|
 |
 |
|
Ornamental Feature Like: That's one reason why the feature photography field remains comparatively uncrowded, despite its obvious advantages over spot news coverage. It's easier for the cameraman to come up to the standards of news photography than to those of feature photography. There are many photographers perfectly capable of doing features, and who would like to do them, who never get into the field for the simple reason that they don't ever see the opportunities all around them for feature pictures. They lack the knack, something akin to the "nose for news" mentioned in the previous chapter, to recognize feature picture material.
Cloth valances are generally hung from a wooden box or support that is screwed to the trim, but the valance itself may follow a variety of forms. It may be a stretched Textile applied to a thin plywood backing, and it may be rectangular, scalloped, or the top or bottom line may be cut into any desired shape. If the valance is other than rectangular it is known as a "shaped valance." The majority of cloth valances are shirred or arranged with French or box plaits. Valances may also be designed in single, double, or triple swags, in which cases it is usually advisable to add a jabot at each end. With swag valances the supporting feature at each end may be hidden, or the swags may be drawn through an ornamental feature like ring or thrown over a Pin decorated with a rosette or ornamental feature like head. The appearance of cloth valances is improved if the lower line is edged with a guimpe, gros-grain ribbon, edging, or fringe. When patterned materials are used for stretched valances it is important to balance the pattern so that the largest motif is in the center or two similar motifs are spaced equidistant from the center.
This knack, which is only partly observation and probably more a matter of imagination, is a talent which one may or may not be able to acquire. Most editors probably would tell you that if you don't have it you won't get it without working hard to develop it.
The editors, you see, are constantly trying, despite discouraging results, to develop the feature sense in their own staff photographers. A good many editors post bonuses for their spot news men who bring in feature sets and I know of one editor who threatened to fire any photographer who didn't produce at least one feature every week. He couldn't stand by this threat, by the way, or he would have run out of photographers within a few weeks. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
