File:The artistic side of photography in theory and practice (1910) (14801898693).jpg

Identifier: artisticsideofph00ande (find matches)
Title: The artistic side of photography in theory and practice
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Anderson, A. J. (Arthur James), b. 1863
Subjects: Photography
Publisher: London, S. Paul & Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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the lighter and softer tones being employed.Contrariwise, an evening scene may often move theartist to use a very few dark tones; and so long as theartist remembers that even twilight is luminous, thisprint in a low key may be both truthful and enjoyable. The contraction of a scale of gradations which strikessome predominant note into quite a few tones in thehigh, low, or middle key is satisfactory, so long as thework is well and artistically done. But I think theremust be some predominant note around which tocontract the tones. One of the most delightful of modern hymn-tuneswas composed on three notes by an organist of ChristChurch, St. Leonards : the hymn was an eveninghymn, and the predominant note of this music wasthe lowest of the three. Mr. Cadby elaborates hisessays on children in the same simple manner, andstrikes a predominant note in the childs flesh-value,which is usually the lowest note in his theme : this iswhy his work is so strong. 143 A PORTRAIT By George H. Seeley 144
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<J£ Tone and Key This predominant note may be the highest, lowest,or betwixt and between ; but I think there must besome predominant note to justify the contraction oftones—some accent to give point and emphasis to thewhole. Perhaps the lack of a predominant note isthe reason why the general run of photographs, whichhave been simplified into a few tones, are so eminentlyunsatisfactory. When one considers that the quality of photographylies in the rendering of the delicate gradations of light,shading, and shadow; when one considers that theordinary negative renders these gradations in a mar-vellous way ; when one considers that the beauty ofan ordinary subject, done into a photograph, lies inthe full, rich harmony of light, shade, and shadow,one can see the absurdity of rendering such a subjectin only a few tones of drab colour : it is like taking apiece of music composed for a full orchestra and playingit on either a violin or a double-bass. On the other hand, when the photograp

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