Archaeology Magazine - December 1950 - 12

archaeologists. If the photographer's colleagues on an
excavation are highly critical, he is indeed fortunate,
although he may not think so at the time. But there
are many otherwise expert people who cannot tell a
good photograph from a bad one, or at any rate cannot tell why it is good or bad. It is then doubly the
photographer's responsibility to produce a superior,
not merely a passable, picture.
Every photographer of course develops his own
methods, and the notes which follow make no claim to
authority or even novelty. But the archaeologist who
is about to take his first picture of a vase in a museum,
or who finds himself designated as the photographer
of his expedition, often discovers that it is quite a
jump from his successes in the family album or even
on the 16 mm. Kodachrome screen. To him, the following practical suggestions are offered.
Cameras , Lenses and Other Extravagances
Every photographer knows that once he has acquired a camera he has started down the primrose path,
a broad way lined on either side with displays of accessories, each one more alluring than the last. The
archaeological photographer is just as susceptible to
these temptations as anyone else, and with reason, for
there is almost no limit to the equipment he may find
useful. The excavation or personal budget, however,
will probably exercise a restraining influence, so let
us consider the basic essentials needed to provide a

Polaroid set-up
The view camera set up for a polarized picture,
using the light from two 500-watt lamps directed
through polaroid screens. Homemade stands take
the place of commercial equipment. Continuous
white cardboard forms an acceptable background
for the red-figured vase as for any object that has
a foot to stand on.
204

photographic record and also pictures suitable for publication. Beyond this minimum, the photographer can
proceed as the bank account permits.
Most important, naturally, is the choice of a camera,
or cameras. There are many excellent cameras on the
market; preference for a reflex, view, or miniature
camera is to a great extent a matter of personal taste.
The excavation photographer will soon find, however,
that he is dealing with two different kinds of photography, one for identification and records, the other for
publication. For the one, in my opinion, a miniature
camera is essential, while for the other, in most cases, a
view camera, 9x12 centimeters or larger, is preferable. In some cases enlargements frorji.the 35 millimeter negatives will be suitable for publication. The
35 mm. is also widely used to record the day-to-day
progress of excavation, and the increasing use of Kodachrome 2" X 2" slides is another factor in favor of
choosing it. The Leica, with its great versatility, I have
found ideally suited to these purposes. Small objects
may be photographed at close range, either with one
of a series of three supplementary lenses or with a
sliding focus attachment. The sliding focus, which is
the more satisfactory for most purposes, is a device
which enables the picture to be composed and the
lens focussed on ground glass. It eliminates measuring and in effect transforms the miniature camera
into a view camera. When the picture is about to be
taken the camera is slid along a track so that the film
takes the place of the ground glass. Used alone, or
with extension tubes of varying length, the camera
can moreover take anything from a landscape to a
coin at actual size, or a piece of ancient fabric magnified ten times. The sliding focus attachment not only
saves much time in taking a run of routine pictures,
but also is particularly useful for composing a picture
or observing the effect of different lighting systems.
Used simply as a hand camera, without sliding focus
attachment, the Leica can often save the day when
cramped quarters make it impossible to use a large
camera and tripod.
For pictures taken specifically for publication a view
camera is desirable. There is much disagreement as to
the relative merits of the smaller, quarter-plate (4 x
5 inches) versus the half or full-plate camera (5x7
or 8 x 10 inches) . Many photographers feel that there
is nothing to equal the crisp definition of a contact
print and therefore use an 8 x 10 inch camera. Others
maintain that the projection (enlarging) process allows a control over the print which is not possible
by contact. If a quarter-plate camera is chosen it must
be remembered that most of the pictures taken for
ARCHAEOLOGY

Archaeology Magazine - December 1950

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - December 1950