Moonlight Photography

In a recent interview with A. L. Colton, who has charge of the meteorological department of the University observatory, a Register reporter was shown a photographic negative of a portion of the observatory building, taken under somewbat peculiar circumstances. Photogrspby by moonlight, although a comparatively unheard-of thing, has been successfully attampted in a few instances. Last Ootober, Mr. Colton, who is an enthusiastic amateur photographer, succeeded in producing in this way the negative referred to. Having but little idea of the actinio power of the moon's rays, he gave an exposure of about five hours ; but the subsequent beharior of the plate during development proved that less time would have been 8ufficient. During this time the moon advanced of course a considerable distance in the sky, and this fact is attested by the arrangement of the lights and shades in the picture. The outlines are süghtly indistinct, as the light was not strong enough for accurate forcusintr. Cloudv weathpr and other unfavorable circumstances prevented a repetition of the experiment, but Mr. Colton hopes to try it again soon, with prospects of still greater success. Mr. Colton has a large collection of views, the quality of whioh would do credit to a professional, and speaks well for the excellence of his apparatus and his skill in uaing it There were several fine instantaneous views, some of them taken on the Detroit and Sc. Clair rivers from the deck of a moving steamer. A raoonlight effect on the Rouge river, near Detroit, attracts attention. It was taken instantaneously in bright sunahine, and in a direction against the sun. Th highly-illuminated water is taken with good detail, but as the lens was used with a small aperture, thus admitting but little light from the less brilliant portions of the scène, the darker surrounding objects were aerea inaistinct, as m genuine moonlight. The effect is very natural : the ripples on the water, the sheen of the directly reflected light, the sail-boats lying idly at anchor with the wavy reflection of their mastB, and the sombre darkness of the woods and fields - all lead one to believe that the picture was really taken in the evening. It was taken as an experiment, and ie direct violation of one of the canons of photography - never to make an exposure again8t the source of light - but it is probably by this method that marine moonlight effects are produced by phetography, such as are occasionally found in stereoscopic views.