THERE is always something refreshing and likeable about "Westerners". They are a broad-minded, open-handed, take-you-at-your-face-value type, originally "Easterners", to be sure, but with roving or adventuresome natures which took them west.

And once settled in that beautiful country beyond the plains it is practically impossible to ever pry them loose and get them east again.

They are, above all things, progressive. The man who made the pictures used in our illustrations this month is especially so. Mr. O.

L. Markham, after a short apprenticeship in Illinois, entered the commercial and scenic business for himself and traveled through the west for ten years doing commercial, railroad and cirkut photography.

Eight years ago his work carried him to Portland, Oregon. The fishing was good in the surrounding country so he decided to settle and open a portrait studio. A good place to fish must be a good place for business. And it might be interesting to mention that his reception-room door bears the notice that he closes early Saturday afternoons during the trout fishing season.

But Mr. Markham was not, in the strict sense of the word, a portrait photographer. He had merely made up his mind to be.

So, as he himself says, with some very ordinary post cards and small mounted pictures in his display cases he was discovered by an Eastman demonstrator who quickly sensed his ability.

All demonstrators are fundamentally alike, and given the opportunity and a little encouragement they will work their heads off to help a photographer do better work, and by so doing become successful.

Mr. Markham tells us that this one hammered home as many of the rules of good negative making as he could assimilate. Then for months he worked day and night trying out the demonstrator's lightings on his wife until she refused to pose for him after eleven o'clock at night.

Portrait Film Negative, Artura Print By 0. L. Markham Portland, Ore.

By keeping persistently at it, however, he has worked his way up to the point where he is sharing the very best class of trade that is to be had in Portland.

Nothing but Eastman Portrait Film and Artura paper are used at the Markham Studio, because their excellent quality and uniformity have long been recognized. And, doubtless, if Mr. Markham had his way he would suggest the endowment of his demonstrator friend to assist aspiring young photographers, for he credits to his advice the success he has made as a portrait photographer.

We have a sneaking idea that the demonstrator may also have known how to use a rod and reel as well as a camera and Portrait Film.

Mr. Markham contends that the greatest stumbling block to a photographer's progress is satisfaction and contentment. He is never satisfied with his work and never wants to be. Aside from this attitude, which encourages a constant striving for something new and better, Mr. Markham believes in pleasing every customer by giving the very best possible service.

A Commercial Exhibit

IN addition to our portrait illus-trations we are reproducing three prints from the cup-winning group of commercial photographs exhibited by Manning Bros, of Detroit, Mich., at the recent national convention.

The group included six beautiful sepia-toned Portrait Bromide prints from Portrait Film negatives. They were attractive as beautiful prints, as examples of film quality as well as fine examples of the photographer's skill. There were many excellent exhibits of commercial work, and they were exceedingly difficult to judge because of the great diversity of subjects represented, but in the judges' opinions there was no one exhibit that was more harmonious or generally attractive, at the same time of consistently excellent quality.

It is the season when everyone who can lives outdoors. Why not try outdoor portraiture?

Portrait Film Negative, Artura Print By 0. L. Markham Portland, Ore.