camera:

"The experience of one who has often been Daguerreotyped, is, to let
the operator have his own way."

Nothing, in many instances, can be more out of place in a Daguerreotype
portrait than this, for let a man with a thin, long,
defeated-politician-face, be represented by a directly front view, we
have, to all appearances, increased the width of the face to such an
extent as to reveal it flat and broad, losing the characteristic point
by which it would be the most readily recognized. The method we should
adopt in taking the likeness of such an individual as above, would be
to turn the face from the camera, so as to present the end of the nose
and the prominence of the cheek bone equally distant from the lenses,
and then focusing on the corner of the eye towards the nose, we cannot
in many cases, fail to produce an image with the lips, chin, hair, eyes
and forehead in the minutest possible definition.

It should be the study of every operator to notice the effect of the
lights and shades while arranging the sitter, and at the same time be
very particular to give ease in the position.

No matter how successful the chemical effect may have been, should the
image appear stiff and monument-like, all is lost. "In the
masterpiece, grace and elegance must be combined."

I will here use the words of another, which are very true:

"So great is the difference in many faces, when inspected in opposite
directions, that one of the two views, however accurately taken, would
not communicate the likeness--it not being, the usually observed
characteristic form. When the right view of the head is obtained, it
is first necessary to consider the size of the plate it is to be taken
on, so as to form an idea of the proportion the head should bear to it.
The mind must arrange these points before we commence, or we shall find
everything, too large or too small for the happy proportion of the
picture, and the conveying of a just notion of the stature. The work
will have to be done over, and time sacrificed, if this is not attended
to. The adjustment of the head to the size of the plate (as seen from
the margin of the mat), is not to be taught: everyone must bring
himself, by scrutinizing practice, to mathematical accuracy; for
something will be discovered in every face which can be surmounted only
by experience.

"The eye nearest the camera, in a three-quarter-face, is placed in the
middle of the breadth of the plate; the ch