CHAPTER XXIMOUNTAINEERING PHOTOGRAPHY
Notthe least of the rewards of mountaineering are the memories of mountain comrades and adventures which cheer those of the true faith through the humdrum existence of ordinary life. The camera enables us to retain a faithful picture of the many striking incidents, the wonderful surroundings and the fellow-actors who have played with us in the great game; so that photography, like a keen and accurately observant sixth sense, helps to keep our mountain memories fresh and true for all time. Given no other, this, by itself, were sufficient reason why a camera should accompany us on our travels.
A distinction should be drawn between photography of mountains and mountaineering photography. The former is a pursuit indulged in by those who are, for the most part, content to take photographs of mountain scenery from valleys, railways, roads, paths or other easily accessible points of view. In such cases, photography is the chief object; any mountaineering that may be done is, as a rule, of the simplest kind and undertaken chiefly for the sake of photography. By “mountaineering photography,” on the other hand, I would designate the use to which the mountaineer puts the camera; to him, climbing is the main object, and photography merely an incidental side issue. To the photographer, the weight and bulk of his photographic apparatus is of minor importance; but thebona-fideclimbermust cut down the weight of his photographic equipment to a minimum, and any photography he may indulge in must interfere as little as possible with the pursuit of the ruling passion. His camera must be so simple that pictures can be taken quickly and without waste of time. The scenes most worthy of record frequently give little warning of their approach and are of short duration; and, unless the camera is one which can be quickly manipulated, the opportunity will be gone before the record can be secured. The mountaineer is, therefore, confined to the use of a simple, light camera of small and convenient dimensions. The opinion is widely expressed in books on mountain photography that good results are only obtainable with stand cameras and glass plates—the heaviest and most inconvenient type of photographic equipment. To-day, this is no longer the case. Lenses, folding cameras sufficiently small and compact to fit into one’s pocket, and the celluloid film negative have been brought to such a state of perfection that, with their aid, the climber can secure photographs which not only compete successfully from the point of view of quality with the results obtained with far more elaborate apparatus, but also far excel the latter in quantity.
The choice of camera is governed, in the first place, by the size of the negative required. In contact copies, from the smaller sizes of negatives, details, often of value, are too readily overlooked and usually appear to proper advantage only on enlargement. Particularly so is this the case with regard to pictorial effect. Enlargements to more than six or seven diameters show up faulty definition to an exaggerated degree, and the grain of the emulsion often becomes disturbingly evident. The smallest size of negative which may be regarded as sufficiently free from these drawbacks is 2¹⁄₂ × 3¹⁄₂inches, a size which permits of satisfactory enlargement up to the pleasing dimensions of 12 × 15 or even 15 × 20 inches. As, however, a quarter-plate size (3¹⁄₄ × 4¹⁄₄ inches) camera is procurable which is handy, simple to use, and is neither too bulky nor too heavy, the mountaineer would do best to be on the safe side and adopt this as his standard. There is no need to peer into or use a magnifying glass when looking at a quarter-plate size contact print. Its pictorial value can be easily judged, the proportions of the shape are pleasing, and it enlarges well.
In a mountain hut.
A portrait study.
Facing page 336.
Having chosen the size of the camera, it is necessary to decide whether plates, flat films, pack films, or roll films are to be employed. For the mountaineer, plates are out of the question; they are too heavy, too easily damaged and too slow to bring into use. Owing, however, to the standard of excellence attained in the manufacture of various types of films, there can nowadays be no advantage in preferring plates, even if weight were not a consideration. Also, in the matter of expense, there is little difference between the cost of plates and that of films. As far as the climber is concerned, flat films (“cut films”) suffer from the same defect as plates, in that they take too much time to use. Pack films are free from this disadvantage, but the packages in which they are contained will not stand rough usage; they are somewhat readily damaged, with the result that light may be admitted. The roll-film is the negative materialpar excellencefor the mountaineer. In a suitably designed camera, the best makes lie perfectly flat. Their bulk and weight are less than those of any other type of negative. Easily packed in air- and waterproof packages which can be sealed with adhesive plaster, they are practically unbreakable and will withstand extraordinarily rough handling. They are quickly changedin broad daylight, free from halation effects, and twelve exposures can be developed together, with little more trouble than attends the developing of a single plate or flat-film negative. These are but a few of the great advantages of roll films from the mountaineer’s point of view. Hence the ideal camera for the climber is a quarter-plate size, roll-film, folding model.
In choosing such a camera, attention should be paid to the following points. The camera should be light, yet strong. It should be as simple as possible and provided only with such mechanism as is essential to the taking of good photographs. All superfluous accessories should be dispensed with. The essential features of a camera are these:—
The back must fit light-tight on to the body. The film-winding mechanism contained in the body should be such that the film is held flat and not scratched on winding. The bellows should be strong and light-tight and should be periodically examined for pin-holes when the camera is in use. Pin-holes, when they occur, are easily repaired by sticking over them a piece of adhesive plaster which can then be blackened with ink or charcoal. The side-struts should lock the base-board firmly when the camera is opened. The front-grip should slide smoothly in the runners and yet fit well, so that when the camera is opened the front standard is held rigid. The shutter is an item of great importance; its timing should be calibrated, and its mechanism be of such a design that the opening and closing movements are as rapid as possible, thus enabling the passing of the maximum amount of light during the time of exposure. The two most important speeds of the shutter are the ¹⁄₅₀ of a second and a high speed such as ¹⁄₂₅₀ or ¹⁄₃₀₀ of a second. It is difficult to hold a camera sufficiently steady to ensure accurate definition with a lesserspeed than ¹⁄₅₀ of a second, and this, in the vastmajority of cases, will be the standard shutter speed employed. Occasionally, when photographing a rapidly-moving object, such as an avalanche, or a climber jumping a crevasse, the fastest available shutter speed should be used. Integral with the shutter mechanism is the stop, preferably an iris diaphragm. The quantity of light allowed to fall upon the negative should be controlled as far as possible by means of the stop alone, the shutter speed being kept always at ¹⁄₅₀ of a second save in exceptional circumstances. The lens is one of the chief keys to successful photography. From personal experience of many different makes of lenses, I can unhesitatingly recommend the following: Kodak Anastigmats f: 6.3 and f: 4.5, Goerz Dagor or Dogmar f: 4.5 and Zeiss Tessar f: 4.5. These four give excellent definition, and the last is particularly suitable for taking photographs for map-making purposes. For a quarter-plate camera, the focal length should, as a rule, be 4 to 5 inches, rather nearer the former than the latter. The lens, when fitted and the camera opened, must be truly centred with the axis at right angles to the plane of the negative. The view-finder should include no more and no less of the object to be photographed than is actually projected by the lens on to the negative. The focussing scale must be accurately graduated for the lens with which the camera is fitted, and should be provided with an automatic infinity stop which is free from backlash. Both focussing scale and infinity stop, but particularly the latter, must be set with the greatest possible accuracy. This will nearly always be the case in a camera of reputable make secured from the makers themselves. A short cable release is an advantage; it enables one to hold the camera more steady when an exposure is being made. It goes without saying that the camera shouldbe of the best material and workmanship throughout. One of the best makes of cameras procurable and suitable for the mountaineer is the Folding Pocket Kodak Number 3.
The Aiguille du Géant.
Clearing mists.
The Sella Pass.
Approaching thunderstorm.
Facing page 338.
The estimation of correct exposure is a difficult matter for many beginners in mountaineering photography. The following may serve as a rough guide. In the summer months between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., when above the snow-line, snow scenes require ¹⁄₅₀ of a second and about stop f: 20; rock scenes ¹⁄₅₀ of a second, stop f: 10. Distant snow scenes and distant mountain ranges need ¹⁄₅₀ of a second, stop f: 30. I do not recommend exposure meters, chiefly because their use takes up too much time. For development, I advocate the use of Kodak daylight developing tanks with the special developers prepared by that firm. The negative of almost every photograph used in the illustration of the present book was developed in the Kodak daylight developing tank.