MEN OF CHARACTER
AN ILLUSTRATED INTERVIEW WITH
DR. JULIAN SMITH FRPS
November 1946 Page 520 - The Australasian Photo-Review
Your Editor, who does so much for the readers of the A.P.-R., called on me whilst in Melbourne recently and asked for an interview in order to compile subject matter for an article on my recent portraiture to appear in the A.P.-R.
Following is the substance of replies to a searching questionnaire put by a man who knows his job and gives the public what he thinks it “ought to have”.
I was glad to help and particularly pleased that he applied in person, so that he could make his own choice of prints in hand. He had just made a preview of my one-man-show of 100 prints about to tour Australia and he found it difficult to choose a few from so many; just as I had myself. But he shrewdly applied a test to assist him in making a choice by saying, “give me a dozen prints of "men of character" that you have portrayed recently, people who have done things of note in their particular spheres of action”.
During the war years, when these pictures were made, there was little chance of giving full play to one’s hobby, because of many newly-acquired duties.
This hobby began with me about twenty years ago as a relaxation from strenuous work and my responsibilities to the sick. It worked well, because it was always ready to set up for leisure moments as they came.
Doctoring is largely a study of mankind and medical men must develop the faculty of seeing the man as well as his malady. For these reasons, many medical men, all over the world, have become portraitists. In their writings, they all emphasize these points. Some of them aim at characterization alone and their illustrations show first-class capture of likeness. But, in many of these, there seems to be no special insistence upon pictorialism; meaning by that, subtleties in lighting, tonal gradation, simplification of subject matter, concentration of interest and general attention to composition.
All my work is by artificial light. When I first began many years ago, very little had been done in lighting equipment design. Therefore, at the beginning there had to be much experimentation; but I found finally after filling the scrap heap with unwanted lamp houses, that the basic principle underlying lighting required a concentrated main light more or less above and to one side of the sitter and secondly, broad diffused light in front of and further away from the sitter and serving to light the shadow side. The stronger, nearer main light produces modeling and likeness; the broad front light lessens the steep scale of tones and brings it within the scope of the photographic emulsion.
Although I have written “concentrated” and “strong” in the preceding paragraph, I must stress the fact that these are merely comparative terms. Actually my lighting units are very much softer in type than those generally employed.
A third point in lighting has to do with the background. It can safely be said that if the background is wrong there will be no picture. That is how important it is. It gives third dimension if it is dark where the sitter’s contour is light and vice versa. The most simple plan is to have a series of three-ply boards washed over with kalsomine in varying shades, some of them patterned in suitable tone. Then, if the ground receives insufficient or improper lighting from the two above-mentioned lights, a supplementary light (not on the sitter) is given to the ground to obtain the effect required. Details could be set down here if space permitted, but trial and error and watching and thinking, will bring success.
I have mentioned tone gradation. Any thing violent in contrast within the frame is not usually pictorial. For instance, it is a trial to secure a suave tonal scheme in the case of a black naval uniform with intensely bright buttons, a white collar and a white top to a black cap. It limits one’s freedom in lighting and in background; nevertheless it can be managed. Note that such subjects of violent contrast require full exposure and soft development.
The easiest and best pictorial results come from arranging beforehand a color or the tonal scheme that gives one a picture “ready made”. Even then, there is quite enough to do beforehand in arranging lighting to suit the “idea” or “character” to be portrayed. Then comes arrangement of the subject matter. One has to develop quick appreciation of good design within the frame; action must be rapid or the sitter will tire. Simplification of subject matter is vital. Leave as much to suggestion as possible; for example, don’t over light unimportant parts of the figure or clothing.
Viewpoint — some sitters have good view points ranging from full profile to full face. Others have a limited angle that is good. Some have winged ears, others overhanging brows, others crooked noses or are too small in the mouth and so on. Appreciation of all these pitfalls must become automatic and the camera is placed high or low or to one or other side to lessen the undesirable. On the contrary, it may serve to exaggerate slightly the already noticeable if it suits the “idea”; in fact, I’ve observed the best paintings have often a slight touch of caricature. I say “slight”, please note.
No portrait is good unless there is good composition. A.P.-R. readers all know about “the main point of interest” which, in portraiture, is nearly always the face. They know about leading lines which should lead to the face, not out of the picture; they know also about pyramids, diagonals, L-shapes and repetition and all the rest of it. I suppose one must stick to rules, though they can be and are, often broken; but personally, when placing a sitter, I hold my head at lens level and decide on angle of body presented to the camera and then angle of head to camera and arrange arms and hands to support the design. I’ve heard it said that this is enough, but I cannot, myself, get results except by checking up on the focusing screen and whilst doing so moving the camera until the wanted design (composition) is shown; very little more is included, just enough to allow for twisting and trimming of the print. A caution is necessary — always look for the faults in an otherwise attractive picture; don’t be misled by the good; always look for the bad; and above all, don’t be attracted by color; try to convert the subject into monochrome in your mind’s eye, because that is what the print will be. You will have many a disappointment if you forget this.
Well, having progressed this far, the whole effort will be wasted unless one can inspire within the sitter the expression that suits the “idea” in hand or the expression that every one knows for a convincing portrait. This is the hard part. I endeavor to react to the sitter’s personality. Quick perception is absolutely essential. He has already been talked to regarding his work, hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. The portraitist must have a hundred ways of putting a sitter at ease. No one can teach anyone else how to do this. Not only the sitter must be himself, but the operator also. Versatility is a fine weapon. The photographer must be twenty people in as many minutes, have eyes in the back of his head, be even ready for a change of plan. As a rule, I complete a sitting a rather tired man and usually know by my physical state whether or not I have achieved success.
I regard a sitting of twelve exposures as successful if I obtain one negative that I like; usually the sitter likes three or four out of the twelve. It should encourage budding portraitists to know that this is a high average and furthermore, to learn that I feel quite satisfied if I get six pictures in a year that can be regarded as really “front line”. I haven’t counted up, but I’d say I have (except during wartime) only fifty worthwhile sitters in a year. Many more appointments are experimental; remember, you only see my successes; there are plenty of failures but only the dustbin sees those! They are not really failures, however, because I spend much time studying reasons for the failure. I learn something from every one of them.
For years past, I have worked with an old half-plate camera on a three-legged wheeled studio stand, with a focusing, rising and falling by rack and pinion operation. I am conscious of its many imperfections, but it has always worked, so I’ve never taken time off to secure an improved machine. I have a collection of lenses ranging from ten to thirty inches in focal length. I prefer the 30-inch lens for general work but, in the small room I use as a studio, it limits me to “head and shoulders” only. Its aperture is about f/6 and I bought it in a pawn-shop. Probably the total outlay on all of my half-dozen lenses is less than the price of one good modern anastigmat lens. They are all of the Petzval type and serve all my purposes. I use frequently a Meyer fifteen-inch lens, which works at about f3.5 at full aperture. The point to remember is that the longer the focal length, the better the proportion and “drawing” of the subject — in practice, at any rate.
However, readers must not imagine that a lens of such outsize focal length is essential to good pictorial portraiture. Recently one enthusiast visited me to “learn all about it” and I said, “I cannot teach you a thing. You must be yourself and not myself". He said, “But look at your lenses and your camera and your lights!” I said, “Well, here is my quarter-plate Graflex and there is its portable stand. Its focal length is proportionate to its negative size to give pleasing perspective, except at close quarters. I will now take two lamps and place them as I told you. Note that the main modeling lamp is lighting the three-ply background, light behind your darker side and dark behind your lighter side”. (This was demonstrated by holding up a large mirror so that he could see for himself). I altered his position somewhat and turned his head more towards the main light and gave an exposure of about one second.
The negative was then developed and a print from it (in its wet state) was made at once and he appeared convinced. I concluded by saying: “I cannot teach you any more. You either have it in you to succeed, or you have not. If you follow that great teacher, Trial and Error, in your work, you will soon find out. Take all opportunities of studying the works or reproductions of famous painters and also those of your own medium in photographic journals, and try to under stand the principles underlying them in regard to lighting, tone gradation and in composition. Study the backgrounds. Particularly make all of these part of your subconscious self, but do not copy them. Intelligently follow along the lines which your own apparatus and subject matter lead you. Grasp the success contained therein, and by much “sweating of blood” you will be heard of!”
Nowadays I use mainly fast panchromatic emulsions on film. The fast variety helps me to secure the “well-covered” type of negative — speed in emulsions as speed I regard as a mere fetish. As for exposure, I always expose very fully.
Development is with a soft developer (metol, one part, to hydroquinone, two parts) and the time at 70°F. never exceeds two-thirds of the recommended time and is sometimes even less. The result is that there is no clear film, that every particle of the middle tones is recorded and that the high lights are not choked. I do not know of any other way of getting quality into a print. Who is ever heard of in the pictorial world , unless he can produce good prints?
My enlarger is a wooden affair, made in two week-ends many years ago. It is vertical in type, with the lamp house a three-ply box, two feet square and a foot high. The only things good about it are that it possesses a good modern mercury vapor lamp and a Dagor 7-inch lens. It has no condenser, yet its field is absolutely uniform; this is achieved with use of mirrors and flashed opal glass in the lamp house. I have often threatened to buy a real enlarger, but there again, this one works in my hands and gives the same quality as a contact print, so why should I worry? I can put the money so saved into more film and still more paper!
Some negatives prove when developed to be obvious failures. The most likely successes are soon printed by contact, and the first favorite becomes obvious. Occasionally one negative is outstanding and proceeds directly to the enlarger.
One hears about “straight” printing negatives; “excellent on any paper,” but my experience has been otherwise. All negatives require “dodging” in one or more areas and often local printing in addition. The whole subject of printing is so extensive, and ultimately so personal, that its ramifications could not adequately be set forth here. Each worker must make progress by trial and error, and most important of all by careful study of failures. Above all, no print ever comes to anything if it has been underexposed. I have been accused of always overprinting, but I find that “richness” comes that way, if you study sufficiently the action of reduction —either all over, or locally, or a combination of both, by ferricyanide. The art is in ensuring enough original exposure so that subsequent reduction does not result in bare paper in the highlight areas; at the same time the shadows must remain luminous. It is all a question of the choice of suitable paper, the right time temperature development, and the correct degree of reduction.
Lastly, remember that the best way to judge a final print “in the wet” is to stand it up in a non-brilliant light, and to view it no nearer than eight or ten feet; do not be deceived by the peering or “close-up” type of inspection in a brilliant light.
This, then, is a brief account of one method of approach to pictorial portrait photography —the finest of all hobbies, using the word in its best and widest sense. It must be clear that there are no easy secrets, no short cuts to success. It is essential to cultivate habits of observation, sympathy and imagination. Obviously the purely technical side in all of its stages must have become automatic, so that the worker may be free to give all of his energies to his subject matter and to the shaping of it to his ends.
A successful character piece comes about in one of two ways. The worker may determine upon an “idea” or a “temperament-study” and cast around (perhaps for a long time) until he discovers a suitable sitter; on the other hand, he may encounter more or less by chance a striking individual and consider him so promising as to invite him to appear before the camera. In this latter case, as the sitting proceeds, the various viewpoints, poses and lightings adopted will ultimately suggest an idea (or even a title) ready-made. Suitable raiment is adopted and the “fight” is on. Ultimate success is dependent on the mutual reactions of sitter and worker; both must realize that it is a really serious undertaking, a two-man job in which each is giving his best. The picture — your end result — must ring true, must convey no suggestion of artificiality.
There should be simplification of the setting by exclusion of every detail not directly bearing on the “idea”. A suitably modulated background is of value in ensuring concentration of attention on the features — which must also be supported by the pose and lastly by the costume. Not even the hands are included unless they appear to support the character or the idea. Hands, however, are very important and may make or mar your design. They will repay extended study in their variety.
Now that your picture is finished, what is to be done with it? Well, first, show it to your dearest kindliest friends. If it “passes”, try it on someone “tough” who knows what he likes and says what he thinks. If it passes that censorship, send it along to your Editor. If he agrees to reproduce it in the A.P.-R. you will realize that you are on the “up-and up”. But just how far up depends on your restraint and on your modesty. The egoist who goes ever pot-hunting (sticker-hunting?) is not a real artist at all. Do not send another to the magazine unless it is better than your last, even if you have to wait many moons.
Develop an eye for what is good and bad in a picture — be your own severest critic. Success — real success — does not come easily, but if it is in you it will come by “sticking it”. If it does not come completely, remember that it is better to have photographed and failed than never to have photographed at all! There is always the magic of more exposure and more negative development and above all, the lure of striving to secure the best prints out of those that have the “right stuff" hidden in them. No one can rob you of all this!
November 1946 Page 523 - The Australasian Photo-Review
THE RECENT PORTRAIT WORK OF
DR. JULIAN SMITH FRPS
The Doctor's intention, however, of abandoning his photography entirely, was, fortunately not quite carried out. To the little studio in Powlett Street, came a steady stream of distinguished visitors, naval, military and civil, overseas and local. It proved simply impossible to turn away these admiring visitors, and so, little by little, a wartime collection of photographs came into being.
As may be imagined, the photographs were made under difficult conditions, but as the reproductions in this month's issue of the "A.P.-R." show, the Doctor's and has not lost its cunning, nor his eye its vision. His preference has always been for photographs of men - men of character. He likes the plain blunt truth, and he rejoices in portraying it in the forthright manner that is inimitably his own. The technical excellence shown in his prints is essential to the result, but is, of course, only one small part of the story. It is in his control of those elusive and intangible qualities which without interfering with the plain blunt truth, nevertheless give each print an emotional appeal, that Dr. Julian Smith excels. No amount of description can do justice to this aspect of his work - the photographs must be left to speak for themselves.
The "A.P.-R." is fortunate in this opportunity of reproducing a number of the Doctor's hundred-odd wartime studies, and amateurs throughout Australia will hope that in due course it will be possible to reproduce a further series of prints made under happier and more leisurely conditions.
DR. THOMAS WOOD M.A., Dr. Music, Hon. A.R.C.M., F.R.G.S.
The English composer, broadcaster and author who has done good work for Australia in England. He obtained his doctor's degree at Oxford in 1920 and is also a Director of Music at one of England's largest public schools.
Dr. Thomas Wood is a man to whom one takes instantly. He has the knack of easy talk, fitting quietly into any company with the readiest of wit and infinite charm.
You all know his books “Cobbers” and “Cobbers Campaigning”. He came to Australia as a musician to conduct examinations on this subject and he was so attracted by Australia and its people that he stayed on long enough to tour and study the whole continent thoroughly. He has a gift, second to none, for attractive cultured writing and Australia is all the better for his visit and for his books about us, so widely read and appreciated.
The Doctor himself is a photographer of the “miniature” type and showed all of a photographer’s interest in the studio and its management. Needless to say, he was most understanding and helpful as a sitter and produced quite a number of complete successes.
This particular one is shown because it is Mr. Edgar Rouse’s favorite and indeed, it tells all about Dr. Wood. It would have been a mistake not to include such expressive hands. Such spectacles, too, are a problem, but when mastered give “the little bit more that is so much” in a successful picture.
DR. THOMAS WOOD
The Late MAJOR-GENERAL G.A. VASEY C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O. and Bar, D.S.C. (U.S.)
Was born in Melbourne in 1895, educated at Wesley College and graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in June 1915. He served as an officer with the A.I.F. during World War I, winning the D.S.O. After the Greece and Crete campaigns of World War II, he was awarded a bar to his D.S.O. A graduate of the British Staff College at Quetta in India, he served four years on service in India between the two World Wars.
The tragic loss to Australia of George Vasey still affects me: I find it hard even now to realize that he has gone. That must be a measure of his character and of his influence on those around him.
He was on leave as a convalescent from serious illness when this portrait was made, so that I had time to listen to his story of the Australian Army and his admiration for the men he commanded in so many fields of action. One judged that all of his waking thoughts were on the Army and its improvement ... a high-minded zealot having as his life’s work the building-up of a post-war permanent Army vital to Australia’s defence.
I think this portrait will convey to you something of the sincere unselfish ambition of a great man with a high purpose. As a rule, service portraits convey more if the sitter looks straight at the camera. In this case, the eyes dominate the picture and I stealthily arranged one lamp low down and to his right to accentuate the lighting on them. The green khaki always renders dark, so the background tone is lowered to suit it. The General wore his favorite collar, the survivor of much army treatment, the resultant being very light in tone and helping to accent and lighten what threatened to be too moody an effect. I regard this as one of the best portraits I have made and yet there is no straining after effects. My job was to wait and to watch, to select the critical moment and then to put into my technique the best that I had.
The Late MAJOR-GENERAL G.A. VASEY
SIR HOWARD FLOREY M.D., F.R.S., M.A., B.Sc., Ph.D.
Who is there amongst you who has not wondered what the man who gave Penicillin to the world looks like? This is an impression of Sir Howard as he works in his laboratory.
Sometimes known as “Australia’s Lord Nuffield”, this great man is one of us — that is to say, he graduated in medicine at the University of Adelaide. His brilliance brought him a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford, where his work as an experimental physiologist won a Scholarship for further study at Cambridge. From here again another scholarship took him to the Rockefeller Institute. As a result of all this work, we see him called back to Oxford as Professor of Pathology well before forty years of age. His research work continued and in looking around for new fields and knowing of Sir Alexander Fleming’s discovery in London regarding the restraint on growth of other germs exercised by certain molds, he elected to follow this up as early as 1938. Together with loyal collaborators, his courage prevailed, enabling him to persevere in the face of enormous difficulties, the result being that by his efforts the face of modern medicine has been changed completely.
At this stage you are no doubt wondering about the making of the portrait. Here, as always, the greater the man, the easier the job — he was patient, plastic and entirely helpful and he always saw the point before I was half way through a sentence. The print chosen shows one way of managing white clothing, as in a sense it is a high-key picture with a dark background. There is also some amount of high back top light which gives contour to the dark head of hair and luminosity to the glass culture dish in Sir Howard’s hands. Taken on fast Panchromatic film, developed soft and printed on a plucky white base bromide, short of full development, cleared a little in ferricyanide.
SIR HOWARD FLOREY
GROUP-CAPTAIN H.I. EDWARDS Victoria Cross, D.F.C., D.S.C., Royal Air Force
A native of Western Australia, who subsequently earned the distinction of receiving the highest decorations of any Australian officer of World War 11. A dashing Australian Rules footballer, he carried that same dash into his exploits in the air. His Victoria Cross was won for gallantry in leading a daring and hazardous daylight bombing raid on Bremen. Subsequently Group-Captain Edwards commanded an Royal Air Force station in England from which he was posted to the South-East Asia Command and later appointed Senior Air Staff Officer, Netherlands East Indies.
The Group-Captain came to the house with mutual friends — certainly with no thought of portraiture. His time was short and he was weary from an overdose of lionization.
When asked, he said quietly and courteously that he would sit for me if I wished. There were only a few precious moments available, leaving very little time for talk. He just sat without a word and waited unperturbed ready for any eventuality, a characteristic I find with most servicemen. I asked for a slight turning of the body so as to bring decorations and insignia of rank into focus and to lessen the body width. The head was turned to give the ears equal prominence. An Air Force cap is a nuisance pictorially speaking and has a very limited good viewpoint, which in its turn determines the remainder of the composition lines of the picture. The bright buttons seen at different angles give the cap form and “gingers” up the whole picture. The lighting is simple and made just contrasty enough to give interest, as I felt that to try stunt or dramatic lighting on such a quiet, courageous man would be improper.
The famous Eric Kennington — illustrator of “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Painting the R.A.F.”, “The Home Guard” and others — includes a line drawing of the Group-Captain in the second named volume. Those readers who are not familiar with Kennington’s work should see it — they will not be disappointed.
GROUP-CAPTAIN H.I. EDWARDS
Private R.D. DAVEY BLACK WATCH
Those who have seen the Red Hackle of the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment, will understand how I felt when I first saw young Private Davey in his commando battle dress, acting as military car driver.
In designing a pose including headgear, you will find that a good viewpoint of this is essential. In fact, if this is not pleasing, everything below it is weakened; if the whole in turn does not pull into a good design another viewpoint of headgear must be tried. In this case, the beret is shown only in small part, but its contour runs from the right cheek in a graceful curve until the leather binding ends in the dark hair, the contour of which continues the curve down to the neck and just nicely includes the ear. This long curve makes an ideal support for the Hackle in just the right place. All this being so good, one has to accept the viewpoint of face as seen. This appears good, too. The curve just mentioned, is carried forward by the strong jaw line to the pointed chin. The eyes, strong nose and mouth also all point to the left and out of the picture, thus suggesting to me action and purpose.
A fast ortho-chromatic plate was used. This medium can be depended upon to represent male subjects in a more rugged manner than the panchromatic: of course, panchromatic would suit the Hackle better.
In order to give some form to the feathers, I used a top back light over the left shoulder: this also gave some sparkle to the leather brim and threw into relief all the planes of the face. The shadows were filled by a front light, level with the head and as shown by the eye reflexes. Darkish background quickly rubbed in with chalk and weakened down with a cloth shows up the contour of head and shoulders and suggests a broken sky. Printed on a cream-based bromide paper and developed in M.Q., thus giving a color well in keeping with the greenish-dark uniform.
Pte. R.D. DAVEY
Lieutenant JAMES N. LAWRENCE M.I.D.
1st/2nd Punjab Regiment, 10th Division, Indian Army
Since his early boyhood, I have known Jimmy, the elder son of Mr. James Lawrence, an Englishman, who settled in Australia after World War I and who is a front-rank bromoilist.
Jim always had a smiling expression, which still remains in his mouth, but as he talks nowadays, the eyes do not smile; they are those of the man who has seen the tough side of life. During the six years he fought on six fronts — Middle East through to North Italy and back to India, finishing in the Burmese Jungle, being mentioned in despatches during the Italian Campaign. Every officer in his regiment was either killed or wounded, whilst Jim’s only trouble was scarlet fever. I told him that he enlisted too young! Reading between the lines, however, he must have been very uncomfortable many times and from his account of his men’s doings with their deadly kukri knives, the enemy must have often felt much worse. Grim tales, indeed, but not for this page.
However, after those six hard years, I am pleased to relate that he has now resumed his studies at the Cambridge University.
On his way back to India after peace leave, Jimmy called on me dressed in tropical uniform. As he always was a willing and capable sitter, you may imagine my eagerness to get to work as soon as I saw him.
The color or, rather, tone scheme of the whole content of this picture was ready made, ranging through all the yellows and light browns with a matched background — all topped off by a green beret surmounted by the brilliant ship. Altogether a joy for the color film or for the painter’s brush. I used an almost vertical light over the left shoulder and slightly behind, so as to give contour to cap, ear, nose, jaw and shoulder: in fact, every effort was made to record, by slight changes in position, in gradient beauty the two “pips”, regimental number, color badge, the cord and the pocket surmounted by the service ribbons. The shadows under the brows, nose and cap were rendered just luminous by a front light, level with the eyes. A separate background light was added.
Taken on a panchromatic film, printed on cream base bromide developed with pyrocatechin. Slight local reduction under brows and on right side of face and under beret.
Lieutenant JAMES N. LAWRENCE
BRIGADIER H.G. FURNELL C.B.E., D.S.0., E.D.
I have known “Harry” since his student days, when he was a brilliant footballer and the idol of many a cheering crowd.
He was always interested in army medical work and when war broke out was given command of a field ambulance unit, which he took to the Middle East, bringing it through with his customary “dash”.
He concluded his six years of war service with the rank of Brigadier and with the distinctions of C.B.E. and D.S.O.
This portrait was made in the early days of the war, just before his departure for the Middle East. I had made two or three exposures in conventional service poses with cap on and figure presented four square and very broad shouldered to the camera. Good enough in their way and would have satisfied his family for whom they were made. He then removed his cap and sat in a low, easy chair chatting about this and that. I reminded him of our trip back to Australia by mail boat in 1928: he thereupon turned and took up this pose.
Fortunately, I had a single exposure left and so captured what is regarded by everyone as his best portrait. Why is this ? One critic has said, “How the right shoulder is badly out of focus”. There speaks the technician only. Another said when asked about it, “I do not even see the shoulder, though my mind perhaps registers it”. Another has said, “What a vigorous hand. Why did you take it like that?” My own idea is that it is part of a very tall, very broad, very sturdy personality and contributes to the vitality of the portrait. The quality of vitality is essential to any good portrait. Who wants one that does not look “alive” ? I imagine that most people viewing this portrait only see the light area extending from the left cuff to the forehead and this part of the picture is, I consider, one hundred per cent. “Harry”. The remaining portions, namely the background and uniform, fuse into a low-toned area which is felt rather than seen and unobtrusively support the important light area.
BRIGADIER H.G. FURNELL
LORD NUFFIELD G.B.E., F.R.S.
I have heard it said that a good painter is successful by putting on the canvas the very soul of the sitter. I’m not quite sure what this means, although I presume it must intend to convey the painter’s estimate of the sitter’s character and appearance. Good painting nevertheless is more than this. The facts are presented in the painter’s manner of painting just as a poet will say one thing in his own style of verse and a good writer say the same thing in characteristic prose.
The photographer, on the other hand, is much more limited by his medium and perforce must select at one moment what he likes, as he at that moment, sees it. If at that moment he secures a summary of all the qualities of the man, he is just lucky.
I first met Lord Nuffield in 1928 on the Mail Boat going to England and enjoyed crossing swords with him in discussions about cars. Later, when he visited Australia, our mutual friend, Charlie Kellow, brought him along because he wanted a picture of Lord Nuffield for his collection. Incidentally, Charlie had named one of his horses Nuffield. They arrived on a blazing hot day and the studio was like an oven. His Lordship, however, was deliberate, unhurried and helpful and at least four prints convey to me the sitter in different moods. One is unquestionably the determined business man whose fame is world-wide. Another is the kindly benefactor who has given astronomic sums for research and for the sick. Another shows, in a three-quarter profile, his fine head, which would delight any sculptor. After careful deliberation, your Editor chose the one illustrated. Here again I had indulged in no abandon of dramatic lighting or pose, but tried to record an intimate portrait of a great man.
LORD NUFFIELD
COMMANDER ANTHONY CECIL CAPEL MIERS Victoria Cross (VC), Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) AND BAR, R.N.
A native of Scotland, Tony Miers has for twenty years been “happily married to the White Ensign". He joined the submarine service as sub-lieutenant in 1929 and during World War II commanded H.M. Submarine "Torbay”, which served in many meritorious naval engagements, one of which — a daring and successful raid on enemy shipping at Corfu in the Mediterranean in March 1942 — gained for him the Victoria Cross Later, in Australia, he served as a liaison officer for the British Pacific Fleet.
One instantly responded to this four-square sturdy Scot from Aberdeen. Jovial, chatty, lighthearted — a man who takes things as they come, even good cigars. He came to see me with a doctor friend of mine, the latter of whom is in the Service and flew home to Melbourne on sick leave from Colombo. He tells the story of being on tenterhooks in the early morning for fear of missing the ’plane, as he could not hurry Tony, who said, “Why worry, I’m not missing my breakfast for any ’plane”. Quite nonchalant — and then he barely caught it. This nonchalance is a very strong characteristic.
I tried to get the true story of the Victoria Cross, but he appeared as if not to hear and went on chatting. When I pushed the enquiry he said, “Oh that!” and waved it aside with his cigar — “Nothing. Nothing at all. As a fact the whole ship deserved it, but they had to give it to someone”. Asked if he had been painted, Tony said, “Oh, yes, some chap tried. I forget his name”. “What happened?” “Well, he told me to stand up with my hand as if on a ship’s rail and look like a Victoria Cross”, “How did you get on ?”, “Well, I went to sleep each time I tried”. “What was the painting like?” “No good!” with another cigar wave. However, Tony didn’t go to sleep with the doctor and myself about!
Note the eye reflex telling the tale of a low-level main light well to the side. Although the jacket is white, the ground has been much lowered in tone to come into tune with the intensely black shoulder strap.
COMMANDER ANTHONY CECIL CAPEL MIERS
OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN 2nd B.A.
Well-known librettist born in New York fifty-one years ago and educated at the Columbia University. He wrote the librettos for many famous musical comedies including Rose Marie, The Desert Song, Show Boat, Oklahoma and Carousel.
I originally made his acquaintance through the kindness of a medical friend who met him at Red Cross work in New York during the war. Mr. Hammerstein, although very short of time, willingly came along. I met him at the front door and knew at once that he promised well as a sitter. The very striking brilliant eyes under shaggy brows, the high forehead and strong hair had all the elements for pictorial work. He gives the strong impression of a deep thinker: a man who has accomplished things by concentration and long endeavor. His writing, as a brilliant librettist, is all done standing and he walks about the room and stops at a high desk to jot down notes. I have one shot of him at a quickly improvised studio desk and is most convincing and although several others are quite good, the one shown here stands alone. My medical friend, who knows him well in all his moods, agrees with me. In the limited time for the sitting there was little opportunity for complete study of this interesting personality, so I put the question, “Is there any characteristic mannerism you have with your hands?” As his manner is quiet and always thoughtful, he said nothing, but in about three seconds he assumed the pose shown here. He is remarkably steady and held the pose while I re-arranged the lighting and directed the eyes away from the camera to suggest his consideration of a knotty point at a rehearsal. Quite subtly he slowly brought the desired expression into his eyes.
The arrangement of “come and go” in the background is apparent and very helpful in giving the illusion of space behind him. The main light is high up and directly in front of him — it also lights the back ground. The only other light was level with his head and well away to the right. The placing of the hand in such a position as to almost quarrel with the face is always a risk, but in this case its lines are good and seems to add force to the head as a whole. The twenty-inch lens used gives correct proportions, whereas a short-focus lens would have made the hand intolerably large and would have spoilt the whole thing.
OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN 2nd
TODD DUNCAN M.A.
This world-famous Negro singer was born in Kentucky, U.S.A., and was taken as a child to Indianapolis, where he was educated, receiving his B.A. — his second degree he gained later from Columbia University, N.Y. Inheriting his musical talents from his parents, he began his career as a voice teacher, eventually becoming Professor of Music at Howard University, the largest Negro college in U.S.A. His first stage appearance was in 1935 and this occupied him some six years. The call of the concert platform was, however, strong, and in 1943 he began a distinguished series of appearances, distinguished both by musical recognition and great popular success. The cause of his people is very close to Todd Duncan's heart.
Whilst Todd Duncan, one of America’s leading Negro baritones, was recently touring Australia and New Zealand, my musical friends were continually prodding at me to “get Todd Duncan”. Finally I managed to raise him on the telephone, only to learn that he was off to Sydney the next day. He was kind, but regretful that his engagement program would not permit.
It appears, however, that he checked up on me and was told forcibly that he should have come. Arrangements were then made and in came Todd late on Sunday afternoon with another appointment looming at six — some party or other.
The whole family instantly liked the charm and commanding presence of this great artist. I have never had a steadier sitter and yet with moods varying from grave to gay. The time was short but we chatted in French at one minute and the next I was listening to the story of John Henry, the legendary Negro of herculean strength, who did so much for his people in captivity and who, ultimately, broke his heart in trying to beat the “machines” at heaving bales of cotton.
There was just time to assemble these studio props on Todd and make the exposure as shown, I like several of the portraits as being very successful characterizations, but the Editor has chosen this print because of its greater pictorial appeal.
TODD DUNCAN
(as John Henry)
LIEUTENANT COLONEL S. MANEKSHAW Military Cross
A commissioned officer of the permanent Indian Army since 1934, he has seen active service on India's North-West Frontier, 1939-40: Burma, 1942-43: and with the occupation forces in French Indo-China 1945-46.
Under the auspices of Field-Marshal Sir Claude Auchinlec , Commander in-Chief Indian Military Forces, he has been sent to Australia to lecture to the Australian public and the armed forces on India, her people, her problems and her contribution to victory. He is a scholar as well as a soldier.
Field-Marshal Auchinleck recognizes the necessity of the closest co-operation between Australia and India in the spheres of economics, trade and of course, the vital sphere of defence — India and Australia being next-door neighbors and members of the British Commonwealth.
He gave his first lecture in Melbourne at the United Service Institution. My son's account of it was so striking that I wrote to the lecturer and asked him to come along and tell me all about India. His response was prompt and very friendly. Dark, with a clear pale skin and with easy movement, he appeared in smart uniform, and exactly what he is a capable permanent officer of the Indian Army. His mission to Australia appears to be of first-class importance. He has lectured far and wide throughout the Commonwealth and has, on request, given many repetitions of his lectures. His English is admirable and his subject matter vital. Field-Marshal Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief in India, could not have chosen a better advocate. We must remember that India faced up to the Jap and produced and trained a volunteer army of two and a-half millions, heroically determined to defend their country. Lieutenant Colonel Manekshaw’s great effort was the successful defence of Sittang Bridge, Burma, in 1942, the result of which he was awarded the Military Cross as well as being seriously wounded.
As are many modest sitters, I found the Colonel camera-shy, but he ultimately settled down and did quite well. Although I found it hard to choose the most suitable portrait for this article, the Editor, however, promptly decided on the one shown here. Whilst I was changing camera position and lights, this was a perfectly natural pose that he adopted during conversation about his work. I saw it whilst turning and you may be sure I wasted no time trying to improve on it since its compositional lines are most satisfactory.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL S. MANEKSHAW
MURRAY GRIFFIN WAR ARTIST
I have known and liked Murray for many years, in fact, ever since he made a first-class pencil drawing of my son and also made for me a selection of color lino cuts from his brilliant series of Australian birds. Always has he worked hard and given only his best to his pupils and patrons, whilst his individual private efforts won for him the George Crouch prize.
Then came the war and his enlistment and appointment as an Australian Official War Artist. During the Malayan Campaign he was captured by the Japanese and interned for years in Changi Prison Camp, where he drew many pictures depicting the grim story of privation endured by our prisoners of war in Japanese hands. He worked with makeshift artist materials and cunningly concealed his drawings to appear as hut-roofs, whilst some were even completely bricked into a wall. On liberation he recovered these drawings and returned to Australia, where he exhibited his efforts to the Australian Government. He is recovering his health and has come into his own as drawing master at the National Art Gallery.
After listening to his story of Changi Prison Camp, we agreed to reconstruct an impression of how he looked in captivity. This pose is mostly my idea. I have others of him in a crouching attitude, which he often assumed when working secretly, out of sight of the Japanese guards. They are realistic, but in the final choice this one excelled. I’ve seen many photographs of artists at work but so far as I can remember this is the only one showing a painter working of necessity in the nude. By the low tone of the picture and lean intensity of pose, I have tried to convey the impression of privation coupled with a dogged determination never to abandon hope.
I cannot better conclude than by quoting Murray Griffin’s own words; “It has been my privilege to have lived with the 8th Division during their captivity under the Japanese. I welcome this opportunity of thanking them, officers and men, for their help and kindly consideration. They recognized the value of my work and did their best to help me carry on, particularly in the way of materials — a requirement that called on improvisation generally and trouble always. I can only hope that the drawings I did may record in some small way the courage and initiative which Australians can show under extreme distress. Last, but not least, my thanks are due to the 8th Division for what I learnt from them about the art of living. I am deeply grateful”.
MURRAY GRIFFIN
DR. JULIAN SMITH FRPS
When nights are dull and leisure available, who has not longed for subjects for the camera! Most of you, I dare say, turn to the still-life remedy, whilst others, I am sure, indulge in the secret vice of self portraiture. Some of these ultimately see the light of day; in fact, I seem to recall an issue of the A.P.-R. teeming with examples and wonder how many of them really had been made.
This one, which I was assured by the Editor would be “news”, came about thus. I first put a coat and hat on a body rest and arranged a strong light above and well to the right. A weak light was shone from above and onto the background and so placed to give a little light where needed as a set-off to the hanging coat mounted by the hat. A further weak light was placed near the camera.
I next “took position” against the rest, at the same time concealing it from the camera with my figure. A piece of wire was secured to the body rest so that its tip rested on the bridge of my spectacles. I stepped away, leaving the wire in place. I focused on its tip carefully: the camera being far enough back for certainty of inclusion of hands. I placed a large mirror against the camera stand and again leaned on the body rest — the task was now to secure a correct pose for the hands. This done to my satisfaction, I turned to full profile and endeavored to infuse a feeling of energetic action into the head, neck and hands.
As the exposure was two seconds, I practiced a sharp grip of the bulb and an equally sharp release, hoping the two-second exposure would smother these movements. It did! I regard this portrait as a fluke, and so long as I own up, I suppose I may show it. It is the best of six negatives because in all the others either the hands or the head fail to satisfy me, as they look just “put” and “posey”. I've given the composition more energy and action by trimming so that I appear to lean forward a little. Some who have seen it do not like the upturned beard tip and yet others praise it. Some ask why I used the scarf. Can you guess ? Did I have a sore throat, do I hate white collars or do I like rich blacks in the right place? “Your guess is as good as mine”.
Made on a soft gradation pan. plate and printed brown-black on ivory base bromide by direct development with pyrocatechin.
DR. JULIAN SMITH FRPS
as the Editor KEAST BURKE saw him
KEAST BURKE B.Ec, ARPS EDITOR A.P.-R.
The Editor rang and asked for an interview. I was glad to comply because I wanted to see the type of man who had helped the A.P.-R. for so long and so well. I took the precaution to enquire about him and received the reply, “Oh, he’s a peculiar sort of chap but all right when you get to know him”. I said, “What’s wrong with him?” “Oh, I don’t know, only he never seems to smile”. I said, “Why should he?” Though I thought to myself, a man must have some sense of humor if he can survive floods of hundreds of prints a month. When I opened the front door to his ring, I sprang a trap. I said solemnly, “So this is Burke! He took it without a blink, but quickly responded with a whimsical grin more or less like the one shown.
I at once conceived the idea of working him into this article as Editor - Interviewer. It rings true to my mind — nothing posey. In arranging the composition, Mr. Burke was most helpful — completely plastic and with experienced understanding.
Composition — Pyramidal with ample supporting base of simple design. Note accessory point of secondary interest (repetition minor pyramid) with all items (cuffs, hands, paper, pencil, books) assembled into one mass and not too strong an opponent to the face. Cover up the badge on coat and note how the picture loses some interest and sparkle.
KEAST BURKE
by DR. JULIAN SMITH FRPS