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PART THREE
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PAGES 25 TO 32 J
VOL. XIX
EQRCGON Ioves of0epamera nj
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Ore or thes3 days, and that not so far
In the dim and miety future, the people of
the East who are investing thousands and
even millions of dollars on scenery-hunting
trips In Switzerland and other
picturesque countries of the world,
will begin to realize that they can get as
much for their money, and gaze upon
cliffs just as imposing, mountains just
as magnificent, and waterfalls just as
graceful and filmy. If they will but come
to Oregon, That will be a day of triumph
for the Oregon Camera Club, for when
ever the story of the scenery here be
comes properly known throughout the
Eist. It will be largely due to the efforts
of that rapidly growing band of enthu
siasts, which has found an inspiration
aming the hills within easy reach of Port
land, and whose members have been bot-t-ing
up the sccnory and administering it
to their Eastern friends, in the homeo
pathic dose of the Kodak view and the
aIoiKithlc portion of the lantern slide, for
same ten or a dozen years. In all that
I. me the standard of excellence of produc
tion has been rising, until now the views
that arc- hung on the walls of the club
rooms. In The Oregcnian Building, are as
line ts can be found anywhere, and have
surrrlsed some of the Eastern- amateurs,
when they have found their way Into some
of the big prize competitions.
And it is not alone in landscape work
that the club has made a name for itself
in the world of amateur photography. The
portraits made by Edgar Felloes, who is
cne of its pioneer members, have taken
world's prizes in America and England,
and Mr. Felloes bos accumulated so large
a collection of trophies of his victories
that he has to keep an extra room. Hard
ly an Important competition has been held
in the United States in the last five years
that come of the work fo members of the
Oregon Camera' Club has not been entered
therein, and It is never entered without
getting away with a prize or two.
The. "Cnmcra Klenel."
As 5s well known, there is no enthusiast
like a "camera fiend." Beside him, the
baseball "fan" is the epitome of apathy,
and the golf player is but tamely inter
ested in his favorite diversion. Your true
cmaumr protographer will go wherever ne
t Irks a fine view is to be had, whether It
is :o the top of Mount Hood, or half way
t j ..u summit of some well-nigh lnaccessl
l.c cliff in the gorge of the Columbia. He
w..i rise at dawn to get a snap shot of
an eclipse of the sun, or will sit up the
R hole of a moonlight night, tending - a
camera that is engaged in absorbing
enough of pole Cynthia's rays to get au
.. iequate impression of something or other
y moonlight." He will jeopardize life
- d hmb. lingering on the right of way of
a railroad line, to get a snap at an over
;.i".d flyer, when It comes thundering past,
. j.J when the Holland torpedo boat with
draws into the depths of the deep blue
sea. there is the camera "fiend," box in
hand, peering into the strraK of brilliancy
made by the searchlight, for a chance to
bring back a picture of the bottom of the
ocean.
It is this enthusiasm that makes the
amateur photographer an Ideal clubman,
and unites all of the craft with a bond of
sympathy. He will leave off any occujwi
tion under the face of the shining sun to
discuss- the relative menis of a newly
developed developer" with another en
thusiast, or to get Into an argument about
the proper combination of figures required
to take a certain mountain, at a .certain
distance, at a certain time of day. He is
Instantly the warm and familiar friend ot
any one whom he meets with a camera
in the mountain wilderness, and is fur
nished with a topic of conversation which
throws the weather completely into the
shade.
This fellow-feeling Is what has enabled
the Oregon Camera Club to do so much
for Its members. They have kept together
for mutual Improvement and to benefit by
each other's experience, and the progress
that they have made Is abundant evidence
ot the helpful influence of co-operation.
There is hardly a time during the day,
when a knot of amateurs Is not gathered
in the tastefully furnished rooms of the
club, discussing some new point that has
been raised by a member, or that has been
brought into prominence by a late number
of a photographic magazine.
Deferred to by Others.
Those whose work is known to have a
high standing are deferred to by the
younger and newer members of the guild,
and there, in turn, gladly draw from their
experience any lessons that they can for
the benefit of the tyros who sit so humbly
at their feet. Soon these same tyros will
have prize winners of their own on the
walls, and then a younger generation will
rise up and call them wise and beg in
struction from their lips.
The hold that the camera takes on a
man does not let go till death. He will
drop his other amusements; he may even
retire from business, but once an amateur
photographer, always an amateur photo
grapher. Thus the local club membership
is growing, for although new recruits are
received every week, the veterans In the
service remain, and. as a consequence, the
club has been obliged to Increase its facili
ties from time to time, till it Is -now one
o.f the best equipped organizations of the
kind In the country. The Camera Club
has four large rooms on the second floor
of The Oregonian Building and a large op
erating room in the tower, which is ad
mirably equipped for lighting the chief
requisite for portrait worlt. The second
floor rooms are divided into a large exhi
bition room or hall, on the walls of which
some of the finest specimens of the work
of the members are hung; a locker room,
where- the members keep their belongings,
and four dark rooms, so that there is
always room for all comers.
The exhibition-room Is of ample sine
for the lectures, lantern-slide exhibitions
and such of the demonstrations as do not
require dark rooms. The walls are hung
with dark creen art burlap mats, which
PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNIN0,
Ttxay VI, N .p.-iSjwBCT" 5TQopTiCAN lecture. ,.-Vgaa
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show the pictures to fine advantage. Here
are given the' annual print exhibits of the
club, which- attract hundreds of visitors
and bring pictures from members all over
the state. Many of the finest views that
are entered In these competitions are left
hanging the year round, and may be seen
at any time by visitors. And a fine col
lection of pictures they are. There are
portraits which have won world's prizes;
landscapes of a delicacy of workmanship
almost equal to an etching; character
sketches and striking scenes that fix the
attention ot the visitor as soon as he en
ters the room.
On a table near the window the latest
photographic periodicals are always to be
found, and usually several members of
the club are collected about it "reading
up," or discussing articles that have given
rise to contentions.
Lantern-Slide Interchange.
A fine, large stereoptlcon is in this room,
by means of which a strong eleotric arc
is made to throw lantern slides on a
screen. Formerly the club was a member
of the American Lantern-Slide Inter
change, and it is now at work
on a set of slides which will bo
used to renew Its membership. The
Interchange is composed of all the
prominent clubs of the country, each
of which furnishes a series of slides every
year. These are sent -around from one
club to another till they have made the
entire round, and each club holds an ex
hibition about once a month, at which the
views of other clubs are shown. This
practice enables the clubs to view the
scenery of other parts of tho country, as
well as to keep Informed on- the quality
of work that is being done in other cities.
In the locker-room each member has a
pigeonhole where he stores the chemicals
he uses In developing his pictures. There
are hardly any two members of the club
who develop alike, each having his own
peculiar method, and as a consequence,
the lockers contain a great variety of
compounds, some of them of the cheapest
and others of the most expensive charac
ter. The club furnishes all the "hypo"
the one thing that- everybody must use
without charge, to the members. It -is
purchased by the barrel, and Is used al
most by the shovelful, when, several pho
tographers are at work at once. The
dark rooms are. all furnished with sinks,
running water, ruby lanterns, with in
candescent lights, plate racks trays and
graduates.
In the largest dark room there Is room
for several members to work without in
terfering with one another, while each of
the others is designed for Individual work.
Every convenience that a photographer
can desire Is at hand, and, as a rule, near
ly all the work of the members is dono
here. Miss Lily E. White, the assistant
secretary of the club. Is always to be
found in the rooms, and is ever ready to
assist beginners. Her assistance has been
found" invaluable to those who are just
beginning -to develop their own pictures,
Enlarging- Camera.
In another room, which is divided, off
from tho dark rooms by a light-proof par
tition, is an enlarging camera, one of the
finest to be procured. It Is here that many
of the prize-winning pictures are enlarged,
and by means of this camera, the possess
or of an tordlnary 4x5 machine can, turn
out pictures Just as large -as he wants
them, and compete on equal, or almost
equal, terms with tho owner of the large
cameras. -
The operating-room Is in the tower of
The Oregonian Building, where it can be
lighted from as many sides as necessary.
It contains all the appliances of a first
class photograph gallery. Including a
splendid portrait camera, the use of which
Is free to. club members. It is in this gal
lery that Mr. Felloes took nearly all his
prize-winning pictures; and where he se
cured the -lighting effects that have made
his work, so well known. 'Portraiture Is
rapidly coming -into vogue among the
members of the club, and the success of
Mr. Felloes, In this' most difficult branch
of the art. has Inspired a great deal ot
generous emulation. As a result, on the
walls of the clubrooms are hung many
splendid portraits, whose artistic posing
and execution would win attention in any
company. The operating-room was at
first little used, but It is now visited daily
by club members, who have been so for
tunate as to secure good "subjects," while
others are scouring the city every day for
striking, faces whose reproduction. In car
bon or platinum tirts, the hope will
bring. them renown.
In order to keep up with the discov
eries and developments of photography,
the board of management of the Camera
Club has arranged a series of lectures
and demonstrations, some of which arev
given by local professional photographers
and some by Miss White. Lectures of this
kind are frequently followed by discus
sion, arid the opportunity for the inter
change of Ideas thus afforded Is of incal
culable benefit.
Formation of Clnh.
. The present Oregon Camera Club is the
successor of two similar organizations
which were born, flourished for a -while
and died. Those were the days when ama
teur photographers, although enthusiastic,
were few, and when it was impossible to
get enough together to support a club.
The present organizations came Into exist
ence about six-years ago, when the kodak
was first becoming common. Rooms were
secured in a building on First street, and
to the surprise of the promoters, whose
confidence had-undergone a pretty severe
shaking In two similar experiences, the
membership began to Increase and the
treasury to fill. In a year or two. The
club secured two Tooms on the seventh
floor of The Oregonian Building, where it
set up better appliances than those in
JUNE 3, 11)00.
the rooms on First street. From that time
forth the success of the organization was
assured."
Soon , a demand arose for instruction,
and prominent professionals .were secured
to give lectures and demonstrations, while
members of the club who made specialties
of certain classes of work were called
upon to impart their experiences to fel
low members. In a few years more room
was needed, and the club moved to its
present commodious quarters, where it
will probably remain, as there Is plenty of
room for all the members, and the loca
tion is central and pleasant.
The present officers of the club are: A.
Gavin, president: Harry G. Smith, vice
president, and W. S. Macrum, secretary
and treasurer. These, with D. Ellery, J.
W. Holmes. A. E. Morris, George W. Hoyt
and C. M. Cox, constitute the board ot
directors. All of the ofticers are enthusias
tic amateur photographers and, energetic
club members. Mr. Gavin was one of
the organizers of, and has been a leading
spirit in the club since it came Into ex
istence: His enthusiasm has done much
tojkeep up Interest in the club, while the
other members of the board are always
ready to second him in whatever plans of
Improvement he may make.
NetT Members Coming In.
Members of the Camera Club have been
joining lately at a surprising fate. More
than 20 were added to the rolls In April,
and 32 names of applicants were posted in
May. The friends of the club who have
hitherto remained outside Its pale are be
ginning to come in, as they realize how
great are the benefits It extends to its
members.
One bt the most enjoyable features of
the year Is the annual excursion. A spot
Is selected, abounding in picturesque scen
ery, or in Indians or other people who
will look well on carbon paper; excursion
rates on steamer or train are obtained,
and tho whole club goes forth under the
open sky to paint nature, with the aid
of the sunshine. The last excursion was
made to Hood River, and others have
had for an objective point many of the
beautiful spots along the Columbia.
The days when the owner of a camera
sent his pictures to the factory to be de
veloped, have passed. Photography has
come to be recognized not as a mechanical
craft but as an art. In which the artistic
eye and temperament have as much to
do as In any other.
Association with those who have made
a' success in photography Is as Indispens
able to the aspiring amateur as a study
of the works of the best masters Is for
the young artist The opportunity to learn
Is afforded by the Oregon Camera ClubJ
Professional Photography.
But Interest In amateur photography
Is not limited to the membership of the
Oregon Camera Club, nor is interest in
the art confined to the ranks of amateurs.
There are many excellent photographers
In Portland and throughout the state who
havo received their training In the. pro
fessional galleries, and who have found
in the magnificent snow-capped mountains
of Oregon, her majestic rivers, beetling
cliffs and shining cataracts, the Inspira
tion that has enabled them to do work
that has attracted attention everywhere.
The railroads have been prodigal In their
use of photography, as a means of ad
vertising Oregon, and have found no lack
of splendid photographs of the scenery
along their lines in the galleries of Port
land and some of the cities of Eastern
Oregon.
And an effective means of advertising it
Is, for a single photograph will convey
a better idea of a mountain, or a pic
turesque bit of river, than columns ot
descriptive writing. The Columbia, from
the fleets of fishing-boats which dot it
near Astoria, to the gorges where it
rushes madly along on Its way to the sea.
has been photographed by workmen who
knew their trade, and hardly a tourist
comes to Oregon who does not inquire
for some bit of scenery of which he has
seen a photograph.
Many amateurs throughout the state
who have achieved distinction by their
excellent work are not members of the
Oregon Camera Club. Landscapes,
abounding in features which make them
the target of many a camera, are almost
at every door in the state, and thou
sands of enthusiasts mark them for their
own, every sunshiny day. A high stand
ard of work has been maintained, and
only pictures which are remarkably fine
specimens of the photographer's art can
obtain recognition or stand a chance of
sale.
No Lack ot Purchasers.
But unusual views, which are -worthy
of a place in a frame on the wall of a
parlor or dining-room, never lack for pur
chasers. There is one view of Mount
Hood of which thousands of copies have
been made, and theN demand Is stl'.l so
great that the fortunate photographer
who made the plate can hardly supply It.
Surgeons are beginning to find the cam
era useful In their profession, and have
come to use It more and mbre In the
laboratory and the operating-room. By
Its use they are enabled to preserve, per
manently features of a case which It
would be Impossible to carry in the mem
ory and to exchange experiences with
practitioners in other towns the more
readily. Since the Roentgen ray was dis
covered, many excellent photographs have
been made in Portland with its assistance,
and the ' camera has been an Invaluable
means of preserving its records.
The camera has alio become useful in
commerce. Miners with mines to dispose
of. real estate agents who have houses
to sell, farmers who are looking for cus
tomers for tracts of young orchard lands,
all find It a valuable means of making
known what they have in the market, and
Intending buyers know that It will not
prevaricate or exaggerate. Its use is be
coming more and more common, and such
is the demand for cameras and photo
graphic supplies that many concerns are
engaged In their sale, and find it a profit
able and growing business.
The aim of a great many amateurs who
do the better sort ot work. Is toward the
use of photography In illustrating. Al
NO. 22.
though the time will undoubtedly como
when It will be generally used for this
purpose, progress towards- the goal Is
slow. The reason for this is the great
difficulty In securing models who can for
get themselves long enough to assume
the poses and facial expression necessary
to the characters which they are Intended
to represent. Not only must a photog
rapher who hopes to achieve any distinct
success as a portrait artist be a master
of technique, tut he must be careful in
selecting for models people whom he cart
pose as he wishes to, and whom he can
bring under the control of his will. Many
pretty girls wrho "lock the part" the as
piring photographer desires them to, and
who have been arrayed in the fitting gar
ments, are utterly unable to forget that
they are sitting for -their pictures, and
as a consequence the most carefully taken
plates are disappointing to their makers
when their dim outlines begin to be visi
ble In the faint glow of the ruby light.
In other words, a man cr woman who is
a good model must be either a clever
actor or actress, or must have a mind
that will yield to what may be termed
the hypnotic influence of the man with
the camera. And actors and actresses, as
a rule, know how to pose for pictures so
as to get the very best results. This Is
why a woman who is not of especially
pleasing countenance on the street, or
even masked in the make-up she wears
behind the footlights, will take a photo
graph that makes her look a raving
.beauty.
When a photographer succeeds In get
ting a collection of models which he can
pose for any picture, mythological, relig
ious or merely cf a society scene, he wTl
be able to do something with" his camera.
in illustration, but not till then.
In Newspaper Work.
In newspaper illustration, however, the
camera, is indispensable. No effort is made
for artistic effects. What is required is
a picture which will convey an accurate
Impression of a human countenance or a
general idea cf a street scene, a railroad
accident, or any of the numerous things
that a newspaper puts in Its columns.
Time is a prime consideration. A news
paper artist who uses a camera to assist
him In making street pictures who takes
notes with It, so to speak, will develop five
pictures while the average amateur Is
hunting for his developing materials. The
artistic finish of the picture is done with
the pen, not with the- camera, and tha
amount of work that is sometimes turned
out of the trusty box of the newspaper
illustrator, would take most amateurs
breath away. For them a picture is an
achievement to be tolled upon for hours,
and to be gazed at for days after Its
completion. To him It is a convenient ad
junct to his calling, to be made use ot
and thrown away within an hour. In
many cities reporters go armed with cam
eras and are on hand ready to make a
picture of anything of Interest that comes
in their line. As a rule, they turn their
camera over to the art room when they
have snapped it on what they, want re
produced in the paper, and the art room
does the rest.