Raoul Ubac

Mannequin de Marcel Duchamp
“Duchamp posa simplement sur son mannequin le veston et le chapeau qu’il venait d’enlever, comme si le mannequin était un portemanteau. C’était le moins frappant des mannequins exposés, mais il symbolisait à merveille le désir qu’avait Duchamp de ne pas trop attirer l’attention.” Man Ray 
Photographie de Raoul Ubac prise à l’Exposition internationale du surréalisme à la Galerie des Beaux Arts en 1938. 

Flower Photography

E. Louise Marillier ~ Peonies, 1912
[Art Gallery of New South Wales]

To anyone who is fond of flowers this is one of the most interesting branches of photography, although not without its many difficulties. At the request of the editor of Photo-era I will tell, by describing my modus operandi, how some of them may be overcome.

One of the most essential things required is a good background. I have several which I have painted in oil-colors on artist’s large-sized canvasses. My favorite is shaded from rather light gray to warm gray-brown.

Flowers should always be gathered fresh and put into water for two hours before arranging them. This is best done on a deal-top table; it is a trying ordeal and sometimes much patience is required. As it is very difficult to get the blossoms and foliage into satisfactory focus, a little wire or a pin has to be resorted to if the exposure must be long, for I find the flowers are inclined to move…

Photo-era magazine, The American Journal of Photography Volume XXII, January 1909, to June 1909, published by Wilfred A. French

Photographer unknown ~ Hibiscus, ca. 1915