, allows for magnifications from 10 to 600 diameters in photomicrography. This demonstrates the versatility of a photomicrography setup.
A bleached gelatine plate, used as a focussing screen, provides a more accurate and stable focus for photomicrography. This innovation greatly improves image sharpness.
A 30-candlepower lamp, combined with a diaphragm, can provide sufficient illumination for photomicrography, with exposures ranging from 3 to 10 minutes depending on the objective lens and object’s transparency. This illustrates the importance of precise illumination control in photomicrography.

Terms:

Collodion: A viscous, clear solution of nitrocellulose in a mixture of ether and alcohol, used as a base for photographic films.
Achromatic: A lens corrected for chromatic aberration, minimizing color fringes and improving image sharpness.
Rectilinear: A lens designed to produce straight lines without distortion, especially important for architectural or technical photography.
Sensitometer: A device used to measure the sensitivity of photographic materials, particularly dry plates.
Diapositive: A transparent positive image on glass or film, often used for contact printing or enlarging negatives.
Aplanatic: A lens that corrects for both spherical and chromatic aberration, producing a more perfect image.
Photomicrography: The process of photographing microscopic objects, using a microscope and camera to create enlarged images.
Polariscope: A device used to polarize light, allowing for the visualization of birefringent materials and enhancing contrast in photomicrography.
Bull’s-eye Condenser: A type of lens used to concentrate light onto the object being photographed in photomicrography.
Chromatic Aberration: A lens defect where different colors of light are refracted at different angles, causing a blurred or fringed image.

Examples:

Ambrotypes and Ferrotypes: These early positive processes, made on glass and iron plates, respectively, highlight the evolution of photographic technology.
The “Eclipse” shutter: This invention revolutionized portrait photography by enabling silent and remote exposures, allowing photographers to capture candid expressions.
The “Duplex” shutter: This improvement on the “Eclipse” further increased control over exposure, allowing for both timed and instantaneous shots.
The “Fairy” camera: This compact and lightweight camera made photography more accessible to amateurs, opening up new possibilities for outdoor photography.
The “Bowdish” posing chair: This versatile chair, adaptable for various poses and positions, became a staple in many studios, showcasing the importance of studio tools in creating successful portraits.
The Eastman flexible negative support: This paper-based film revolutionized field photography by significantly reducing weight and allowing for multiple exposures, making photography more portable and accessible.
The “Triplexicon” magic lantern: This efficient oil-burning lantern, providing high illumination, enabled amateurs to easily project their photographs and share their work.
The “Platyscope” lens: This rectilinear lens, known for its speed and sharpness, exemplifies advancements in lens design and the pursuit of higher photographic quality.
Dallmeyer lenses: These renowned lenses, prized for their sharpness, detail, and wide illumination, demonstrate the ongoing pursuit of photographic excellence.
Photomicrography: The process of photographing microscopic objects, using a microscope and camera, demonstrates the scientific and artistic potential of photography to reveal hidden worlds and details.

Conclusion:

“Photography in the Studio and in the Field” provides a valuable glimpse into the photographic practices of the late 19th century. The book reflects the rapid advancements of the era, particularly the introduction of gelatine bromide dry plates and the development of more sophisticated camera equipment. Estabrooke’s detailed explanations of different photographic processes, lenses, and printing methods offer a comprehensive guide for both studio and field photographers. The book highlights the importance of careful technique and a keen eye for detail in achieving successful photographic results. By studying the historical context and advancements presented in this book, modern photographers can gain a deeper appreciation for the foundations of their craft and the ongoing evolution of photographic technology.

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