2/12/96.

Papers read: "Amateurs in Camp," by Mr. J. Hammerton; "Cloud Printing," by Mr. C. O. Dentry.

11/12/96.

Monthly meeting. Mr. C. O. Dentry moved the insertion in Rule 9 (of the general rules) of the words "accompanied by first year's subscription" after the word "nomination." Carried.

Mr. Millar moved "that all candidates for membership be nominated and seconded at one monthly meeting, and balloted for at the succeeding monthly meeting." Carried.

Monthly competition.-" Xmas. Cards."-Class A.-A. M. Waddell, 1st and 2nd.; J. Hammerton, 3rd. Class B.Rev. W. J. Eddy, 1st.

CLOUD PRINTING.

By C. O. DENTRY.

Read before the Photographic Association, 2nd December, 1896. So much has been said and written about cloud printing in ordinary photographic work that there is little in the way of original information that I can give you, but, as the majority of our junior members are quite ignorant of the methods usually adopted, I will endeavour to explain the simplest and easiest means of adding clouds to a print from a negative that is defective in this respect.

I have frequently, while acting as judge at our monthly competitions, pointed out to what a degree the beauty of a picture would have been enhanced by the addition of suitable clouds in place of the staring sky which actually killed what would otherwise have been an effective scene. Many competitors have honestly said that they do not know how to put them in, while others say it is a great trouble, &c. I trust that the former objection will no longer hold good from to-night, while for the latter I am afraid I can hold out neither comfort nor cure. Let me, however, remind you that everything worth doing is more or less trouble.

As the subject of this paper is rather more a matter for practical illustration than for reading only, I will endeavour to fully demonstrate it by means of the simple apparatus which you see on the table, and which consists of nothing more complicated than an ordinary printing frame, some masks, and a few pieces of cardboard.

Let me remind you that it is a very unusual thing for an observer to turn his eyes towards the heavens and see a clear

sky. On the contrary, how often do we hear such remarks as "What a beautiful sky!" "What striking clouds!" and so on. Even when the sky is not particularly effective, we hardly know what an important part it plays in a view until we see a photographic picture with a clear staring sky, meaningless and expressionless, a face without the eyes. In nine cases out of ten a negative will not print its own clouds with the view for several reasons. They are chiefly that the sky developes faster than the view, and so becomes exceedingly dense, or that the clouds were not sufficiently marked in themselves, or perhaps the sky was clear. Whatever the cause the print is bare, and clouds must be put in by what is generally termed double printing.

I am aware of several methods that have been suggested for keeping the sky back during development, by local application of restrainers or by brush development, and also by reduction after fixing. I shall not however enter into these to-night, as they hardly come within the scope of my paper. Let me first recommend you to make a collection of cloud negatives. Take them whenever you get the chance, some lighted from the right, others from the left; also, both top and bottom light. Take a print from each negative, and keep the lot in an album, and from your varied collection you will soon see which best suits the view in hand. If the latter be lighted from the right, choose a cloud lighted from the same direction. The best effects you will get in the morning. or evening while the sun is near the horizon.

It is almost useless to take white clouds in a clear blue sky; the latter will develope as fast as the white clouds. The use of a screen will however overcome this difficulty, but the exposure must be prolonged. Coppery coloured clouds take well. Always take about an inch of the horizon with your clouds, or you may get them upside down; and, if you can, get them on a plate a size larger than you use. This will enable you to shift your print about to get the best effect. Back your plates and give a short exposure, remembering that it is not necessary to use your smallest stop. A shutter set to a fairly slow speed is better than the cap. Develope for contrast and not too dense, using rather less than the normal quantity of accelerator. Use the same kind of developer that you use for your ordinary work.

Having chosen your cloud negative, take a print from your view, and having carefully cut away the sky along the horizon, or the edges of buildings, blacken the view part all over by exposing it to the light. Write what it is on the back, and you have a permanent mask for that particular view. To use it take a print from your negative, and carefully fit the mask over it with a touch of gum at corners to hold it in position. Place your cloud negative in the frame

and the masked view in the ordinary way. While it is printing, slightly shade off towards the horizon with a piece of cardboard to get the effect of distance, otherwise the clouds will look like a wall.

In putting clouds in a vignetted picture it is better to shade away from the horizon, or the sky would not balance with the other portion of the view.

For a moonlight effect print dark and bring to a colder tone than for a daylight picture. I cannot give you hard and fast rules for every view. Use your own judgment.

I must own that the chief beauty of a natural sky lies in the colouring, and this you cannot reproduce, but do the best you can. Little points will strike you in manipulation, and every failure will teach you something new.

THE order Raptores, as represented in Australia by the hawks and owls we find pretty evenly distributed throughout the colonies, and the district under consideration has its fair complement of these noble and useful birds.

The Falcons, about the most daring and powerful of the order, will first engage our attention. Two species came under my notice, the Black-checked and the Little Falcon; these two hawks, and more especially the latter, are greatly dreaded by all smaller birds, who generally make off to the nearest shelter ing bush or thicket on their approach. Ducks of various kinds are preyed upon by these birds, being generally killed on the wing. Many duck shooters have a great regard for the Little Falcon, as ducks will rarely rise out of range of the guns when this bird is in the neighbourhood.

The common Brown Hawk is frequently met with, and its congener the Western Brown Hawk has been shot, and its eggs taken at Swan Hill by my friend, Mr. R. Hall.

The little Nankeen Kestrel, one of the best known hawks on the continent, though commonly called the "Sparrow Hawk," is easily distinguished from the latter bird both by its light reddish brown plumage, and by its well-known habit of hovering in the air over some particular spot on the ground where something has attracted its notice. It usually lays its eggs in a hollow tree on the decayed wood, but sometimes chooses other situations.

The Wedge-tailed Eagle, the finest example of this order of birds in Australia, was found breeding near Kerang early in spring, and was frequently seen in other parts of the district.

Another eagle, though not generally known as such, which came under my notice first at Newbridge on the Loddon, was the Whistling Eagle, my attention being first attracted to it by hearing its characteristic cry which, when once heard, can never be forgotten. These birds will often, on a clear warm day, soar higher and higher till completely lost to sight; they do this, I think, more frequently than any other Australian eagle.

Whilst riding along the Murray frontage at Murrabit one day in November a passing shadow caused me to look up wards, when I was surprised and delighted to see a large hawk passing over, which, from its black breast and conspicuous white band across the base of the primary feathers, I at once recognised as the Black breasted Buzzard, a bird usually found further north in New South Wales, and rarely seen in Victoria. This bird is, by many, reputed to indulge a taste for emu eggs, by first frightening the mother bird off her nest, and then carrying a stone overhead and dropping it on the eggs and so breaking them, and then descending to feast upon the contents. His habit has however never been directly observed by any credible authority.

Another very beautiful hawk noted near the same locality on the Murray was the Black-shouldered Kite, a bird of a general light grey colour with a black mark over the carpal joint.

The common Harrier (Circus gouldi) was frequently seen sailing over swamps or cornfields in various places.

The only owl noted was the very well known Boobook; however, the museum of the Bendigo School of Mines contains a number of other species said to have been obtained in the district.

In the first half of these notes I dealt with the Pigeons and Gallinaceous birds as they were numerically few in number in the district, and left the Hawks for later consideration ; this will then account for my going on now to the order containing the Rails. The two species of this family most frequently met with were the Coot (Fulica australis), and the Blackbacked Porphyrio (P. melanotus) both of which species were in great numbers on the lakes and swamps about Kerang and the Murray. I found several nests of the latter bird in the swamps on the New South Wales side of the Murray at Murrabit. The nests were constructed of green grasses, and placed generally in the centre of a tussock growing in the .water, but were well above it. The majority contained fresh eggs at the end of November.

The Native Companion, Australia's only crane, occurred in parties of five or six on the plains at Kerang, and paired for breeding purposes on the swamps.

Only one solitary Bustard showed himself to us--by the side of a road near the Murray; this bird is supposed to be protected perpetually in this colony, but is shot whenever seen by sportsmen so-called.

That very stately and dignified bird, the Pelican, is a common object on the Kerang Lakes, and in the same sheet of water I have noticed these birds in company with three species of cormorant, the darter, the crested and hoaryheaded grebes, and flocks of duck and coot. The Wandella Lake, within a mile of the town of Kerang, usually swarms with aquatic birds which are rarely, if ever, disturbed by the townspeople.

Herons were very much in evidence in this northern part of the district, the Pacific and White-fronted being especially numerous in the open and shallower parts of the swamp country and irrigated lands. One day whilst procuring specimens on the Gunbower Creek, I disturbed a number of Nankeen Night Herons (Nyctiardea caledonicus) from the trees, as many as twenty-nine passing over my head at one time, uttering disapproving croaks at my intrusion upon their domain.

The Bittern (Botaurus poicilopterus) I came across on the reedbeds on the New South Wales side of the Murray, and was fortunate in finding two of their nests; these were found in clumps of rushes in fairly deep water, the rushes being bent over and interlaced so as to form a kind of platform upon which the eggs were placed. One nest contained three partially incubated eggs, and the other five fresh ones.

Two species of ibis were very numerous, the white and the straw-necked; both these species breed in the reedbeds in colonies. The Yellow-legged Spoonbill was often seen in their company when out feeding.

The Plovers and their allies will next engage our attention, the commonest form being the little Black-breasted Plover, which was seen in all the open parts, and was especially numerous on the plains between Pyramid Hill and Kerang, where they were breeding in thousands; all stages could be seen at one time from eggs to nearly fledged young, during the months of October and November. The Spurwing Plover was less numerous, and the Thicknee, or so-called Stone Plover, only occasional. Along the edges of the rivers and lakes were noted the Avocet, the Banded Stilt, and the little Black-fronted Dottrel.

A number of Snipe were put up in some wet paddocks near Macorna by a dog which a friend had brought with him, one day during October.