for his first experiments. A small hole in the front
of each camera allowed viewing and focusing
the projected image directly upon the sensitive
paper within. Like viewing celestial scenes with a
reflection telescope, the technique involved aiming
the camera over the shoulder to reveal the subject
behind.
Every morning at the
Abbey barn we handcoated small sheets of
paper with silver nitrate
and table salt and fitted
them into eight small
cameras. Then, as a
trapper sets a trap line,
we walked the same steps
as Talbot throughout the
Abbey and grounds. We
nestled our little cameras
with pre-visual confidence, a nod to serendipity
and then walked away.
If we had strong sun and an architectural scene, the
paper required about two hour���s exposure to form
a strong negative image. Natural subjects such as
trees and distant landscapes typically needed much
more. An entire day of exposure was necessary to
HYLAND
