M.G.S. Magazine - December 1959
Illustration by Norma Ellis.
There is no need for anyone to think that to take up photography one has to be an artist and chemist. Only one quality is required of a photographer and that is the ability to read. Certain people may think that photography is an expensive hobby but the cost can be cut considerably if one learns to carry out the simple and elementary processes for which the chemist charges so dearly. These may be done quickly and simply at home for a fraction of the cost at the chemist's.
Many misguided people have the idea that to take good photographs an expensive camera is essential. This is not true. If an expert were given an inexpensive box camera and a person who knew nothing at all about photography an expensive camera and both were sent out to take photographs, it is clear who would produce the better pictures. This goes to prove that the person behind the camera is much more important than the camera itself. If you have a camera, NO MATTER HOW INEXPENSIVE, get it out and use it. Carry your camera about with you wherever possible; you never know what you may see. Several years ago in Manchester there was a large fire in which there were many spectacular and dramatic moments. A person with a camera happened to be passing at the time and had the presence of mind to take a picture. For this one picture he was paid a total of about fifty pounds by several newspapers.
It is not solely for the purpose of recording a singular dramatic incident such as this that one should whenever possible carry a camera. If you are interested in pictorial photography you may, under certain atmospheric conditions, see the makings of a photograph where normally there would be nothing of interest. Examples of this are, for instance, the ray of light on a certain building or the tremendous impression of distance on a misty morning. In the latter case objects near to the camera stand out well against the mist whilst objects further away gradually become more and more indistinct until eventually they may fade out altogether.
Photography, as well as being a creative art in its own right, can also be of practical value in industry, medicine and many other fields. There are, too, for those interested, numerous branches of photography itself; natural history, architecture, people and many more are all specialised branches of a universal hobby or, in some cases, career.
In view of the wide field of photography, we have attempted to provide, in the School Camera Club, a means by which those interested may seek, and offer, advice on the subject. In the summer term we had a lecture by Mr. H. C. Wheatley of Dewsbury and several talks and showings of filmstrips. So far response to competitions has not been very widespread but we hope that this term we shall have the opportunity of meeting other enthusiastic members.
All members will have the opportunity of entering, as well as our own club competitions, a competition organised by the Photographic Information Council. A challenge Trophy for School Camera Clubs, and several vouchers for up to £10 worth of photographic equipment, are among the prizes. Photographs of any subject may be entered, so, with this in mind, carry your camera, and use it.
On Friday, September 11th, I had a phone call from Granada T.V. asking me to be on the panel of "We Want an Answer" on Monday, September 14th. The guests of the programme were Peter Thorneycroft and Richard Crossman. I was disappointed to find that the questions would have to be non-political because of the coming General Election.
I arrived in London at 4 p.m. and made my way to Chelsea Granada where I met other members of the panel. One of them, Celia, a student at Leeds University, I had met before. The rest of the panel was made up of three boys. Elaine Grand compered the programme.
The next thing we did was to discuss our ideas vetted by the producer.
We had camera rehearsal at 7.30. Voice production was also tested at this stage and microphones adjusted accordingly. We were then introduced to the guests of the programme, after which we had a lot of fun watching them have their camera rehearsal.
At 8.30 we went to the make-up room where we were plastered with a matt khaki concoction, in which we all looked decidedly weird.
We recorded the programme at 9 p.m. As the programme is spontaneous Miss Grand must know who wishes to ask the next question. We indicated our readiness by holding a pencil upright in front of us.
The programme was to be televised from 10.30 to 11 am, which, if we wished to see it, gave us an hour for dinner.
We rushed back to the studio at almost 10.30 and dashed into the lounge. We turned on the T.V. and to our dismay all we could hear was crackles and squeals. After several minutes of frantic twiddling, moving of plugs and banging, it still refused to work. Some-one then remembered that the porter had a small nine-inch set in his room, so we all immediately rushed there.
After the programme our taxi was waiting, and three of us caught the sleeper to Leeds, where we arrived at 6.30 a.m. I arrived at home just in time to change and go to school on the Tuesday morning.
To take photographs in colour is often thought to be a most expensive hobby, requiring most complicated apparatus, besides untold skill. This, however, is not the case, and it may be surprising to learn that it need not be unduly expensive, and may be only slightly more expensive than black and white photography. The results can certainly be much more satisfying, and the pictures seem more lifelike when they appear in real live colour.
Although an adjustable camera may be preferable, and necessary under certain conditions, the owner of a cheaper model is certainly not restricted to monochrome. Good results are easily obtainable, either as transparencies or paper prints, provided that the light conditions are favourable. Cameras such as the "Kodak Cresta" will give good results in bright sun.
Colour film is available in two distinct types, either reversal or negative. Reversal film is intended for producing transparencies, which are best viewed either through a projector, or in one of the table model viewers, looking something like a miniature television set, and having a large magnifying lens, to enlarge the picture. These may be either run from the mains or from a torch battery. Reversal film is available as 35 mm., 120 roll, and 620 roll.
Colour negative film is used for making colour negatives, from which prints or enlargements can be produced on special paper. Prints can also be made from transparencies, but most processes are complicated, and the results are usually inferior to those produced from colour negatives. Negative film is available as 127 roll film in addition to the sizes mentioned above for reversal film.
It is not usually possible to process colour films at home, they must be sent either to the maker, or one of his recognised service stations. Certain films e.g. "Kodak Ektachrome", can be processed by the amateur, using the special chemicals supplied by Kodak Ltd.
At first sight, colour photography may seem rather difficult, but anyone who has ever used colour film will agree that it is no more difficult than black and white, providing a little care is given in determining the correct exposure, or, with simpler cameras, the correct light conditions necessary for a correct exposure.
Waste is the scourge of every nation, however large. From my earliest youth I can remember the words my mother would say to me on my refusal to "clean the plate". She would respond by saying that some little boy somewhere would have been glad of it or that in her younger days their family used to fight for the empty pie dish — which I doubted very much at the time. In later years I began to realise that her words were true and that many things besides food were wasted. There are the opportunities and wasted words which failed to set some unfortunate person on the correct path again. There are the wasted explanations and wasted suffering. All these things are waste.
Some waste can be put to good use again, such as the waste-scraps for the birds and the waste paper returning into the pulp machines and scrap iron being made into steel once more, but no use can ever be found for a wasted Word or wasted toil and suffering. These are the real wastes and those, too, which we seem to overlook. A great statesman was killed by the shock when he realised that his work and pleading in an attempt to prevent war had been a waste of time and had only delayed the issue. There have been many other such incidents where a man suddenly realised that his life had been a waste and that he could never hope to repay his debt to society.
The greatest waste of all perhaps is the one most noticed — the wasting of time. Many people say, "You are wasting time", and just leave it at that instead of going deeper into the matter. The wasted time is wasted by the person in fault not only on his own behalf but also on the behalf of others as, whatever time he wastes, someone else will have to make up for it. A good illustration of this fact is the person who obtains a place at a Grammar or High School and who, on taking his General Certificate, only manages to procure one pass and is forced to take manual employment. He has, in fact, wasted five years of his life in his schoolwork in obtaining employment he could have obtained with a Modern School education, but the main point is that he has displaced some other boy from a place in the higher education level, who could probably have taken his chances as they came and have been a success. So a waste of time is not only a detriment to the one who wastes it but also to one who has no control over the circumstances.
Hair is a wide subject, particularly if you happen to have a wide head. There are many types of hair - long hair, short hair, brown hair, blonde hair and, of course, fresh hair. As almost everybody knows hair is grown for making wigs or for greyhounds to chase (or is that a heir?)
Hair can take every conceivable shape or form. Some people like their hair long because, although it keeps them warm, fellow "hep-cats" say they look "cool". Others like their hair short because this style is healthy and hygienic. Unfortunately there are a few who like their hair neither long nor short because they are "squares".
As experts will tell you, hair can be divided into three well defined categories. It can be straight, curly or non-existent. Each type has its own particular advantages. If you have straight hair, you can have it permed. If you have curly hair you can comb it to your heart's content. Although it may seem that those are indispensable advantages, the really lucky ones are those without hair. They can experience the exhilaration of polishing their heads.
Many men have sideburns which further advance the "cool" look. If you have both long hair and sideburns you can become too "cool" and freeze to death in consequence.
While we are on the subject of hair, account of beards must be taken, for those are usually composed of hair. Some men have beards and many women do not. Indeed a beard is most useful for making one look more masculine, but perhaps women do not regard this as an attributive feature.
The brevity of this article may cause some wonder as hair is such a wide subject. However, this is easily explained as I have a narrow head.
If any of the words in inverted commas is clearly understood, careful reference to the dictionary will not be of the slightest use.
The darkness gathered as our
car sped along the road to
Bradford. I sat in the front of the car with my fists clenched and my
eyes glued to the sky, where the stars were just beginning to appear.
As we entered Bradford, my father turned the steering wheel in the direction
of our destination, the Infirmary!
With a screech of brakes we drew up outside a tall dark building, and
before I realised what was happening I was lying in bed.
The bed next to mine was occupied by a small boy. His face was very
white, almost as white as his pillow, and it was not very hard to see
that he had just had his tonsils out. I spent a restless night, but
I was eventually lulled to sleep by the small boy's moaning.
The next morning the nurse gave me some horrible bitter powder with
a drink, which made me go to sleep. I half awakened in the Operating
Theatre, and saw a huge light and a lot of nurses and doctors in white.
I wished I hadn't, for I was half awake when the doctor gave me my anaesthetic.
When I awoke I was once more in bed, but my throat was very painful.
That night I lay awake very late listening to a cat's mournful wowing.
In the distance I could hear the nurses washing up, but soon all was
silent.
The next day, my mother brought me some grapes, and a book to read.
I sat in bed determined to finish the book, and that evening, when I
went to sleep the book lay finished on the bedside table.
The next morning I was up bright and early. Soon I was once more in
our car speeding along the Bradford road. But this time the sun shone,
the frost glittered on the road, and I was minus my tonsils.
When the bell rings at
4.15 p.m., the corridors at once
become a mass of hurrying figures. The cloakrooms become packed, the
corridor alongside the hall being almost blocked by the First form getting
and putting away their books.
I collect my hat and coat as quickly as possible and hurry down the
drive. There is usually only one bus waiting but sometimes the second
one has come also. The bus which I go on is always the last to arrive
and so I have to wait around for a little while. When it eventually
does come, there is a mad rush to get on. Caps are knocked off and satchels
are pinned back by the struggling mass. However, when everyone is safely
aboard, the bus sets off.
Its route lies along Crowlees Road past the newly built and old houses
on either side of the road. Branching off down Doctor Lane, it passes
the park and clinic and then halts (as it should do) at the main road.
Here, it turns left and heads towards the centre of the town. The scene
is a busy one with people hurrying to and fro, mothers shopping, people
coming home from work, children, like ourselves, going home from school,
cars, buses, bicycles, motorbikes and lorries thronging the roads and
pavements. The bus then swings to the right down Newgate where a large
and dirty mill is situated. We pass under a bridge over which runs a
railway and then over a bridge under which runs a river. This bridge
is very narrow and if two vehicles meet over it, one of them has to
go back. Turning to the left, we pass through Lower Hopton and then
the bus turns right to start its ascent of Hopton Hill. It is a long
climb during which we pass houses and fields and progress is very slow.
At last we reach the top and follow the twisting road, passing Hopton
Avenue and Hopton Drive. Turning left again we proceed up Jackroyd Lane.
As we pass the fish shop, I make my way to the bus doorway ready to
step off when the bus stops.
After getting off, I cross the road, open our squeaking gate and walk
up the path towards the black and white door that I know so well.
Illustration by Richard Robertson.