WINDMILLS .sx Collectors' pieces .sx . for the keen amateur .sx By JEFFERY W. WHITELAW .sx WINDMILLS , quaint and picturesque survivals from the past , have always been of great interest to the photographer .sx Unfortunately , however , in this modern age very few of these reminders of man's early attempts at mechanization on a fairly large scale are still working and in too many cases they have been allowed to fall into disrepair- often with nothing but a brick stump remaining .sx On the other hand , and to the benefit of the country-lover and photographers alike , enlightened authorities , the Ministry of Works , the National Trust and even private individuals have made great efforts to preserve some of these mills before it is too late .sx Most of the windmills which appear to be complete are more than likely to have been restored and it is these which make magnificent photographs .sx A windmill in good repair with its bare sweeps against a suitable sky can make a most attractive subject- it may even produce an exhibition picture- and I have been adding to my collection for some years now .sx It will be useful at this point to give a brief history of the windmill for those who may be new to this subject .sx The three basic types of windmill are the Post Mill , the Tower Mill and the Smock Mill , and these can be described without the variations in design which are to be found in different parts of the country- some of these variations will be seen from the accompanying photographs .sx The oldest and most primitive type is the post mill which became known by this name because , in order that the mill should obtain the maximum power from the wind , the whole body was pivoted on a centre post supported by heavy timber beams in the form of a tripod .sx A long beam projected from the back of the mill and the miller had to push on this to bring the sweeps round to face the wind .sx A good example of an early post mill is to be seen at Bourn , in Cambridgeshire , and as the records can be traced back to 1636 it is now the oldest surviving windmill in the country , with the Cambridge Preservation Society making sure that it stays in good repair .sx Although the sweeps and tailbeam are modern replacements , the remainder is the original structure and of great interest .sx A key can be obtained at the farmhouse and there is complete freedom to go all over the mill with the possibility of photographs from every angle , both inside and out .sx It began to be realized that it was a great waste of labour and effort to have to turn the whole mill whenever the wind changed and by the end of the 17th century , tower mills were being built .sx These were solid buildings either of brick or clunch to house the machinery with revolving caps to which the sails were attached .sx The earliest caps had still to be turned by hand , but what has become known as the " fantail " was invented in the 18th century , thus removing the need for the miller to be constantly on the alert for a change in the wind .sx Into the Eye of the Wind .sx The fantail consists of what is more or less a small windmill set at right-angles to the main sails , and when these are facing squarely into the wind the fantail does not move .sx As soon as the wind changes , it causes the fantail to start revolving and , working through a series of gears , the cap turns , so bringing the sails back into the " eye of the wind .sx " A number of post mills had the fantail added later and this undoubtedly saved many from demolition after the labour-saving tower mills were invented ; a particularly fine example recently restored by the Ministry of Works can be seen at Saxtead Green , near Framlingham in Suffolk .sx The third type of mill is in reality only a variant of the tower mill and known as the smock mill because of its fancied resemblance to an old farmer wearing a smock .sx The smock mill has a tapering timber-framed tower ( usually octagonal ) often on a brick base , and the frames are covered with boards .sx When considering windmills from the photographic viewpoint , it will soon become apparent that they are not the easiest of subjects , and that if something more than " just another record " is to be made of each mill as it is discovered , then quite a little thought must be devoted to the problems which may arise .sx To obtain a really first-class result I consider it is essential to have a bright sunny day with blue sky and good strong cumulus clouds- windmills usually look their best against this cotton-wool type of sky .sx Take it Now !sx .sx Unfortunately , these ideal conditions rarely occur at just the right time , and here I will give a word of advice , which would not be necessary with most other types of subjects .sx By all means plan to come back another day for another attempt if the weather should not be all that you hoped for , but do take a picture whatever the weather- when you come again it is possible that fire or a storm may have destroyed the mill overnight .sx Recently in the National Press there was a sad picture of the wreckage of the smock mill on Outwood Common , near Redhill , after it had collapsed one night at the end of 1960 , to prove that this is a very real hazard .sx It is quite likely that the mill will still be standing or even have been restored on another visit , but if not , then the picture taken on a dull day will not have been wasted because it was the last one taken before the mill met its end .sx Given ideal weather conditions one must decide what is the most favourable viewpoint- whether to take the mill straight on to the sails or from the side , whether just to take the mill on its own in a vertical format or to include it as part of the landscape as a horizontal .sx All these minor problems must be worked out as each mill is photographed .sx A side view is usually more pleasing , but it may be that a frontal view will be more effective in certain circumstances- sometimes the surroundings are very uninteresting , especially if the mill is hemmed in by farm buildings , and because of this a frontal view gives the best picture .sx Take a good walk all around the mill if this is possible :sx you should be able to make several exposures from different directions and some quite dramatic effects may be obtained .sx If , of course , the farm buildings are in harmony with the mill , then a very pleasant landscape may result with the mill as the central feature , and , in fact , the inclusion of the mill may add just what is needed to an otherwise uninteresting view .sx Although I have expressed a preference for bright sunny days , quite a different type of picture may , of course , be obtained when photographing windmills in the early morning or silhouetted against a sunset in the evening .sx Contre-jour shots will also be possible , in many cases to good effect .sx You may be fortunate in having all the sunshine you want but with not a cloud in sight :sx the careful use of the correct filter will then be necessary to create the right atmosphere in the final picture- perhaps a little shading-in will be required in enlarging .sx I hope that I have been able to convince you that photographing windmills is both rewarding and fascinating , and as I have pointed out already , opportunities for doing so are becoming less and less frequent .sx Start now on a similar collection and not only will it be of value for record purposes but your skill as a photographer will be tested to the full in obtaining really first-class results .sx One final word- no special equipment is needed for taking windmill pictures .sx All the accompanying illustrations were taken on one or other of my two Ensign 320 folding cameras , both being fitted with the superb Ross Xpres lens- cameras which are now obsolete but which can , however , be bought second-hand for about +10 or +12 these days .sx Experiment more with figure possibilities .sx By RICARDO .sx " WHY don't you tell your beginners how lucky they are ?sx - to have cameras which do all their drawing for them .sx " This was from a figure artist friend of mine who sees these prints now and then .sx He went on to say that , being able to shoot off a dozen or so negatives by way of practising composition , the photographer today had never had it so good .sx By way of comparison , he thinks nothing of roughing out anything up to a dozen sketches before settling down to the real thing- a magazine illustration .sx When I asked him for some tips on figure work to pass on to my readers , his bland reply was to the effect that good figure form was good composition and that only by sticking at it , year in and year out , could one arrive !sx I should like to add that helpful criticism all the way along plus the environment of an enthusiastic society makes it much more of a pleasure .sx ON THE BEACH :sx Mrs. H. Saphier .sx I SHOULD imagine that this subject matter looked quite exciting in colour , with the large stones ( colourful greys ) compensating for their prominence by their hues .sx But in monochrome these stones dominate far too much and detract from the figure design and particularly from the motif- stone-throwing .sx The fundamental design of the two distant figures repeating the foreground figures is pleasing , and the low viewpoint was an excellent choice .sx However , the two dark big stones in the foreground , badly out of focus , tend to merge uncomfortably into the dark main figure and so cause a mirror-splitting of the design down the centre .sx Because these two central figures are looking strongly to the right the design also looks too heavy on the right .sx A sloping horizon does not help either .sx The second sketch concentrates on the nearer two figures only and a better figure form is given to the stone-thrower .sx Although these youngsters are now placed well over to the left , the design is well balanced , mainly because of the implied interest in the right , and the absence of unsightly rocks .sx HERE'S HOPING :sx E. Abrey .sx FOR a study of concentration and good timing to get the penny so well placed for balance , this is good work .sx The simple tone of the girl's clothes is pleasing , and the selective focussing is ideal , throwing the distant trees into an essential diffusion , while the overhead lighting helps to dramatize and so to emphasize the girl's sharp concentration .sx One weakness is the superfluous amount of foreground , all the more noticeable because of the out-of-focus numbering , not good in this respect .sx Another fault concerns the arrangement of the girl's left arm , which contributes nothing to the atmosphere , while it could be quite useful .sx The figures in the rear , although out of focus , are also mildly disturbing .sx The next sketch suggests possible modifications .sx The left arm could be making one of many gestures suggesting excitement , and to link up with it the girl's mouth could well be expressing " Oooh !sx " A more distant viewpoint could have sharpened up the foreground figures slightly at the same stop , and to further reduce this useful area without resorting to trimming , the cross shadow of , say , an onlooker would have broken it up as shown .sx This shadow would also help to repeat and to balance the dark trees in the diagonally opposite corner .sx Is this all too suggestive of play-acting- so possibly losing that air of reality which is the strong feature of this print ?sx It all depends , but a little sensible directing now and then can make a big difference in the appeal of such an idea .sx LET ME TRY IT :sx L. Sharratt .sx THE timely shooting of this very boyish trick has secured a most appealing and amusing atmosphere .sx