Nature and the Camera

C- ^AC^

4^^^ LIBRARY, ^^t^

ll^ MAYS 1904 1

J

PiVTTABlS

WOOD-THRUSH FAMILY.

Photographed thirty feet from the ground. The young are ready to leave their nest.

NATURE AND THE

CAMERA HOW TO PHOTO-
GRAPH LIVE BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS;
ANIMALS, WILD AND TAME; REPTILES;
INSECTS; FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC
FORMS; FLOWERS, TREES, AND FUNGI

A. RADCLYFFE DUGMORE

AUTHOR OF " BIRD HOMES "
ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR

NEW YORK

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & CO.
1902

Copyright, 1902

DOUBLEDAY, PaGE & Co.

Published November, igos

53rtntfti bg iSanfjattan ^reaa,

Wcto gork, aa. ^. a.

.?§^ LIBRARY.

,• MAYS 1904

This little book is dedicated, as a slight token of esteem, to my
friend H. W. L., who by the interest he has shown in things
natural has earned the gratitude of all students and lovers of nature

SJ""

^ MAY 3 1904

LIBRARY;

AY3 19

INTRODUCTION

As a means of studying nature in most of its many-
forms, there is, perhaps, nothing better than the
camera. Not only does it teach us to see much that
would otherwise pass unnoticed, but it enables us to
make records of what we see — records that are, as a
rule, infinitely better and more useful than pencil
notes ; and the studying and photographing of one
subject leads to another, and so we go from birds to
insects, from insects to flowers, and from flowers to
trees, until we have an acquaintance with things
natural more intimate and far broader in its scope
than would have resulted had we been content simply
to try to see things and write notes on them.

Nowadays, when every school has or should have
its nature class, we find children scarcely out of the
kindergarten who know more about our wild birds
and flowers than the great majority of the grown-up
people to whom nature study was an unknown thing
when they were young. To foster this desire in
children to know more of the life about them is

vi INTRODUCTION

one's duty, for not only is there great pleasure to be
derived from such knowledge and healthful exercise
in the search of material, but knowing something
about the birds, trees, or insects enables them through-
out life to work intelligently for the preservation of
that which needs protection. Game laws would be
respected more generally if people would only realise
what they mean. The senseless and wanton killing
of animal life that goes on all around us would not
be tolerated if there was more knowledge of the
value of such life. How often do we see people
kill hawks, thinking that they are doing a good deed,
just as the various Christian sects burned or otherwise
killed one another in days gone by, fully believing
that such acts were for the good of the world. Let
the man who kills a hawk or even a snake first in-
quire into the habits of that particular kind of hawk
or snake, and usually he will find that by killing it
he will be doing harm to his own interests. So it
will be seen that there is much to be gained by en-
couraging the study of nature in any or all her forms,
and, as has already been said, there is nothing that
will give the beginner an interest in the subject any
more quickly or with greater certainty than the
camera. Nearly every one, young or old, possesses
some variety of camera, and yet so few ever attempt
the portrayal of anything save people and views!
Let them direct their energies toward photograph-

INTRODUCTION vii

ing the details of almost any common object in na-
ture, and they will be astonished to find how much
there is to interest them in that object. Take a
photograph of a landscape, and even though it may
be beautiful, it is, after all, much like hundreds of
other landscapes. But take any one of the objects
represented in the view, such as the different grasses,
the flowers, or the trees, and how much more inter-
esting would they be if well photographed in detail !

It is in the hope of helping those who are merely
beginners in the art of photographing any of the
forms of nature that this little book is offered.
Knowing how many and varied are the difficulties
encountered by the nature photographer, it has been
the endeavour throughout these chapters to take note
of the principal difficulties that have been met by the
author, and, wherever possible, give such suggestions
as might be of help in overcoming them. No se-
crets have been withheld, and any so-called ** tricks
of the trade " are explained frankly. At best a book
of this size can but touch on many of the subjects;
to give a full account of how to treat each subject
would require many volumes and would prove very
tiresome reading. Everything has been made as
brief as was thought compatible with clearness, and
technical terms have so far as possible been avoided.

The illustrations are of course from life and were
selected from a collection of nearly three thousand

Vlll

INTRODUCTION

negatives made by the author during the last few
years.

To the expert in nature photography this book
will prove of little or perhaps no use, and he must
accept it with the apologies of the author for any
statements that may clash with his own ideas. The
suggestions and advice given are simply based on the
personal experience of the writer and are offered for
what they are worth.

A. Radclyffe Dugmore.

^"^* LIBRARY.

MAYS 1904

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT AND MANIPULATIONS

PAGE

Part I. Apparatus 3

Part II. The Dark Room, Developing, Printing,
Double Printing, Retouching, Ex-
posures 13

CHAPTER II

PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS

Part I. Nests Containing Eggs 22

Part II. Photographing Nests Containing Young

Birds 3S

Part III. Photographing the Nest with the Sitting

Bird 40

Part IV. Photographing Nests with Old Birds and

their Young 45

Part V. Photographing Old Birds and their

Young after They Leave the Nest . 50

Part VI. Photographing Young Birds Alone, both

Wild and Tame S^

Part VII. Photographing the Adult Bird, Wild

and Tame 64

ix

X CONTENTS

CHAPTER III

PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS

PAGE

Part I. Wild Animals at Large ...... 73

Part II. Wild Animals in Captivity ..... 80

Part III. Photographing Domestic Animals . . 84

CHAPTER IV

Photographing Reptiles 86

CHAPTER V
Photographing Insects 89

CHAPTER VI

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC LIFE

Part I. The Aquarium and Outfit 91

Part II. Accessories and their Preparation ... 97
Part III. Handling and Photographing the Fish . 103

CHAPTER VII

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, SHRUBS, FLOWERS, ETC.

Part I. Trees, Flowers, Ferns, Leaves, and

Grasses in their Natural Surroundings 114

Part II. Photographing Cut Flowers, Leaves and

Fruits . . . . .. c . c . . 121

Part III. Photographing Fungi ,.,... 124

MAYS 1904
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Wood-thrush family photographed thirty feet from the ground.

The young are ready to leave their nest . . . Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

Woodcock on its nest. The photograph was made with a
premo lens, ray-filter, isochromatic plate ; exposure forty
seconds. Made during a heavy shower 22

Young blue jays getting ready to leave their nest . . , . 24

Oven-bird's nest 26

Long-billed marsh-wren's nest 28

Nest of downy woodpecker. A hole was cut in the branch

in order to show the position of the eggs ..... 32

Young crows in nest 38

Wood-thrush on its nest. Exposure about four seconds with

single combination of Goertz lens 42

Worm-eating warbler and young. Illustrating the tameness of

a comparatively rare bird 48

Blue-winged warbler and her young 50

Chipping sparrow feeding its young 50

Worm-eating warbler family 52

Indigo-bird about to feed her young 54

Indigo-bird feeding her young 54

Field-sparrow feeding its young 56

xi

4

xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

Three young Baltimore orioles and young catbird. Illustrat-
ing an effective method of lighting ; using back light and
front reflecting-cloth 58

Three young Baltimore orioles. Illustrating the advantage of
effective lighting where the bird is young and has fluff-
like feathers 60

Young bluebird 62 ;

Young catbird. Showing effective lighting when the subject

is dark 6z

Young crested flycatchers 64

Young crested flycatchers ready for food 64

Young flickers. The white tips of the bills show where the

hardening is taking place 66

Young red-eyed vireo the day after leaving the nest. This
illustrates the disadvantage of a partly shaded background
of leaves 68

Immature bluebird. Illustrating the ordinary method of lighting 68

Redpoll. An example of photography on the snow ... 70

Redpoll 70

Cedar-bird in wild-cherry tree 72

Tern 74

Downy woodpecker calling while climbing apple branch in

search of food 76

Phoebe photographed by means of a mirror, the sunlight being
thrown on the bird, who perched frequently on this dead
twig, which was in shade 76

Porcupine in its wild state . ... . . 78

A well-behaved 'possum 78

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii

FACING PAGE

Prairie-dog on edge of its burrow, in the Washington National

Zoo 80

A pair of pronghorn antelopes photographed in the Washing-
ton National Zoo 80

Tree-toad 84

Tree-toad. An excellent example of protective marking . . 84

Bullfrog resting at surface of water 86

Bullfrog standing half submerged in water 86

Garter-snake 88

Snapping-turtles fighting 88

Moth unfolding its wings after leaving cocoon 90

Yellow angel-fish. Showing its natural surroundings . . .104

Moonfish 106

Garfish 108

Bluefish. Being a surface-fish, no accessories are necessary . no

Squirrel-fish. This is a bright red fish, and the photograph

illustrates the advantage of the isochromatic plate . . H2

Skunk-cabbage, leaf unfolding. April 19, 190 1 114

Skunk-cabbage, leaves nearly open. April 19, 190 1 . . .114

Violets {Fiola hicolor) 116

Pink hepatica. April 23, 1901 118

Bloodroot and hepatica. April 19, 190 1 .120

Fringed gentian 122

Jack-in-pulpit. May 18, 1901 124

^^'*' LIBRARY. ^

MAYS 1904

Nature and the Camera

NATURE AND THE CAMERA

CHAPTER I

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT AND MANIPULATIONS
PART I

APPARATUS

As the outfit necessary for the thoroughly equipped
nature photographer is of great importance, the reader
must pardon what may appear to him to be an un-
necessary amount of detail, and also excuse any
statements that conflict with his ideas. Each man
sees things in a different way, and I simply give my
opinions, which, though based on a fair amount of
experience, are not supposed to be final. To influ-
ence a man in the choice of cameras or developers
or plates would be almost, if not quite, as absurd as
trying to tell a man which gun to use. It is not for
the advanced student in nature photography that this
chapter is written, but for the tyro, who, in beginning
the work of photographing things natural, runs up

3

4 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

against a list of apparatus as long as it is perplexing.
If he goes to a dealer he will more than likely be
recommended to use the things upon which the
dealer makes the greatest profit; he also will be
induced to buy a number of quite unnecessary things;
and as the dealer is seldom a really practical photog-
rapher, many of the most important articles will be
left out. A great difficulty in giving anything like a
complete list of apparatus needed is the constant
change in all photographic supplies. A camera that
would be best to-day might in a week's time be super-
seded by something so much better that the older
one would be thrown aside for the newer inven-
tion. It is not so very long ago that the twin-lens
camera, commonly called the ** two-decker," was the
only camera with which one could focus on an
object and at the same time have the plate ready for
an exposure. Then came the reflex, and now we
have the graflex, which, though expensive, is about
all that can be wished for. Being strongly made, it
will withstand the rough usage incidental to natural-
history photography. Its long draw of bellows
allows of the use of a twelve-inch lens, and for
objects up to within about ten feet distant a six-inch
lens with hand-camera telephoto attachment can be
used. The shutter is of the latest pattern of focal
plane which works near the plate; by this method
the greatest possible amount of illumination is re-

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 5

ceived by the plate, so that very short exposures
may be given with good results. All these advan-
tages, combined with the ease of focussing on any
object, whether at rest or in motion, make such a
camera of the greatest possible value to the photog-
rapher of animate nature. A bird may be caught
on the wing with as much ease and certainty as if it
were mounted.

For flowers and many kinds of work the regular
long-focus camera will always be useful, but it is well
to remember that there is every advantage in having
the back focus rather than the front. The reason is
obvious. The back focus allows you to keep a cer-
tain distance between the lens and the object while
you move the back end of the camera until the cor-
rect focus is obtained, whereas, if the back is rigid
and the front moves, you have much trouble in get-
ting a sharp focus on a very near object, as the dis-
tance between the object and the lens changes while
you are trying to get the correct focus. Almost all
the modern cameras are fitted with convenient rever-
sible backs, and most necessary arrangements they are.
It is hard to realise that but a few years ago the
whole camera had to be reversed, where now only
the back need be moved. The swing-back is another
desirable feature in a camera, far more so than the
rising front, which is seldom wanted, except where
buildings are to be portrayed. The use of the swing-

NATURE AND THE CAMERA

■

back is not always understood by the beginner : its
object is to enable him to bring both foreground
and distance in focus. This is particularly noticeable
when the subject in hand is a birds' nest or some such
object on the ground, and you have to place the
camera low down. The part of the foreground near-
est the lens is so very near, while the distance is so
much farther off, that, to have the whole picture in
even fairly sharp focus, you would have to use the
smallest diaphragm, and consequently a very long-
exposure would be needed. By using the swing-
back, swinging the upper part back and the lower
part forward, you can to a limited extent obviate this.
Remember that the nearer the object is to the lens
the greater must be the distance between the lens and
the plate, and vice versa; and as the back swings, so
does it increase or decrease the distance between the
lens and the plate.

In the matter of lenses there are several important
things for the nature photographer to bear in mind.
Speed is absolutely necessary in most branches of
work; depth of focus also is necessary ; perfect defini-
tion and covering power are equally important. To
insure covering power it is advisable to have a lens
whose covering capacity is at least one inch greater
than the largest plate you intend to use. Then if you
use the rising and falling front you can use it without
sacrificing definition at the upper or lower end of the

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 7

plate. Length of focus is important, in that it gov-
erns the size of the object from a given distance.
The greater the equivalent length of focus the larger
will be the object, and the less will be the distortion
due to foreshortening. A short-focus lens fore-
shortens all objects that are near with such abrupt-
ness as to cause grotesque distortion. The most
useful lens for all-round work is one whose two sys-
tems or combinations can be used separately. By
having such a lens you have practically two in one,
the single combination having about double the focal
length of the couplet. With some of the newer
lenses, such as the plastigmat, the single combinations
may be used for instantaneous work, while with some
of the other highest grade lenses the single combina-
tions can be used only with a small diaphragm. The
diaphragm of a lens is used — to give a very untechnical
description — to increase the depth of focus and the
covering capacity of a lens, thereby giving greater
definition at the sacrifice of speed. Each number,
such as F8, F 16, etc., means, for practical use, that
the exposure when the larger figure is used shall be
double that of the preceding figure ; for instance, if,
witn the diaphragm set at F 1 6, the exposure needed is
one second, at F32 it would require two seconds,
and at F64 four seconds. It will be seen by this that
for instantaneous work the lens must be used either
open or with a large diaphragm.

8 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

On the subject of telephoto lenses we must confine
ourselves to their practical use. The telephoto is an
attachment which is used in connection with an-
other lens. It is placed back of the lens and enlarges
according to the scale marked on the barrel. As the
magnification increases, so is the necessary exposure
lengthened, for which reason it will be seen that for
instantaneous work a magnification of, say, lo diam-
eters would be out of the question. With the
Bausch & Lomb hand-camera telephoto attachment
fitted to the plastigmat lens, exposures of one hun-
dredth part of a second may be made if conditions
are very favorable and the magnification is not more
than about 2j^ or 3 diameters. Of course such a
plate must be developed carefully. With an expo-
sure of a twenty-fifth of a second, excellent results
can be obtained in bright light. The high-power
telephoto lens is only useful when the object to be
photographed is still enough to allow of a time
exposure. When using a telephoto lens with a hand-
camera be careful to hold the camera firmly : the least
vibration will ruin the picture.

The tripod, though not a very important part of
the outfit, should be selected with care. Be sure to
have one that is sufficiently rigid; the legs should
telescope and the top be large enough to give the
necessary support for the camera. Be sure also that
the legs are well separated at the top ; that is to say.

I

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 9

they must not come close together near the centre of
the top ; if they do, the tripod will never be steady.

A word or two about plate-holders may not be
amiss, as they are of vital importance. Never choose
a holder because it is light. The lighter it is the
less wood (if it is made of wood) is used, and conse-
quently the less strength it has. Scarcely any of the
plate-holders on the American market to-day are
proof against half an hour of strong sunlight, while
with most of them the plate would be hopelessly
fogged if the sun shone on the holder for half a
minute. Even the slides are not really opaque. If
they are made of rubber they become soft in hot
weather and brittle when it is cold. The paper
slides are better, but they wear out quickly and do
not stand dampness. The best kind are made of
some preparation of celluloid. These are opaque,
withstand any cold, but are apt to become soft while
they are hot. Any plate-holder which does not
allow of the plate being inserted and removed easily
is not to be recommended, as we often have to change
plates in the field, when the luxury of a dark room
is of course unknown, and when buried in a sleeping-
bag on a hot evening, we do not relish having to
remove plates from a holder when they insist on
sticking ; it is a test too severe for any one*s patience.

From plate-holders we naturally turn to changing-
bags. There are very few kinds on the market (ex-

lo NATURE AND THE CAMERA

cept in England), and it is difficult to find one that
is satisfactory. Most of them are good enough for a
very short time, but they invariably leak if they are
used for any length of time. If made of any material
containing rubber, they are useless, as the rubber soon
perishes. Of the materials which I have tried, pan-
tasote seems the best. It is absolutely light-tight,
and wears well. A simple form that answers for a
changing-bag is a square box-shaped bag well rein-
forced and bound on the edges. At each corner
there is a loop to which cords are attached that will
hold the bag in position ; two sleeve-like openings
(with rubber bands to hold them closely about one's
arm) on one side admit the arms, and should be made
large enough to let the plate-holders enter. For a
changing-bag this is all that is needed. Of course
we cannot see what we are doing, but that is seldom
necessary when once we know our plate-holders.

A really portable field-developing tent is one of
the much-needed things. At present there is nothing
on the market in this country, though I understand
one is about to be made. There are two patterns
of these tents or boxes: one in which you put your
arms inside, and with your head outside you look
through a yellow glass window, another yellow or
red window being on the opposite side. This has
the advantage of coolness, but it is difficult to see
very clearly. The other is a cloth and wood box or

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT ii

tent with a bag-like opening, which is tied round the
waist, so that one's head and arms are inside. In cool
weather this is all very well, but in hot weather it
is frightfully uncomfortable for one's self and danger-
ous for the plates.

In going on a long trip it is well to be provided
with a small quantity of concentrated developer, two
rubber or celluloid trays, and a small red candle-
lamp, in order to make a test negative once in a
while to be sure that everything is going properly.
Nothing can be more disappointing than to jfind
after a long trip that through some small defect in
camera or shutter all your work is spoiled ; and yet
such occurrences are by no means uncommon.

The question of what plate to use is an important
one, and one which every man must answer for him-
self. Almost any of the good makes are good, and
generally the complaints made against them are
unfounded, those who make the criticisms being
usually beginners who think it smart to find fault.
For all work where colour-values require to be ren-
dered accurately, isochromatic plates are necessary, the
slower kind being most truly isochromatic. With
gain in speed there is loss in their sensitiveness to
the reds, greens, and yellows. Backed isochromatic
plates are the ideal kind, combining as they do all
the virtues of both the nonhalation and isochromatic
properties. For sky effects they are perfect. Non-

12 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

halation plates are those which prevent the blurring
around the strongly lighted parts; as, for instance, a
window from the inside of a room would be a blur
with an ordinary plate, while with the backed or
nonhalation plate the edges would be well defined.
Ordinary plates will do well enough for snap-shot
work, provided they are fast enough. It is well to
remember that the more rapid the plate is the less
latitude you have in exposure; in other words, the
more rapid the plate the more nearly correct should
the exposure be. For long trips where weight has
to be considered, cut films are a good substitute for
plates. These, as made by both Carbut and Seed,
are really excellent, comparing favourably with glass
plates. Their keeping qualities also are good. In
using ray-filters — and the best of them are of col-
oured glass — always use an isochromatic plate ; the
exposure is of course increased according to the
density of the colour-screen. Over-exposure is a
common error when the ray-filter is used. With
a light-coloured glass and isochromatic plates the
exposure is increased about four times with instan-
taneous plates, while with slow plates it is much
less, as the slow isochromatic plates are so much
more sensitive to the yellow light.

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 13

PART II

THE DARK ROOM, DEVELOPING, PRINTING, DOUBLE PRINTING,
RETOUCHING, EXPOSURES

The Dark Room. — A comfortable, airy dark
room, though not essential to good work, is never-
theless highly desirable. Much excellent work is
done under the most adverse conditions — plates are
developed under beds, in bath-rooms, and in all man-
ner of places; but that is no reason why, when it is
possible, we should not have a room adapted to, and
solely for, developing. Such a room need not be
large ; four by five feet will do, though it is better
for being a little larger. Do not on any account have
it in the attic, unless you expect to do all your de-
veloping at night. Even then in hot weather you
will find it anything but comfortable. The cellar is
of all places the most desirable: it is nearly always
cool in the summer, and if there is a furnace, it is
quite comfortable in the coldest weather.

To make a temporary and easily constructed dark
room, use two thicknesses of red building-paper,
supported on a rough but rigid framework. The
door may be most easily and safely made by taking
three thicknesses of black or red Canton flannel, or
some such material, and hanging it so that the edges
of the cloth overlap. If the bottom has a wide hem

14 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

filled with shot or sand, it will keep the curtain in
close contact with the floor. The window is easily
made by cutting a hole of the desired size and cov-
ering it with ruby cloth and orange paper. A lamp
on a bracket outside will give the best and most
steady light without heating the room. An extra
piece of ruby paper or cloth should shield the light
when isochromatic plates are being used.

If by tapping the water-pipe you can have running
water, do so, as you will find it is well worth the
small cost. A plentiful supply of water is the way
to be sure of having everything clean, and cleanliness
in photographic work counts for a great deal.

Inside the dark room the shelves should be ar-
ranged so that there will be a place for changing
plates, a place for the developing trays, a small shelf
for chemicals and graduates, and another shelf below
all the others for the fixing-bath. Having this below
the shelf on which the developing is done insures
one against the possibility of having drops of hypo
fall into the developer.

Developing. — While it might be taken for granted
that the reader knows how to develop, still a few
words may be said on the subject for the benefit of
the beginner. Developing a plate is, briefly speak-
ing, subjecting an exposed plate which holds a latent
image to the action of certain chemicals which will

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 15

reduce the bromide of silver to metallic silver — in
other words, the developing agent causes the image
to appear. The image will, of course, appear re-
versed; that is to say, the objects which in nature
are black will show transparent, while the white ob-
jects become black. This is caused by the action of
light on the sensitive film: white, reflecting more
light, acts energetically on the film, while black, re-
flecting as it does no light or scarcely any, has cor-
respondingly little eff'ect on the film.

Now, of the important considerations in making
a negative, the first is to have it correctly exposed;
the next is to use the developer best suited to the
subject and the plate. There are so many developers
to-day that it is no wonder the beginner becomes
confused in trying to select " the best." It is not so
very long ago (up to about 1880, I think) that pyro
and ferrous oxalate were the only two ; then came
hydroquinone, which in turn was followed by the
vast number which we see to-day. Some of them
are good, but as a rule they are too violent. Pyro
still holds its own with those who do not object to
its finger-staining properties. With each brand of
plates the makers give the formula best suited to the
plate, and we cannot do much better than follow
their directions. For my own part, I prefer pyro to
all others for general work. Occasionally, for a very
much under-exposed plate, edinol or metol or some

i6 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

such developer may be used with advantage, especially
in hot weather.

In developing a plate, one should always keep it
under control and watch it carefully, so that it may
be removed when the proper density is reached.
Under-exposed plates need less acid and more water,
and over-exposed plates require less alkali, a stronger
developer, and a small quantity of restrainer, such as
bromide of potassium (ordinary salt will do in an
emergency). With a plate correctly timed the
quality may be regulated by the relative proportion
of the ingredients. Thus when the developer is
weak in alkali or over-strong in acid, the plate will
give the effect of under-exposure, i.e., will be hard,
with decided contrasts and little detail in the shad-
ows; whereas, if the proportions were reversed, so
that the alkali predominates, the plate would be flat,
lacking contrasts, as in the case of over-exposure. A
very weak developer will have the same ejffect.

A much over-exposed plate may be saved by being
placed in a bath containing a small quantity of re-
strainer and the developing acid, no alkali being
used. This bath should be kept in constant motion,
or else the plate will have irregular, wave-like mark-
ings. When removed from this bath, replace the
plate in the ordinary developer, containing some re-
strainer, and carry the development much further
than usual. Under-exposed plates may with advan-

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 17

tage be placed in a weak alkali bath for as much as
half an hour before development, and then developed
slowly with a rather weak developer.

If a plate is too dense, it may be reduced, after
being thoroughly washed, by putting it in a bath
containing about three per cent, of persulphate of
ammonia, then thoroughly washed. A plate that is
too thin but has detail may be improved by intensify-
ing; but an under-exposed plate having strong high
lights and transparent shadows should be reduced
rather than intensified. A good bath is made of a
saturated solution of bichloride of mercury. When
thoroughly whitened, rinse the plate and blacken it
in a weak bath of aqua ammonia or sulphite of soda.
The plate must be free from all trace of hypo, other-
wise there will be yellow stains or irregular intensi-
fication.

In all cases be sure to dust your plates carefully
before placing them in the tray. Wash the plates
thoroughly before fixing, and fix with fresh hypo
bath, except when the weather is hot ; then the
acid fixing-bath recommended by the Cramer plate-
makers should be used. It hardens the film and
keeps well, and allows of any after treatment that
may be necessary for the plate. Another good hard-
ener is formaline (i part to 16 of water). This may
be used either before or after fixing. Its keeping
qualities are good, and it may be used repeatedly,

i8 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

I

allowing the plate to remain in it for from one to
three minutes.

Printing. — In making a negative the prints must,
of course, be thought of and the plate made that will
best suit the paper one expects to use. Each kind of
paper requires a certain quality of negative. Although
these qualities cannot very well be expressed in writ-
ing, they will soon be discovered. The extremes may
be said to be albumen, which requires a strong, dense
negative, and velox, which gives the best results when
the negative is thin and full of detail.

For most printing-out papers (papers which show
the image while printing) the printing should be
done in the shade if the plate is thin, and in strong
sunlight when a dense plate is being printed from.
Subdued light increases contrast, strong light de-
creases it.

Local printing, which often saves a picture, is
accomplished by letting the light strike the plate
locally, being careful not to have hard edges. A
piece of cardboard with a hole cut in it will enable
one to concentrate the light on the parts requiring
the most printing. Do not, however, place it too
close to the plate.

A very flat sky is much improved by allowing the
light to fall on the paper very gradually (after the
printing is finished and the paper removed from

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 19

the frame), letting the upper part become fairly dark,
while the lower part remains light. So much can
be done by manipulating a print ; in skilful hands
a poor negative may be made to yield a very fair
print, but only after a great deal of practice can
much be accomplished.

Double Printing. — There are times when the
background of a picture may have been injured,
while the central object, be it a person or an ani-
mal, is quite clear, or perhaps it is desirable to alter
the surroundings of an object. In order to do this,
double printing is resorted to. Two negatives are
used, one of the background and the other of the
figure. (Be sure the two are in correct proportion.)
This latter negative is painted out with opaque
colour, leaving the figure untouched. Of course the
edge must be very carefully followed. Then a print
of this figure is made, and that is carefully cut out,
thoroughly darkened, and laid against the background
negative in exactly the place where it is needed.
A print is now made from this negative which, when
done, will leave a white space exactly the size and form
of the figure. The next step is to fit this print against
the figure negative and make a print from it. The
resulting picture will show no joint, if the work has
been properly done. A little retouching on the edge
will easily cover up any small defects in the joining.

20 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

Retouching and Spotting. — Both negatives and
prints may frequently be improved by a little judi-
cious retouching: an outline accentuated, a little
detail worked up, or a high light strengthened will
often do much to enhance the beauty of a photo-
graph and render it more suitable for reproduction.
This retouching may be done on either the negative
or the print, or both.

For the negative a balsam preparation known as
retouching-fluid is rubbed softly over the film. This
gives it a ** tooth," so that a lead-pencil will mark it.
When fine work is needed, such as in working up
the hair on an animal, a very hard and finely pointed
pencil should be used, HHHH being none too hard.
For softening shadows H is hard enough. Occa-
sionally, where broad masses of shadow are to be
held back, a very thin and light wash of pale aniline
yellow, applied with a brush, will answer.

In working up a negative, if one has not a regular
retouching-frame, lay the plate in a printing-frame,,
prop it up so as to face a window, and place a piece
of white paper in such a way as to throw a reflected
light against the plate.

Spotting a negative is simply filling in the small
clear spots that are caused either by dust or by bub-
bles in the developer. The medium used for this is
either a preparation known as " opaque," or water-
colour paint, or even Indian ink. The density of

PHOTOGRAPHIC OUTFIT 21

the paint must, of course, correspond with that of
the plate at the place where the hole is in the film.
For retouching prints both paint and pencil are
used. For the platinum papers a soft pencil or char-
coal gray and white (water-colour) will serve. With
the smooth, glossy papers, water-colours mixed with
a little albumen or gum arabic will allow of almost
any degree of retouching. In doing work for repro-
duction, it is often necessary to accentuate detail in
the shadows. It should, however, be done carefully,
as the photographic effect is easily lost.

Exposures. — There is but one master who can teach
us how to expose a plate correctly under all condi-
tions. That master is experience. Correct exposure
depends so much on the quality of print we want
that it is impossible to give any rules on the subject.
An under-exposed plate yields a hard negative with
strong contrasts, while the result of over-exposure is
flatness — lack of contrast. To a limited extent
these defects may be corrected in the developer, but
if the plate is very much under-timed, no power can
save it. On the other hand, a very much over-
exposed plate may, with care, be made into a good
negative. So if you are in doubt about what expo-
sure to give, be sure to give enough — too much
rather than too little.

CHAPTER II

PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS
PART I

NESTS CONTAINING EGGS

Outfit required, — Long-focus camera. Ordinary lens, the longer the
focal length the better. Plate-holders. Dark cloth (not rubber).
Isochromatic plates. ' Tripod with fourfold telescopic legs and extra
extension legs, attachable. Ball-and-socket camera attachment. Small
mirror. White reflecting-cloth. Pair pruners. Lock-saw. Climb-
ing-irons.

Armed with this apparently elaborate outfit, we will
begin with what may perhaps be considered one of
the most simple branches of natural-history photog-
raphy. Photographing a nest, though not difficult
except in certain peculiar cases, calls for a consider-
able degree of artistic sense, for so much depends
on the composition of the subject and on the
lighting. A nest properly lighted makes a beauti-
ful picture, one that calls for the admiration of all who
see it. But look at a photograph of the same nest
taken without the slightest regard to the lighting.

^

xn o

w s

8 1

Q S

c •-

§1

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 23

and it is absolutely uninteresting, at any rate from a
pictorial p'oint of view. Another thing to be borne
in mind is the arranging of the surroundings. It is
frequently necessary to remove some of the small
branches and leaves that the nest may be seen to bet-
ter advantage. In doing this the greatest care must
be observed. The cutting away of much of the sur-
rounding vegetation would leave the nest unprotected.
It is therefore advisable to resort to tying back the
branches that form the principal obstruction, cutting
away only the smaller twigs or leaves. Don't break
these twigs, for in doing so you are very apt to shake
the nest, and perhaps loosen it from its support.
Cutters, such as those used in pruning trees, are best
adapted to this use. If a twig has to be cut, darken
the white end with some wet earth that it may not
show in the photograph, or, better still, arrange a leaf
in such a way that the cut-off end may be hidden.
Almost every variety of nest requires some special
method of treatment, so it will perhaps be best to
commence with the ground nests and work up
through the most important types.

Ground Nests. — A typical ground nest of the simple
form is the woodcock's. Placed, as it usually is, in
fairly open wood or swampy land, it offers an easy
mark for the photographer. The first thing to do
after finding this or any other kind of nest is to

24 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

select the most suitable point of view, one that shows
the nest to the best advantage and at the 'same time
gives a proper idea of the environment, which is a
very important consideration.

Having chosen your point, remove or fasten back
the intervening branches. The view of the nest
being comparatively unobstructed, place your camera
on a very low tripod or even on a pile of stones.
The object of this is to avoid the effect of looking
directly down on the nest, for that simply shows a
plan of the nest and eggs, without giving a proper
idea of either its form or its position.

In these plan-like photographs of nests it is some-
times difficult to determine whether the nest is in a
bush or on the ground. Some people have the idea
that in order to obtain a good photograph of a nest
all the eggs should be visible, and everything is
sacrificed to that end. I have seen deep nests, such
as the vireo's or even the Baltimore oriole's, photo-
graphed directly from above, so that only the rim of
the nest itself was visible. In this way no idea of the
exquisite form of the structure was given. It is quite
sufficient if about half of the egg shows in the pic-
ture. The nearer ground the camera is placed, to
within about eight inches, the better will be the
effect of ground; but it must be remembered that, in
addition to the full use of the swing-back, the lens
will have to be stopped down to its limit (i.e., the

I

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 25

smallest diaphragm must be used), otherwise both
the immediate foreground and the part a short dis-
tance back from the nest will be completely out of
focus. The long exposure made necessary by the
smallness of the diaphragm is a great drawback if
there is much wind or if there are small plants whose
leaves and flowers are affected by the slightest move-
ment of the air.

Ground nests situated in fields or any place where
vegetation is abundant are less easy to photograph.
The best effects are secured on calm days. Direct
sunlight is not only unnecessary, but scarcely to be
desired, for the reason that the shadows are inclined
to be too dark and the eggs will not show their
markings. A bright cloudy day is the best for nest
photography, but if the sun is shining the nest may
be screened by means of a piece of thin white mus-
lin. This will allow sufficient light to pass, so that it
will be easy to make a brilliant photograph. On no
account wW<?r-expose your plate when the subject is
a nest flooded with sunlight. Much more satisfac-
tory results are to be obtained by erring on the side
of over-exposure. Those hard black-and-white pho-
tographs so often to be found in amateur work are
the result of under-exposure, coupled not infre-
quently with faulty development.

A nest that requires special attention is the exqui-
site little domed home of the oven-bird. It is not

26 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

easy to obtain a really satisfactory photograph of this
nest. If we expose for the interior, the exterior suf-
fers, and vice versa. To hit upon the happy medium
requires both care and experience. After trying vari-
ous methods, I have found the most satisfactory thing
to do is to throw a ray of sunlight into the nest by
means of a mirror. This light should be allowed
to enter the nest only during a small part of the
time necessary for the exposure. For example, sup-
posing your lens to be cut down to a very small
aperture, when the correct exposure would be perhaps
forty seconds ; then while the lens is open and the
exposure taking place, allow the sunlight, reflected
from the mirror, to illuminate the interior of the nest
from two to six seconds. Too much local illumina-
tion destroys the eflfect of the depth of the nest and
is therefore to be avoided. While using the mirror,
keep it in constant motion, so that the light will be
diffused.

When photographing ground nests in open, wind-
swept fields, it will sometimes be found necessary to
place a cloth screen around the nest (far enough
away not to interfere with the picture) to protect it
from the wind. Otherwise only a very short expo-
sure can be given.

Nests in Bushes and Trees. — Here we come to
the most satisfactory nests from a photographic stand-

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 27

point. The great variety of the nests themselves
and the endless variety of the surroundings offer far
greater possibilities than are to be found with the
ground nests. All that has been said in regard to
sunlight holds good with these nests, a soft, diffused
light being in most cases the most effective. When
direct sunlight is used it is a good plan to throw up
a reflected white light that will soften the under
shadows. This may easily be done by taking a yard
or two of white muslin and fastening a stick at each
end. The sticks should be pointed at one end, so that
they may be put into the ground, and the cloth,
tightly stretched, will be held at such an angle that
the light will reflect from it upon the nest. A white
cloth placed on the ground beneath the nest will
reflect more or less light, and will in some cases be
found to answer the purpose. A difficulty that will
be the cause of frequent failures unless precautions
are taken is the moving of the nest. This may
sound strange, but it is nevertheless a fact that the
nest does move, or rather its support moves. Take,
for example, a nest built among the small twigs at
the outer end of a branch. With the slightest breeze
the branch sways slowly but surely, and the nest,
which may have been in perfect focus when you
looked on the ground glass, has moved several inches
one way or the other, and consequently is out of
focus. The most obvious way to prevent this is to

28 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

fasten the branch by means of strong twine to some
stationary object, such as a peg driven in the ground,
one of these being used on each side. It is need-
less to add that these guys should not be included
in the picture.

When fastening back branches that would other-
wise obstruct the view of the nest, be careful not
to alter the natural growing position of a plant
or branch. For instance, a branch that is found
growing horizontally would look somewhat peculiar
if it were portrayed in a vertical position. It is safer
to avoid, so far as possible, disturbing the surround-
ings of a nest ; for unless the changes are made with
due care and knowledge of how things should be,
the picture looks artificial and loses its value as a por-
trait of a nest in situ. It is permissible to introduce
flowers into the picture if they serve to give a better
idea of the nature of the surroundings. If properly
arranged, these flowers add greatly to the beauty of
the composition, but all depends on their proper
arrangement. A nest may be situated within a few
feet of a bush of blossoming huckleberries, and if
there is no reason why it should not have been placed
nearer, the bush may be transplanted so that part of
it will show in the picture.

The same may be said of blackberry-vines, among
which birds so often build. A sprig on which
there are several flowers, if placed above or beneath

i

long.bilm:i) marsh wken's nest.

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 29

the nest, adds not only beauty to the photograph,
but at the same time shows that the bird nests dur-
ing the season when that particular flower is in bloom.
In adding flowers to the surroundings, the great dif-
ficulty is that they wilt so quickly after being cut ;
so it is advisable not to place them in position until
everything is ready for the exposure, and even then
it is a good plan to wrap a wet cloth round the ends
of the stems. So much may be done in the way of
giving accentuation to the local colour: a plant of
false hellebore introduced will show that the nest is
near a stream or in swampy ground, while wild
geranium will show that the nest is in a fairly
dry situation. The presence of a dragon-fly near a
red-winged blackbird's nest will add to the beauty
and interest of the picture, for, as a rule, the nests
are found in swampy places, where dragon-flies are
abundant. It is not always easy to induce these
insects to perch just where one wishes to have them,
but it is worth while waiting some time in the hope
that one will come. I remember waiting five hours
before one perched just where I wanted it.

If the nest to be photographed is in a very low
bush within perhaps twelve inches of the ground,
the fact may be made apparent by placing a flower,
such as a daisy, beneath the bush. The position of
the flower will show the approximate height of the
nest. These details, though not by any means neces-

30 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

sary, are useful, for besides showing, as already stated,
the local colour and the time of nesting as made known
by the presence of the flower, if coloured lantern-
slides are to be made the addition of the spot of
bright colour, however small it may be, enhances
the beauty of the projected picture more than is
generally realised.

For contact prints or even for enlargements the
image of the nest should be fairly large, that is to
say, it should occupy nearly a third of the plate ; but
if for lantern-slide use, it is advisable to show more
of the surroundings. So for this reason, when pho-
tographing a nest, it is a good plan to make at least
two negatives, one showing the nest large and one
small. Should the nest be a rare one or a kind dif-
ficult to find, make several negatives, giving each
one a different exposure. By this method the chance
of failure is reduced to a minimum. Nothing is so
unsatisfactory as to find, after taking a great deal of
trouble in making the pictures, that one has failed
through over- or under-exposure, and this is likely
to happen to any one, experienced or inexperienced-
No one, however many photographs he may have
made, can say that he is sure of his exposure under
the ever-varying conditions that are to be met in
the photographing of natural-history subjects. The
question of exposure has been treated in Part II of
Chapter I, but all that can ever be written on the

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 31

subject will not show one the actual actinic power
of the light at the time of making the exposure.
Neither will it show how fast is the plate we are
using, for plates, especially the isochromatic, vary
greatly in their rapidity.

To go back to our subject. Any nest placed in a
bush within four or four and a half feet of the ground
is usually an easy subject, but when the distance is
greater the difficulties increase. Extension legs to
the tripod will be of great help if the nest is not
more than six or seven feet from the ground. When
higher than that it is usually necessary to attach the
camera to a branch. This is done either by means
of a ball-and-socket arrangement, such as is used for
attaching the camera to a bicycle, or by fastening the
tripod to the branches ; the latter, however, is an awk-
ward and troublesome thing to do. In case there is no
branch in a suitable position, the difficulty can be
overcome by lashing a stout stick, which should be
forked at one end, across from branch to branch, and
attaching the ball and socket to this. Or if this is
not possible, set an upright forked stick into the
ground so that the crotch is at the desired height.
Then the horizontal pole may be attached to a con-
venient branch at one end, while the other end rests
in the upright crotch, or, if more convenient, two of
these forked sticks may be used. In this way, if the
camera is above our reach, the difficulty of arranging

32 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

and focussing may be overcome by cutting a pair of
stilts and using a third stick as a brace. This is not
perhaps as easy as it sounds, but if the nest is a rare
one it is worth the effort.

Occasionally we find a nest placed at the outer end
of a branch that is just out of reach of the camera
on its tripod. If the branch is not too thick it can
be pulled down until it is within easy photographing
distance, and secured by means of a cord. In doing
this do not change the angle of the nest. Forcing
up the end of the branch by means of a forked stick
placed at the thick end of the branch will correct
this defect. Do not move the eggs in a nest, but
leave them as they are arranged by the bird. We
often see pictures of nests completely spoiled through
this misplacement of the eggs. It must be remem-
bered that, though birds turn their eggs very fre-
quently, they never leave the small end pointing
upward, unless the bird, having been flushed sud-
denly, accidentally disturbs the eggs on leaving the
nest.

Crows' and hawks' nests, and others that are placed
at a considerable height, can, as a rule, be photographed
only from an adjacent tree. It is not easy work,
requiring, as it does, that one should be a good
climber and not easily made dizzy. Do not attempt
to carry up your camera and other material. Attach
a good strong cord, and leave them on the ground in

NEST OP DOWNY WOODPECKER.
A hole wan cut in the bmnch in order to show the position of the i

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 33

such a position that they can be hauled up without
catching in the branches.

Nests in Holes. — These are the least satisfactory
nests to photograph. If we wish to show the eggs
that are laid in a hole in a tree, we can do so only by
making an opening in the branch or trunk, and this is
almost sure to cause the bird to abandon it. There
are some few birds, such as the chickadees and occa-
sionally the crested flycatchers, that will not desert
their homes even on such provocation, but they are
the exception. After the eggs are hatched it is dif-
ferent, but at present we are dealing only with nests
containing eggs. One way is to wait until the young
have left the nest and then place eggs (from a collec-
tion] in the nest, but even this cannot be done satis-
factorily except in the case of woodpeckers and
other birds that build no nest, but lay their eggs on
chips or bare wood. The reason for this is that
the nest after the young have left it is quite different
from when the eggs were in it. Not only is it
changed in shape, but it is strewn with the particles
of sheathing cast from the budding feathers of the
young birds. If an opening has to be made in a
branch, do it with a lock-saw, by cutting out a clean
square piece which can be fitted in place again. This
answers perfectly when the young have left their
eggs, and will sometimes answer when the nest con-

34 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

tains only eggs. It is, however, not safe to try it
unless there is some special reason why the eggs
should be photographed.

With birds that will build in bird-boxes one may
obtain photographs of the eggs without much risk.
The way to do it is to make the box with a hinged
lid which can be opened when the photograph is to
be made. The box itself might also be made detach-
able from its support.

Nests like the kingfishers', that are placed in banks,
cannot be photographed except by cutting away the
bank, when of course the nest is destroyed. So it is
better to leave such nests alone.

Before leaving this branch of photography it would
be well to draw attention once more to the fact that
most birds will desert their nests upon very slight
provocation, especially if the nest is handled. So on
no account disarrange either the nest or the sur-
roundings more than is absolutely necessary.

Do not make this work an excuse for destroying
bird life. Let it, instead, take the place of egg-collect-
ing, when, if properly and conscientiously done, both
the birds and ourselves will reap the benefit.

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 35

PART II

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS CONTAINING YOUNG BIRDS

Outfit required. — The same as for Part I, with the exception of the lens,
which should be very rapid and have great depth of focus.

More interesting but far less satisfactory is this
branch of bird photography. Occasionally we hap-
pen to obtain really good results, but take it all in
all the pictures of the young birds in their nests,
especially the smaller ones, are very disappointing.
The reasons are obvious, but difficult to overcome.
To begin with, very young birds are in constant
motion, and this motion is fairly rapid; when at rest
it is due only to the respiration, but when their heads
are raised they tremble violently, owing no doubt
to the weakness of their muscles. Therefore all
photographs should be made with a very short ex-
posure, if sharpness of outline is desired. Of course
this means that the lens must be used wide open or
nearly so, with the resulting lack of depth of focus.
When the young birds are asleep or are resting they
huddle together so closely that one cannot be distin-
guished from the other, and the photograph simply
shows a mass that might be almost anything. This
applies more particularly to small birds up to the size
of the robin. With the larger birds this difficulty is
far less noticeable.

36 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

In photographing small birds' nests containing
very young birds, arrange the camera so that the
nest shows in the desired position, and focus on the
inside of the near rim. When all is ready and the
shutter set to about one fifth or one twenty-fifth of a
second, make a noise or tap the branch near the nest,
and instantly all the youngsters will raise their heads
and open their mouths, ready for food. Usually the
slightest vibration near the nest will cause them to
do this. While the heads are up is perhaps the
most satisfactory time for making the exposure, as it
shows the birds in detail. When they lower their
heads and before they settle themselves in a mass is
also a good time, particularly so if they rest their
heads on the edge of the nest. Sunlight is almost
essential for these young-bird photographs, but great
care must be taken not to have the shadows too
dense. Reflecting-cloths should be used as far as
possible. Extreme high lights may be avoided by
placing a very thin screen of cheese-cloth (wet cheese-
cloth is more transparent) or some such material
over the nest, but not too close to it.

It will be noticed in instantaneous photographs of
birds' nests, especially if they are in surroundings of
foliage, that the backgrounds are simply black-and-
white blotches. This is difficult to overcome. Per-
haps the best way is to hang a light-gray cloth or
even white cheese-cloth at a distance of from about

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 37

four to eight feet from the nest. The cheese-cloth,
being more or less transparent, allows the background
to show through to a limited extent, this modifying
the white of the cloth. If properly arranged this
background gives very pleasing results. Should the
nest be in a shaded place it will be found necessary
to bend back the branches (on no account should
they be cut) in order to allow the sunlight to
strike the nest, but do not on any account de-
stroy these shading leaves, as the young birds can-
not endure the direct rays of the sun ; you may
notice that in almost every case the nest is situated so
that it is protected from the sun during the greater
part of the day. In photographing the young in
their nest do not let the sun shine on them until
you have everything in readiness for making the
exposure. When there is not sufficient light, the
sun's rays reflected from a mirror will be of great
assistance, though the birds will be illuminated to the
exclusion of the surroundings. The mirror will also
prove most useful in photographing young oven-birds
and others whose nests are screened from the sunlight
by overhanging roots or branches. Backgrounds in
shadow are not desirable, as, with the shortness of
exposure, they show almost black in the photograph.
Cutting down the branch in which a nest is built is
not to be commended. It is sometimes" done in
order that the nest may be placed amid properly

38 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

lighted surroundings. But this is done at the risk
of. the lives of the young birds; not that the parents
will often desert a nest once the young are hatched,
but if the branch is cut, the leaves die, and hanging
dead and shrivelled, they are conspicuous, with the
result that attention is drawn to the nest and its
contents.

Then again, when the surrounding leaves are dead,
unless very carefully replaced, the nest is exposed to
both sun and rain, and, as a result of the more or less
constant sunlight, the young are made restless and
desert their nest much sooner than they otherwise
would. In fact, I beUeve that young birds seldom stay
as long in a nest that has been discovered and handled
by human beings as they do in one that has remained
undiscovered. This may be a wrong idea, but I
have seen much evidence that goes to prove it. It
is an indisputable fact that the longer a young bird
remains in its nest (I speak only of those whose
habit it is to remain in their home until they are
about ready to fly), that is to say, the more developed
it is, the better is it fitted to withstand rain and to
elude its only too numerous enemies. Probably only
a small percentage of the birds that leave their nest
ever reach maturity, so it is highly advisable to do
all in our power to lessen their dangers rather than
increase them by changing their surroundings and
forcing them out into the world of enemies before

YOUNG CROWS IN NEST.

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 39

they are ready. Once a young bird has left or been
removed from its nest, unless it is very young, it
will seldom consent to remain in it again. This
applies in particular to birds that nest on the ground,
less so to those that build in bushes, and least of all
to those which, like the woodpeckers and chicka-
dees, build in holes in trees. The latter seem only
too glad to be put back in their nest.

There is a marked difference in the length of time
that young birds remain in their nests. Taking for
example the smaller varieties, we find that, as a rule,
those whose nests are on the ground not only leave
at a very early age, but before they are able to use
their wings. Young field-sparrows, blue-winged
warblers, and oven-birds may be found creeping
mouse-like among the grass and leaves in a very
undeveloped state, unable to fly even a few feet, and
scarcely able to balance themselves on a twig.

Birds whose nests are in bushes or trees remain in
their nests until they are fairly well developed, usually
not attempting to leave until their wings are more or
less completely feathered, so that they are able to fly a
few yards. But the birds hatched in a hollow branch
develop rather more slowly and remain in the nest until
they are almost as large as their parents and are fully
feathered. Certain young birds, such as the screech-
owls, use the nest as a home, leaving it at night,
when they venture along the branches to receive

40 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

their feed of June-bugs and other such insects which
their parents bring to them, and returning home for
the day.

The larger the bird the more satisfactory will be
the picture of the young in their nest, for the reason
that not only are they more clearly defined, but the
camera must of necessity be placed at a greater dis-
tance from the nest, thereby giving a greater depth
of focus, for of course the nearer the object, the less
is the depth of focus of the lens. On this account it
is better not to make the image larger than necessary,
but rather to rely on enlarging the plate.

It is well to remember that when fledgelings are
within a day or so of leaving their nest any impru-
dent act on your part may precipitate their departure.
Therefore avoid shaking the nest or handling the
young. Sometimes if even their heads are gently
moved they will all scramble out, after which they
can seldom be induced to occupy their nest again.

PART III

PHOTOGRAPHING THE NEST WITH THE SITTING BIRD

Outfit same as Part II, with addition of a telephoto lens and a long rubber
tube with large bulb or hand bicycle-pump for releasing shutter.

Now we begin to realise the marked individuality of
birds and to learn how this individuality affects our

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 41

work. If the bird photographer commenced this
branch of the art by attempting to portray a yellow-
breasted chat or a crow on her nest, he might, were
he not of a very persevering nature, give up for ever
any hope of success. And, on the other hand,
should he choose for his first experiment a bird such
as the wood-thrush, he would underestimate the dif-
ficulties and have an entirely wrong idea of bird-on-
the-nest photography. The actual photographing of
the sitting bird is in itself a most easy task //'the bird
is willing, but how much depends on that if will
be readily appreciated by the time one has made two
or three attempts to secure such pictures. The first
thing to do in order to insure success is to become
friends with the bird ; let her become accustomed to
your presence, then gradually introduce the camera,
first placing it at some distance from the nest, then
gradually bringing it nearer. The chances of success
are far greater during the first few days after the
young are hatched than when there are only eggs;
for, as you well know, a bird will often abandon her
eggs upon very small provocation, while she will sel-
dom leave the young so long as they are alive and
need her help. When the young are very small they
need constant feeding and watching, and should the
day be cold or damp the mother's warmth will be an
absolute necessity. Relying on this, I would recom-
mend such a day as affording the best opportunities

42 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

for the work, hut should the parent bird show such
fear of the camera that she will remain away from
her young more than a safe time, remove the camera
rather than risk the lives of the fledgelings. It occa-
sionally happens that when the nest is first discovered
and the bird is sitting she will allow herself to be
photographed without displaying fear, or, what would
perhaps be more truthful, she remains on the nest
either because she believes herself unseen or because
she is afraid to move. To take advantage of this, great
care must be observed. Not only must no sudden
movement or noise be made, but the camera should be
assembled at some distance from the nest, yet within
sight of it, and then gradually brought nearer and
nearer. The first exposure might be made while at
some distance, in order to be sure of at least one pho-
tograph. This precaution is advisable because one can
never tell exactly how near the bird will allow the
camera to be placed. Having secured one picture, try
another at a few feet nearer, and so on until either you
are within the desired distance or the bird has flown.
The subject of exposure is one that requires a few
words. Almost always people make the mistake oi
under-exposing, believing that because the bird is alive
nothing but an instantaneous exposure can possibly
secure a sharp picture. Such an idea is usually a mis-
take. As a rule, a bird on her nest remains absolutely
still for seconds at a time, thereby allowing of a time

W(JUD-THKUSJi ON ITS NKST.
tit fuur M*(.-un«lH with single cutnbination of Ooerts lent.

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 43

exposure. I have given as much as sixty seconds, but
of course this was an exceptional case, and indeed such
an exposure is very seldom needed. Should the bird
be restless, moving her head all the time (they usually
follow your every motion with their eyes), you may
attract her attention as you are about to make the
exposure by holding something conspicuous, such as
a handkerchief, in one position, and nine times out of
ten she will watch it intently for several seconds, thus
affording the desired opportunity.

As birds vary so greatly in their manner of mani-
festing fear or distrust of man, each one may be said
to be a separate study and calls for a special method
of treatment. Some will allow a person to come
to within two or three feet of the nest without leaving,
and yet will not remain if the camera is anywhere
near them. Others show no fear of the camera, but
distrust the man ; while others again, and these are
the kind we want, allow both man and camera to
come within a very short distance. Sometimes it is
necessary to place the camera in readiness while the
bird is absent and wait at a distance for her return,
and even then the exposure may have to be made
with the aid of a long rubber tube. An extreme
case of this kind I experienced when once I tried to
photograph a Wilson's thrush on her nest. After
trying various methods without success I placed the
camera about ten feet from the nest and partly con-

44 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

cealed it with branches. Then I attached fifty feet
of rubber tubing to the shutter and retreated to that
distance from the nest. After waiting for about half
an hour I crawled very quietly toward the nest, but
before coming within sight of it, I heard the bird
leave. Once more I retreated, and after waiting
another half-hour decided to press the bulb, making
the exposure on the chance of the bird being on the
nest. Whether she was I do not know, but I made
several chance exposures during the day, and when
I developed the plates there were many good pic-
tures of the nest, but. only one showed the sitting
bird.

For photographs of birds on their nests, the lens
used should have great length of focus, not much less
than twelve inches. The single combination of
almost any of the newer makes of convertible lenses
gives excellent results. The object in using a long-
focus lens is not only that a large image may be
obtained while- the camera is at a considerable dis-
tance from the bird, but because the noise made by
releasing the shutter frequently causes the bird to
start, and of course the farther away the camera is
the less will be the chance of her hearing the
noise. The photographing of the sitting bird offers
the very best opportunity for the use of the telephoto
lens, but still it is better to use a good long-focus lens
where the bird is fairly tame, resorting to the tele-

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 45

photo only when it is not possible to get as near as
would be otherwise necessary.

Some birds, such as the yellow-breasted chats, I
have never been able to photograph sitting on or
near their nests, though I have wasted many hours in
the attempt. With red-winged blackbirds I have
had the same experience, and though this does not
prove that they cannot be photographed, it shows
that they are on the average far less tame than the
wood-thrush, the blue-winged warbler, and some
others with which I have had nothing but good luck.
The main thing, therefore, if you wish to be always
successful in photographing birds on their nests, is to
find birds that are tame. Having found them, use a
long-focus lens, give sufficient exposure, and you will
be sure of success.

PART IV
PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS WITH OLD BIRDS AND THEIR YOUNG

Outfit same as Part III.

From photographing the parent bird sitting peace-
fully on her nest to the task of portraying the same
bird standing nervously on the edge of the nest or on
a near-by twig, while the young hold up their unsteady
heads in anticipation of a meal, is but a step on the
photographic ladder ; it is a difficult step, however,
for the obstacles are many and not over-easily mas-

46 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

tered. Apart from what we might term the natural
difficulties, such as the stalking of the bird and get-
ting the camera within suitable range, there is the
question of light, for usually instantaneous exposures
are necessary. Now we all know that most birds
build their nests in shaded places, places chosen with-
out the slightest regard to the needs of the bird pho-
tographer, and in these shaded places an instantane-
ous photograph is practically an impossibility. Then
there is another difficulty, one even more serious :
In close-range work the depth of focus of an open
lens is very slight. Objects to be in sharp focus at a
distance of a few feet must be nearly on one plane;
three or four inches one way or another will make
a very great difference in the definition. Now sup-
pose you focus the lens on the near edge of the nest^
so as to secure a sharp picture of the young birds
when they raise their heads ; then the mother bird
comes and perches either on the farther edge of the
nest or on a twig several inches beyond. Under
such conditions you may not stop down your lens in
order to increase its depth of focus, owing to the
lack of light, so you have to sacrifice the sharpness
of either the old bird or the young. The method
adopted by some bird photographers is to insure the
correct lighting by removing the nest from its natural
position and placing it where conditions are favour-
able for photographing. This method is not to be

1

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 47

recommended, as, unless done by an extremely con-
scientious person, one willing to guard the nest and
its contents against risk even at great personal incon-
venience, the resulting loss of bird life would be very
great and quite uselessly so. Birds place their nests
where the surrounding vegetation will shade the
young from the direct rays of the sun, and should
these shading leaves be removed, or should the nest
be taken away from them, the young birds, in their
anxiety to avoid the sun, will frequently scramble out
of their nest long before they are fledged, and death
is an almost certain sequel. Even by disturbing the
surroundings of a nest there is danger to the young
birds, as the nest is no longer so well concealed and
is therefore more or less exposed to the many natural
enemies that during the nesting season are ever on
the hunt for young birds and eggs.

To any one who has not had experience with
birds, it would seem an easy matter to coax the pa-
rent bird to the nest when the young are there to act
as a lure. The camera, one imagines, would be
utterly disregarded. But such does not happen to be
the case, that is to say, it is not the rule. Certain
birds, such as the yellow-breasted chat or the crow,
cannot, according to my own experience, be enticed
to the nest, and I fully believe that the crow would
allow its young to die of starvation rather than visit the
nest while the camera is anywhere near. Many birds.

48 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

such as the blue-winged warbler, the wood-thrush,
the chickadee, and others, display very little fear
of either the camera or the man when their young
need attention, so for this reason they are the most
suitable subjects to practise on. If the birds happen
to be tame enough, it is an excellent plan to use a
white reflecting-cloth, throwing the light upward
from it in order that the otherwise dark shadows
shall be softened. A background cloth may also be
used with advantage, provided it does not frighten
the bird. This cloth should be white or gray, and
of sufficient size to allow of its being placed not less
than six or eight feet back of the nest, the farther
the better, as the distance gives a soft effect in the
photographs, making the bird and nest stand out fairly
well defined against the indistinct grayish background.
Any shadows thrown on the cloth are rather an
advantage than otherwise, unless the cloth is near the
nest, in which case they appear too well defined. In
cases where the birds are very shy it is necessary to
resort to some method of concealment for the camera
and one's self. Perhaps the best device is an artificial
tree-trunk, made of very light material such as mus-
lin or even cheese-cloth. This is stretched over large
hoops, which may be made of cane or strong wire,
the former by preference, as it is more easily attached.
Three uprights should be made of strong, stiff cane
jointed in the middle with ferrules such as those used

WORM i: ATI NC. \VARIUJ-:R AM) VolNHi.
Illutttrating the taiueneas uf a comparatively rare bird.

1

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 49

for fishing-rods. The whole structure ought to be
not less than six feet six inches in height and large
enough to allow of the camera being worked conve-
niently. The cloth should be painted to imitate a
tree-trunk, and to carry out the illusion strips of bark
might be attached by means of small wire hooks.
Creeping plants, such as vines of different kinds, will
add greatly to the realistic effect. Be sure to have
ample openings for air at the base and let the top be
open, otherwise the heat will be unbearable. A branch
thrown over the top opening will be sufficient to con-
ceal you from the bird's view. Several openings at
different heights will have to be made through which
the lens may protrude. When possible, it is as well to
place this tree-trunk in position overnight or at least
several hours before entering it, thereby avoiding the
otherwise long wait, which will be found extremely
trying, especially during hot weather, for the heat of
these tree-trunks is their greatest objection. The use
of any method of concealment aids one in securing
photographs of birds, but at the same time it takes
away a great deal of the excitement that is to be
found in trying to make friends with the bird. Therein
lies the principal part of the pleasure of this branch of
photography : it takes one close to the bird during
the most interesting period of its life, and one has the
opportunity of studying the bird's habits to greater
advantage than at any other time. The actual diffi-

so NATURE AND THE CAMERA

culties to be met with in photographing the parent
birds with their young in the nests are not quite so
great as when the young have left their nest. To
this branch of the work we will devote the following
pages.

PART V

PHOTOGRAPHING OLD BIRDS AND THEIR YOUNG AFTER
THEY LEAVE THE NEST

Outfit same as Part III.

Photographing bird families after they have once
left their nests we count the most delightful part of
bird photography, the one which has the greatest
possibilities and perhaps the greatest amount of diffi-
culties to be overcome ; that is to say, if we do it
openly, without making use of any method of con-
cealment. By doing it openly we come in personal
contact with the birds, and we learn that they are not
so wild as generally supposed. If they see that no
harm befalls their young through our presence, they
will frequently lose all fear and perch on our hands
and shoulders. This is, of course, true only of certain
birds. Of those that I have tried to induce to come
to me, I have had the greatest success with blue-
winged warblers, worm-eating warblers, chickadees,
and chipping sparrows. In every instance they have
shown an utter fearlessness and have come to me even

BLUE-WIXGED WARBLER AND HER YOUNG.

CHIPI'INti SI'ARKOW FEEUIN-

'TNi;

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 51

though I happened to be moving. With some other
birds I have had more or less success, and with others,
such as the chewinks, red- winged blackbirds, and yel-
low-breasted chats, I have so far had nothing but failure.
In order to secure young birds at the time they
are ready to leave their nest, it is necessary to watch
them carefully, remembering that the young of dif-
ferent birds leave the nest at very different stages
of development. For example, young grouse, quail,
and woodcock leave almost immediately after coming
from the eggs, just as a chicken does. Ground-birds,
such as field-sparrows, bobolinks, etc., usually leave
before they can fly at all, some starting oflf when but
eight days old. Birds whose nests are at some distance
from the ground seldom leave until their wings
are fairly well developed; for the smaller birds the
age is about twelve days. Chickadees and wood-
peckers and others whose nests are in holes in trees
are well developed at the time of leaving. So it
will be seen that in order to know when to expect
the young to leave you must know something of the
bird and its habits. It is also well to remember
what has already been said, that if you attempt to
remove a young bird from its nest when it is within
a day or two of being ready to leave, it will often
refuse to go back even though it is not sufficiently
developed to risk itself away from its home. It is
very doubtful whether such birds often survive.

52 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

Occasionally one conies across young birds that are
only just able to fly, hiding in the scrub. These, if
not too far advanced, are splendid subjects for the
camera, but they are not very easy to find. In fact,
it is seldom that more than two of the brood can be
found. So it is best to rely on watching a nest,,
spending some time near it in order that the old
birds may become used to your presence.

When the young are about ready to leave, make
all your arrangements before disturbing them. Se-
lect the support you wish ; a growing branch on
which there are not too many leaves is best, and ta
confine the range of both old and young birds it is
well to isolate the branch by cutting away the im-
mediate surroundings, otherwise the young will hop
about from twig to twig and so get outside the field
of your camera. Be sure when focussing on the
support to leave sufficient space for the old bird on
either side of the young. If the branch is inclined
to sway with the breeze, secure it firmly, or it will
swing backward or forward and be out of focus. Do
not forget that the weight of the birds will cause the
branch to sag downward, so allow for this when
placing the camera. On the choice of the back-
ground much depends. A light background is far
the best, as a dark one, being of course out of focus,
comes out much darker than you might expect. A
cloth background, as suggested in Part IV, can be

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 53

used to advantage, provided it does not frighten
the bird, and my own experience leads me to think
that the birds pay but Httle attention to it. The
same may be said of the white reflecting-cloth
placed beneath the birds. It is scarcely advisable to
use much in the way of accessories, as, owing to the
shortness of exposure, the lens must be used open or
nearly so, and the leaves or flowers which extend a
few inches forward or back of the birds would be
completely out of focus and would simply be black
and white blurs which would add nothing to the
beauty of the picture ; rather would they detract from
it. In taking the fledgelings from the nest be care-
ful not to let them escape, for their powers of hiding
are wonderful. Let them once scramble into the
scrub and it may take you hours to find them again.
The most certain way is to put them into a bag
(which should have breathing-holes cut in it), then
one by one they can be taken out and placed on the
branch. This sounds easy, and occasionally it is so,
but as a rule the young rascals will not do anything
you wish; sometimes, even though they are strong
enough, they will not stand on the twig; they will
fall backward or forward, as though their legs were
paralysed, or they will clutch hold of their neck
or wings and absolutely refuse to make proper
use of their feet. It is a good test of patience, but
you will soon realise that only by keeping good-

54

NATURE AND THE CAMERA

tempered and cool can anything be accomplished.
Just keep on putting each birdling in place, no mat-
ter how often they fall off, and after a while, and it
may take a long time, they will lose their obstinacy
and behave themselves as young birds should.

If you find that they insist on flying away, even
though they can go but four or five feet, tire them
out by forcing them to take a number of such flights
in quick succession. They will soon be only too
glad to sit quietly. Do not on any account attempt
to feed very young birds with worms or other insects
or fruits. Leave that to the parents; they know far
better than you what suits a fledgeling's stomach.
If the day is very hot it is better not to subject the
youngsters to the direct rays of the sun for longer
than is necessary, as they cannot stand too much heat.

Now we will consider that all the young ones are
sitting quietly on the branch and you have your
camera in readiness. The next step is to induce the
mother bird to come. For your success in doing
this, patience is very necessary, but by far the most
important consideration is the bird's disposition.
Should she be naturally tame, your troubles will be
few; but if after waiting for six hours or so she still
refuses to bring food for her young, your trouble
will, in all probabiUty, have been in vain, and you
will have to search for a new subject. I once spent
two entire days trying to coax a chewink to come

INDIGO BIRD ABOUT TO FEED HER YOUNG.

ii)i\c. ink vorvi;

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 55

and find her young who were posing before the
camera, but without success. (Needless to say, I
allowed them opportunities for feeding by removing
the camera occasionally.) Even though I concealed
the camera with leaves, and while I went forty feet
away and hid in the bushes, one or other of the old
birds would sit close by and watch every movement.
Several times I saw one of the birds go fairly near
the young (without carrying food), and my hopes
would be raised, for I thought the other bird had
gone in search of food, when suddenly from the
young chestnut-trees which sheltered me a voice
would call " Chewink, chewink, chewink," and I
knew that I was still being watched. Finally, be-
coming disgusted and fearing lest the young might
suffer for want of food, I packed up my things and
went away, marvelling at the remarkable patience of
that pair of chewinks.

Birds differ so much in their natures that no rule
that will insure success can be laid down. With
some birds it is necessary to conceal yourself from
view and make the exposure from a considerable dis-
tance, but usually you may stand in plain view, pro-
vided you are not too near and do not make any quick
motions. Once the bird has become used to your
presence she will no longer object to your being
near; in fact, she will allow you to stand alongside of
her young while she feeds them. It is noticeable

56 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

that it is usually the female bird who feeds her young
in the presence of possible danger; often the male
does so as well, but never in my experience have I
seen the male bird come until his mate has led the
way. With some kinds of birds we find that the
male acts as sentinel and does nothing toward the
support of the family, while with others the two share
all the work together, nest-building, incubating, and
feeding the young.

PART VI

PHOTOGRAPHING YOUNG BIRDS ALONE, BOTH WILD AND TAME

Outfit same as Part III, with the addition of a cage-like enclosure
oi some sort.

In this branch of work we find the greatest possibil-
ities of making beautiful pictures, as the subject is,
or should be, under control so that we may arrange
our lighting to suit ourselves, and as there is no longer
the necessity for the objectionable instantaneous expo-
sure, we can use strong contrasts in the lighting that
would be impossible with a very short exposure.
One of the most effective arrangements of light, par-
ticularly for young birds that are fluffy, is where the
light comes from above and back of the bird. For
this sunlight is used, softened slightly by passing
through wet cheese-cloth or muslin. In this way, if
the bird faces you, its breast is in shadow, while the

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 57

sides are brightly lighted and in strong relief. The
background should be moderately dark, but not
black. A perfectly black background is never
artistic (if you will pardon the word) and only
crudely effective. Publishers like it because it gives
what they term " colour '' to the pages, but nothing
can be harder on a delicately lighted subject, full of
soft grays, than to force it to stand out with painful
garishness from a dead black ground. All gradations
of contrasts may be obtained by the use of white
reflecting-cloths, or to a more limited extent by regu-
lating the exposure or the developer, remembering
that an under-exposed plate will give increased con-
trast, but that the same effect may be obtained by
adding bromide of potash to the developer or by
reducing the amount of alkali.

On the selection of the support much of the beauty
of the picture depends. A single small twig without
leaves has the advantage of making the bird the only
object in the picture. This has many arguments in
its favour, but still much can be done by choosing a
suitable support, such as a small branch with leaves
and perhaps flowers or fruit, to give additional interest
and beauty to the picture. Using such accessories
adds somewhat to one's difficulties, if the branch is
cut, as the leaves fade quickly, especially in warm
weather, and, needless to say, it is necessary to take
precautions against this either by having the end of

58 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

the branch in water or by wrapping a wet cloth
around it. For the sake of accuracy, arrange the
branch so that it will be in its natural growing posi-
tion; that is to say, a branch that is found growing
nearly horizontally should be placed in about the
same position, otherwise the leaves will not hang
correctly. In the matter of background, an artificial
one of any desired tone may be used or a natural one
of leaves, scrub, etc., will answer, but the former
gives the more satisfactory results, especially if the
cloth or whatever is used is hung at a fair distance so
that a branch or two may be placed between the
bird and the background ; this if properly arranged
will give the effect of natural surroundings better than
any other method.

If the bird or birds to be photographed are unable
to fly, it will be unnecessary to have any sort of
enclosure ; but should they have the use of their wings,
an enclosure of some sort will be required, otherwise
you and your subject will part company. The mak-
ing of the enclosure is one of the things that will
allow of ample discussion. There are many ideas
on the subject, and most of the ideas are conspicuous
more by their bad than their good points. Some
people advise using a studio which is strongly lighted.
Apart from the objection that few can afford such a
luxury, the advisability of using it may be questioned.
Young birds are tender creatures, easily injured and

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PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS

59

easily frightened. When frightened they will fly about
as though crazy, and coming in contact with hard
objects are more than apt to injure or kill themselves.
A tent made of gauze is not a bad thing. It is port-
able, easily erected, and is light and airy. Its chief
objectionable features are that the birds catch their
feet in the fine meshes, and in their excitement they
sometimes break their legs ; also that if there is
much wind the sides bulge in and break away
from the ground fastenings. Remember a bird is
very quick to discover any hole through which
escape is possible, and the rapidity with which it can
take advantage of such a discovery is really remark-
able. A device with which I have had some slight
success is shown in the accompanying cut. It is
easily made and answers well for certain work.
A is mosquito netting
stretched tightly to four
uprights. The front part
is cone shaped, having a
rubber band to go over
the lens at the opening.
The loose bag-like form is to allow of the camera
being moved back and forth. An opening large
enough to admit a bird should be made on one side.
The whole thing is a sort of photography cage which
restricts the bird's range, and as it may be placed in
any direction, it allows of an almost endless variety of

6o NATURE AND THE CAMERA

lighting. The objection to this device (and there
is an objection to every device that I have seen) is that
for some reason or other it frightens the bird, which
usually flies immediately toward the lens and objects
to being replaced in its proper compartment. Then,
too, it is difficult to handle the bird with any degree
of comfort and convenience. It is a curious fact that
young birds brought up in captivity are usually wilder
and more difficult to manage than those taken in their
wild state. This sounds strange and may not be the
experience of others, but I have photographed a
great many birds both wild and in captivity, and I
can safely say that the greatest amount of trouble
was caused by the tame birds. A bluebird that I
had for several years (he now has a mate and a nest
near our house) was what might be termed absolutely
tame ; he would sleep inside my partly closed hand,
come when called, and in all ways but one would
show complete confidence. The one exception was
when the camera was in evidence. Then and only
then would he become bad and act wilder than the
wildest bird of the woods, and though I made re-
peated attempts I never succeeded in making a good
photograph of him after he attained his full growth
and plumage.

Young birds taken directly from the woods when
they are just able to fly are, as a rule, fairly easy to man-
age. It is true that they sometimes " cut up " a little to

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 61

begin with, but with patience and careful handling
good photographs can usually be secured without very
much waste of time. A good photograph of a young
bird is not necessarily a pretty or pleasing picture,
for it is in the power of the bird, be he old or young,
to appear pretty or the reverse according to his
mood. When the feathers are laid tightly down
and the bird is stretched out thin, he shows fear and
is looking his very worst. With young birds this is
particularly noticeable. The same bird can in a
moment change from a lean, scrawny, scared-looking
atom to a fluffy little ball of soft feathers, a pleasure
to look on and a pleasure to photograph. I only
refer to this peculiarity of birds in order that the
reader may not be in too great a hurry to *' press the
button." Let him wait until the bird assumes a
pleasing attitude, until he *' looks pleasant." The
results will surely justify the delay.

An interesting feature of bird photography is the
portrayal of the growth of an individual. Take for
example a young robin the day it leaves the egg.
Photograph it as soon as possible, then each day
repeat the operation until the time comes for the
bird to leave its nest. This series will be most in-
teresting, more especially so if several diff^erent types
of birds are treated in the same way and careful notes
made of the dates. It is unnecessary here to enter
into details as to how much interesting material may

62 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

be collected in this way. The reader, if a bird stu-
dent, will readily realise that.

A word as to the method which should be employed
in making these series: Each photograph of a set
should be made with exactly the same distance between
the lens and the object; this will insure accuracy as to
the size of the bird during each step of its develop-
ment. Another way is to place the bird on a piece
of paper or wood marked off in small squares of equal
size; by these squares the bird may be measured.
On account of the constant movement of very young
birds, caused by their breathing, it is necessary to
make the exposure as short as possible. As the
birds develop, their respiration becomes slower and
less laboured, consequently the exposure may be in-
creased. It will be noticed that the gallinaceous
birds, even when but a day or two old, breathe with
less apparent effort than the helpless young of the
thrushes, warblers, and others that are born blind
and naked; their whole body throbs at each breath.
Especially is this noticeable when the weather is
warm.

On no account should birds be handled more
than is absolutely necessary. If they are very young
the soft pin-feathers are easily injured, and if they
are feathered the warmth of the hand will moisten
and disarrange the feathers. When carrying a bird,
if it is able to perch, let it sit on your finger (they

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 63

will usually do so after a few attempts), unless it
can fly, when of course it must be covered ; but if
it is unable to perch, place it in your hat (a lining
of a few leaves will be a desirable precaution) or
some similar receptacle, but on no account carry it
for any length of time in your hand.

Before finishing these lines on young-bird photog-
raphy a few words may not be amiss in regard to
the advisability of always, if you use accessories,
choosing such as are in keeping with the bird's nat-
ural environments. Try to make the surroundings
tell of the bird's nature and habits. For example, a
scrub-loving bird, like the Maryland yellowthroat,
should be among some scrubby growth of a damp-
soil nature by preference. An oven-bird would be
better on the leafy ground or on a log rather than
on a bush. The robin might be placed on a branch,
a meadow-lark on a grassy sod, and so on. I once saw
a photograph of a family of barn-swallows perched on
a vine. The picture was good enough from a pho-
tographic and pictorial standpoint, but it lacked inter-
est from the bird student's point of view. If you
have many birds together, arrange them so that they
will show in different positions, back, front, and side
views. It is in all these small details that the difi^er-
ence is shown between the careful and the casual
photographer of birds. If a picture is worth taking,
it is worth taking as well as one knows how.

64 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

PART VII

PHOTOGRAPHING THE ADULT BIRD, WILD AND TAME

Outfit required. — Same as Part III, with addition of a graflex or some such
camera, and a telephoto lens; use the focal plane instead of lens shutter if
birds in flight are to be portrayed. Reflecting-cloth, pruners, and lock-
saw will probably not be needed.

The most difficult and most discouraging branch of
photography is that which deals with the wild
adult bird at any other than the nesting period.
Seldom do we find a bird in its free state that will
allow us to approach to within the desired distance.
Unless we use a telephoto lens we must be within five
or six feet of any of the smaller birds, if we wish the
bird to be an appreciable size. At ten feet a robin
is a very small object when seen through a lens of
nine-inch focus, and yet it is not often that we have
the opportunity of making an exposure at even that
distance, while larger birds are still more difficult to
approach, in proportion to their size. There are
times, as, for example, when the ground is covered
with snow, when through the scarcity of food birds
will allow of a near approach. Photographs can then
be made with good results and with comparatively little
difficulty. The white of the snow reflects so much
light that very short exposures may be made, and the
lack of strong colouring and usually the absence of
dark shadows are all to the advantage of the pho-

Copyright, lyoo, ,4. R. Dugmore.
YOUNG CRESTED FLYCATCHERS.

iopvnuht, luoc A. K. Punttwrt.
YOUNG CRKSTKI) FLYCATCHERS RKADV FOR FOOD.

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 6j

tographer. Decoys in the form of food will attract
many kinds of birds, and some will become regular
visitors where food is habitually placed and will
gradually become very tame. A piece of meat or
suet secured to a branch will tempt some species,
while bread-crumbs or seed thrown ofi the ground
will attract others. Still another good bait is a cocoa-
nut, broken in half and hung in a convenient place.
Some birds may at times be coaxed to a conve-
nient site for photographing by the presence of a
mounted owl, but this plan works best during the
nesting season. A scheme which I have long in-
tended to try, and which might perhaps work suc-
cessfully, is a portable blind in the form of an arti-
ficial cow. This should be made of a light frame-
work of cane or split bamboo and covered with
thin muslin painted in imitation of the animal. Of
course it must be made light enough to be readily
portable. It would be interesting to see how crude
an imitation of an animal would pass the critical
eye of birds. The photographing would have to
be done by means of a graflex or some such camera,
as, of course, a tripod would be out of the question.
Whether or not this idea would work out cannot be
known until it has been tried. I simply offer it as a
suggestion. A device used by Mr. Frank Chapman,
which works satisfactorily, is an umbrella of a green-
ish-drab colour. From the rib ends a cloth of the

66 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

1

same colour is hung; this, reaching the ground, com-
pletely conceals the photographer and allows him
to approach the bird unobserved.

It is unfortunate that the telephoto lens has not the
speed necessary for all kinds of bird photography; if
it had, our difficulties would be greatly lessened, but
except under unusually favourable conditions it can-
not be used with any great success. While a bird is
on the move or is flying, with the sky for a back-
ground, good results may be obtained, provided the
magnification is not too great. From my experience
4 diameters is about the limit for instantaneous expo-
sures when the positive element is a very rapid lens.
Where birds are among trees or bushes the telephoto
is not so satisfactory. The increased exposure made
necessary by the scarcity and greenness of the light
practically prevents the photographing of such a
quick-moving object as a bird. There are excep-
tions, of course, as, for example, the whippoorwill,
or even the ruflfed grouse, which will occasionally
sit motionless for the required time; but the smaller
birds are ever on the move, so that even out in the
open it requires a rapid lens and good light to insure
a sharply defined photograph that shows any amount
of detail. In places where water-fowl abound, as, for
instance, in Florida, the possibilities are almost unlim-
ited ; owing to the brilliancy of the light, even dur-
ing the winter months, the telephoto lens may be

YOUNG FLICKERS.
The white lips (»f the billt show where the hiinleninK is taking place.

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 67

used with the greatest possible advantage. Ducks of
many species can be photographed if a bhnd of grass
and bushes is made in a convenient situation. It is
best to select a place that is frequented by the birds
either for the purpose of feeding or resting. In cer-
tain pools, or bends in a river, the birds will be seen
nearly every day at certain hours. In such places pho-
tographs may be secured with scarcely any difficulty.
Of all the places I have seen, Florida is the country
far excellence for the photographer of water-fowl.
The numerous rivers, the secluded cypress ponds,
the open marshes, or the sea-coast, all offer facilities
for the work that are perhaps unexcelled in any other
State. The birds are very plentiful and remarkably
tame, except in places where fiends in the guise of
men spend their time on the bows of the river
steamers, armed to the teeth with shot-gun and rifle,
firing at every form of living creature (except men
and cattle) that comes within the range of gun or rifle.
Their prey may be killed or wounded, it makes no
difference ; it is left where it falls, and no one is any
better for the murderous deed. In this way some of
the very best locations, such as the Kissimmee River,
are being completely denuded of their bird popula-
tion, or else the comparatively few birds that remain
have become so afraid of man that a near approach
is almost impossible. If this crying evil were sup-
pressed, this river and many other such places would

68 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

once more be the paradise for the bird photographer
and the bird lover. Twelve years ago one could sit
all day on the edge of some cypress pond and watch
a steady stream of birds — herons, egrets, curlew, wood-
ibis, coots, gallinules, and ducks of many kinds — come
and go. All day long, from the waking of birds at
the first glimpse of dawn till after the sun had set,
one's interest need never wane. The bird life could
be studied and photographed at will. Animals, too,
were seldom wanting : fox-squirrels playing in the
cypress-trees ; otters, sometimes five or six at a time,
would perform their antics with all the playfulness
of kittens ; 'possums and raccoons and frequently
deer would add interest to the scene. Now, thanks
to the plume-hunter, the trapper, and the indiscrim-
inate " sportsman " (so called), all this has changed,
and one must search for such ponds in places unfre-
quented by the above-named trio.

In photographing ducks, decoys will be found
most useful, as they will entice the wild birds to the
place desired by the photographer. But for most of
the other birds inhabiting ponds and swamps, blinds
and still-hunting are the best methods. In still-
hunting one may sometimes facilitate the work by
making a shield of tall grass or brush, with the upper
part slightly overhanging. There should be an open-
ing of sufficient size, so that the exposure can be
made without disclosing one's self. This screen, being

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1^ PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 69

carried very slowly^ will often allow the photographer
to approach to within fair distance of even the wilder
birds. At almost any of the villages situated on the
water many species of birds may be photographed,
thanks to the local law which prohibits the shooting
of birds within " city limits." How well the birds
understand this law is made apparent by their remark-
able tameness within these prescribed limits. They
realise thoroughly that the place is a sanctuary, and
that there, at least, men may be trusted, and the man
armed with the camera taking advantage of these
conditions can secure with ease photographs that would
otherwise be practically unobtainable.

In regard to photographing the smaller species
of birds, so much depends on the conditions, which
are endless in their variety, that it is impossible to
cover the subject. Each individual bird is a study
by itself, so that no rules can be laid down that would
be of much use.

In photographing adult birds in captivity, the
same devices may* be used as recommended in Part
VI ; the same suggestions as to lighting and exposure
also apply. When a bird is placed in any sort of
cage adapted to photographing, do not be in too
great a hurry to make the exposure; usually the bird
will at first be very wild and excited, therefore it is
best to wait until the excitement has passed. Inter-
est the bird in some way, as by giving him something

yo NATURE AND THE CAMERA

to eat. Choose something that he Ukes but is not
accustomed to. With insectivorous birds that are in
captivity, a grasshopper will sometimes attract atten-
tion ; while with fruit-eating birds, a bunch of grapes,
wild cherries, or other such delicacy will frequently
cause them to forget the strangeness of the situation.
In nearly all cases where a large image of the bird
is wanted, use isochromatic plates; as these render
the colour-values so much more correctly than the
ordinary plates, it will be patent to the most casual
observer how much more correct will be the result-
ing portrait of the bird. Only in cases where gray
and brown toned birds are to be photographed should
ordinary plates be used.

Picturing birds in flight is perhaps one of the
most fascinating branches of the work ; there is some-
thing so delightful in catching a bird as it skims
past, and securing it for ever on the photographic
plate. A few years ago such a thing was impossible,
and we had to content ourselves with drawings of the
flying bird; and, as the camera has -since proved, these
drawings were in most cases absolutely incorrect.
The position of the wing-feathers when in motion
was almost unknown until the camera showed it to
us. Now nearly every one has seen such excellent
photographs as those made by Mr. Otto von Bargen,
which show gulls and other birds on the wing. In
order to secure such photographs it is of course ne-

RED POLL.
An example of photography on the snow.

RED POLL

PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 71

cessary to use a very rapid shutter, the best type being
the focal plane, which works directly in front of the
plate. With this shutter practically no light is lost,
so that with the minimum exposure you secure the
greatest possible amount of illumination. Exposures
of up to one thousandth of a second may thus be
given when conditions are favourable. Needless to
say, a camera of the graflex type is by far the best
for such work, as it enables one to focus on the bird
up to the instant of making the exposure. By this
means a sharply defined photograph is almost a cer-
tainty, if the shutter is set at the required speed.

In order to secure photographs of adult birds by
themselves during the nesting season, our difficulties
are greatly lessened, for we have one point to which
the bird is unfailingly attracted, the nest or the place
where the young are hidden being the attraction,
that is, the point to which we should devote our-
selves. If we stand near the nest, or even place an
object such as the camera near it, we will notice
that the birds usually select some particular twig on
which to perch each time they come near the nest
or their young. Here is our opportunity; focus
the camera on this point, and make the exposure
when the bird assumes a suitable attitude. In case
there is no conspicuous perch for the birds, place a
dead branch where you wish them to come, and
more than likely they will take advantage if it offers

72 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

them a clear view of the camera or other offending
object.

Throughout this work the bird photographer
must be quick to avail himself of favourable condi-
tions and ready to overcome the endless difficulties
which will at one time or another beset his path.
The powers of resource combined with patience have
more to do with the success of the work than the
following of rules and formulas. The truest proverb
to be borne in mind by the bird photographer is that
*' necessity is the mother of invention.'' Being al-
ways ready with expedients does much to insure
success.

CEDAR-BIRD IN' WILD CHERRY TREE.

^

CHAPTER III

PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS
PART I

WILD ANIMALS AT LARGE

Outfit required. — Camera preferably the graflex or some such type of box
that allows of focussing while the plate is ready to be exposed and has a
draw of bellows sufficient for the use of low-power telephoto lens.
Long-focus lens of great rapidity, tripod, etc.

Few of the vast army of photographers realise
what it is to hunt wild animals with their cameras;
still fewer of the sportsmen appreciate the amount of
sport which may be had when the camera takes the
place of the rifle. They don't consider that for the
camera there is no close season. Game of all kind
— and all animals are the camera's game — may be
hunted with more or less success at all seasons of the
year. If we consider the skill required for camera
hunting, we must realise that more is needed than
when the gun is used ; for it is necessary not only to
approach nearer to the animal, but, even when near,

73

74 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

hours may be spent in trying to secure either a favour-
able place or a suitable attitude, and during all this
time every precaution known to the hunter is called
into practice. Stalk a deer with the camera and you
will realise how small a thing will mar the chances
of success. A twig incautiously broken, the grazing
of the camera against a dry branch, or any of the
hundred and one accidents that may at times happen
to the still-hunter, and where is your photograph I
Gone! Whereas had you been using the rifle you
might easily have bagged your game. Stalk a big
bull moose, even though it be during the close season,,
and unless you by chance find an animal that is absurdly
tame, as occasionally they are, you will find excite-
ment enough if you would come within fifty feet of
the big creature. Learn all you can about still-
hunting, do not relax your vigilance, and take no-
thing on chance, and you may succeed; fail in any
one precaution, and you will have no picture.

Once when I was on a trip trying to secure some
moose pictures, I came across a fine large bull ; the
situation was perfect from a pictorial point of view.
He was in a large pond where the lily-pads were
abundant; in the near background was a bank of
trees, mostly birch ; beyond stood Mount Katahdin in
the misty distance ; the moose was feeding in shallow
water, the light was bright, and as the wind was in
the right direction, everything pointed to a successful

PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS 75

picture. We were in a canoe ; slowly and noiselessly
we came through the smooth water ; scarcely a ripple
did the canoe make. Nearer and nearer, and still the
bull had not seen us. When within about seventy
feet (I was using a telephoto lens) I stood up slowly
and quietly, while the animal was busy feeding. No
sooner was Tin position than he looked up. A finer
picture could not be imagined. His enormous ant-
lers, still in the velvet, seemed almost out of propor-
tion to his size. And he stood absolutely still while
I, trembling with excitement, focussed the camera
and pressed the button. Instantly the huge beast
made a dash for the shore and in a second was lost
to view, and I sat down congratulating myself on
having secured such a splendid picture. Imagine
my disgust when, on going to change the plate-holder,
I discovered that in my excitement I had neglected
to draw the slide. My chance was gone, and never
again did another such opportunity present itself.
All of which only goes to show that coolness and
presence of mind are as much needed in stalking^
animals with the camera as with the gun. Every
little detail must be thought of. That sounds easy
enough, but how often it happens that we lose our
very best chances through forgetting some trivial
item ! The only way to avoid such experiences is to
have a regular system of examining the camera when
about to make a picture; have a regular routine, and

76 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

follow it out in all cases. It becomes a habit, so that
after a time we do it automatically.

The question of a camera for this branch of work
is perhaps more important than in any other. A
tripod camera is in nearly all cases out of the ques-
tion, except for small animals. An ordinary hand-
camera has the objection that one has to guess at the
focus, a most difficult thing to do; and most hand-
cameras are made to use a short-focus lens, which in
wild-animal work is utterly useless. From my own
experience the graflex camera seems the one best
fitted to the work ; its great length of bellows will
allow the use of the hand-camera telephoto lens,
which has a magnification of 3^ diameters. Armed
with such an instrument, almost any kind of work
may be done, and with the least possible difficulty
and the greatest possible chance of success. It is
perhaps needless to say that no outfit is complete
without a telephoto lens. For animal work the kind
known as the hand-camera one (such as that made
by Bausch & Lomb) is the best; it only magnifies
3J4 diameters, but that is as much as can safely be
risked for hand-camera work or when the objects
are constantly moving. With a plastigmat fitted
with one of these telephoto lens I have made expo-
sures of one hundredth of a second on live animals
in motion, and obtained very fair results. This was
on a bright day, of course; in cloudy weather one

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PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS 77

fifth will yield a perfectly exposed plate. For all
animals that can be approached near enough, use a
long-focus lens in preference to the telephoto, as the
lens without the telephoto attachment is both quicker
and more easily focussed. The plates necessary for
the work must be of extreme rapidity. Isochromatic
plates will of course give somewhat better results so
far as the general landscape is concerned, but, owing
to their sensitiveness to dampness, they are scartely to
be recommended except for trips of a week or so.
The exigencies of camping do not allow of the care
necessary for their protection.

As has been said before, a short- focus lens is of
practically no use in animal photography; when
large animals are the subjects, they are rendered too
small unless you are fortunate enough to be able to
approach to within very short range. Even then the
results are far from satisfactory. The shorter the
focal length of the lens, the greater will be the dis-
tortion due to the exaggerated foreshortening, so
that for all animals, large or small, use a long-focus
lens — the longer the better, so that its speed is great
enough. For a four-by-five plate I use nothing less
than a nine-and-a-half-inch lens, usually one of still
greater length. Do not forget that the light in the
woods is much less powerful than it appears to be,
so that it is seldom safe to make instantaneous expo-
sures even with a rapid lens, while the telephoto

78 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

attachment can only be used with a time exposure.
Absolutely safe plate-holders are more important in
wild-animal work than in any other, as, owing to the
varying conditions, the roughness of the country in
which the work is usually done, the length of time
that a plate has to be ready for use with the slide
drawn, and the difficulties of guarding against possible
danger of having the plate struck by light by pro-
tecting the camera with a black cloth, the plate-
holder is subjected to the most severe tests.

It is impossible to give precise instruction for photo-
graphing animals; each species is so different in its
characteristics that what would be true of one kind
might be absolutely untrue of another. Not only does-
each species require particular treatment, but fre-
quently individuals of the same species are so entirely
peculiar in their habits as to require entirely different
methods. Sometimes we find squirrels that will
pick up a nut when thrown to them, and sit down
to eat it while we secure the picture, while others
will scamper off and on no account allow themselves
to be photographed. Still more noticeable is the in-
dividuality of any of the deer family. I have seen a
two-year-old bull moose, after making a wild dash
away from the canoe, come back and begin feeding
within forty feet of us, remaining thus for ten min-
utes or more while I made a number of exposures.
We were in plain view all the time, and the wind

PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS 79

blew directly from us to him ; yet, for some unknown
reason, he entertained no fear of us, even though we
talked and moved about without taking the slightest
precaution.

Of all the animals none is easier to photograph
than the 'possum. Whether he is very foolish or
exceedingly smart, I have never quite made up my
mind. His slowness of movement enables us to
control his whereabouts so that with little trouble he
can be photographed in almost any place or position.
Occasionally he acts "cussed mean" and will do no-
thing but "play 'possum." Take him by the tail
(the only natural way to hold him) and place him
on a branch; he will not so much as hold on, but
will let himself fall, even though the distance be
great. Nothing you can do will make him show
signs of animation until it suits his convenience. But
once he is in his right mind he is a perfect model
for the animal photographer. Another excellent
subject for the camera is the porcupine. The only
great objection to him is that he cannot be handled.
His movements may be influenced by pushing him
with a stick, but that is done only at the loss of
some of his quills. One time I had some photo-
graphic illustrations to make for a magazine. The
story dealt with a porcupine. In making the pic-
tures I "used up" vseventeen animals; that is to say,
in trying to induce them to assume the attitudes I

8o NATURE AND THE CAMERA

needed, they lost so many quills that their beauty
(what little they possessed) was completely destroyed,
often without an exposure having been made.

Small animals such as mice are most satisfactory in
pictures, and they may be photographed with com-
paratively little trouble. The best pictures are those
which show the old and young together. Some-
times the nest is a satisfactory accessory. But in all
cases choose such surroundings as would illustrate
something of the animals' life and habits. You will
probably find difficulty in restricting the range of
most small wild animals ; if so, try using a glass box,
or a box with a glass front. In this arrange your
accessories, and make the exposure when the animal
assumes the position you wish. To avoid reflections
on the glass let the sun shine directly on it and don't
use a very dark background.

PART 11

WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY

Of all branches of photography there is none so de-
ceptive as the photographing of animals in the Zoos.
Nothing appears so easy, and yet the difficulties are
far greater than one would ever believe. Of course,
if you do not object to the bars showing between
the animal and yourself, why, then it is easy enough.

PRAIRlIi DOG ON EDGE OF ITS BURROW.

In the Washingtpn National Zoo.

A I'AIU OF I'UONC.noRN ANTliU;l'IiS.
Photo(;rat>he(l in the WanhiriKton National Zoo.

PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS 81

But when you want really good pictures, pictures
that show the animal in striking and characteristic
attitudes, away from the objectionable bars, then I
say the work is difficult. At first thought one would
say, "That 's easy enough; I could make twenty or
thirty photographs a day without the slightest
trouble"; but the first day spent in the Zoo would
disillusion you, and you would be more humble, and
think yourself in luck if you made six or eight good
pictures. With a tripod-camera the work is abso-
lutely disheartening, one good picture being fre-
quently the result of a day's hard work ; but with a
hand-camera with which you can focus accurately,
better work can be done, and with infinitely less
trouble.

The animals may be divided into two aggravating
classes: those that are too tame, and those that are
too wild. If anything, the latter are the easier to
manage. You can get pictures of these even if they
are rather far away. But the animal which insists on
putting his nose through the bars and licking the
lens tries one's patience to the limit. There is a
large gray wolf in the Bronx Zoo (New York) that
I have tried a number of times to photograph, but
so far without success. In fact, I never made but
one exposure, as I could not get far enough away.
He always wants to lick my hand or the camera.
With some of the animals it is curiosity which

82 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

prompts them to come so near ; but with many it is
the spirit of friendship, and with these, though they
are most exasperating, one cannot be angry. While
the animals are being fed is usually the best time
to secure photographs, as then their attention is
devoted to the food, and to watching each other, if
there are several in a cage, and the camera has little
or no attraction for them. If the rules of the Zoo
permit visitors to feed the animals, it is a good plan
to come provided with such dainties as would be
most appreciated. By placing the food where you
wish your subject to stand, you may be sure of his
going there; only you may generally be equally sure
of his back being turned toward you. So the best
way is to throw food to a point farther from you
than you wish the animal to stand, then when he is
there throw another piece nearer ; in this way, as he
has to turn back to get the food, he will be more
likely to stand either facing or broadside to you.
By such methods you can sometimes induce an ani-
mal to overcome its natural aversion to going to the
place you wish. Whenever possible it is advisable
to avoid having the iron bars and other such unne-
cessary and unbeautiful objects show in the picture.
A way to overcome this, where it is impossible to
secure a picture without the bars, is by double print-
ing; that is to say, block out all the background on
your negative, leaving the animal only; then make a

PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS 83

picture of a suitable background, being careful to keep
the correct proportion of things, and print your animal
into this scene. By this method^ beautiful results may
be obtained with comparatively little trouble.

Remember that what was said in Part I of this
chapter regarding the advantages of using a long-
focus lens applies to this branch of photography
almost more than to any other. The grotesquely fore-
shortened animals we see in pictures made with very
short-focus lenses are an object-lesson to those who
think there is too much fuss made about lenses and
see no advantage to be gained by using a lens of long
focus. As regards the lighting of the animal there is
not much to be said that would be of any value.
White animals look best when the light is on the
farther side ; that is to say, the animal should stand
between the camera and the source of light. This
applies more particularly when strong sunlight is
used. Dark-haired animals usually require to be
strongly lighted. The distribution of the light and
shade means so much in the picture that careful
thought should be given to the subject. Strong sun-
light is frequently a thing to be avoided, notwith-
standing the beginner's usual idea on the subject.
A really bright cloudy day is, for all-round work,
the most desirable. Pictures taken under such con-
ditions are softer and more full of detail.

1 Double printing is more fully explained in Chapter I, Part II,

84 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

PART III
PHOTOGRAPHING DOMESTIC ANIMALS

Here we have a most delightful and thoroughly sat-
isfactory branch of work ; the difficulties are not
great and the possibilities almost unlimited. Here
it is that the photographer shows whether or not he
is an artist. Having more or less complete control
of the animal, he can arrange his subject so that the
lighting will be effective, and the surroundings are, of
course, at his disposal. All domestic animals are fit
subjects for pictures, from the fat sow and her litter
of pink sucklings, to the soft, velvet-coated Angora cat.
Whether the animal is the entire subject of the pic-
ture or only incidental, he is an equally fit object
and deserves the same consideration. Beautiful pic-
tures may be made of animals' heads, but, curiously
enough, this is not done as commonly as might be
expected. A fine horse's head is in itself a splendid
subject for a picture; the same may be said of a
dog's or of almost any animal's head.

All that has been said about lenses applies here,
but in the way of a camera it is perhaps best to
have both a focussing hand-camera and one of large
size to be used on the tripod when short-time ex-
posures are possible. There is every advantage to
be gained by using isochromatic plates of both me-

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PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS 85

dium and great rapidity according to the subject,
though for animals whose colour is gray or any neu-
tral colour ordinary plates will answer. For dogs,
horses, or other animals in rapid motion the focussing
hand-camera fitted with the focal plane-shutter is
indispensable. Such pictures are, however, seldom
beautiful, even though they may be interesting.
The rapid action of an animal looks grotesque when
caught with the camera; its attitudes never appear
to be natural or correct, and as a matter of fact
the positions are not correct as our eyes see them.
We see rather the effect of movement than the actual
positions assumed by the difl^erent parts of the body.
All the most beautiful animal photographs are of
animals in repose. Such pictures have been given
sufficient exposure, and should be soft and delicate,
lacking the strong, hard black-and-white effect of the
instantaneous photograph.

CHAPTER IV

PHOTOGRAPHING REPTILES

Outfit required is the same as for animal work.

The idea of photographing reptiles does not, as a
rule, appeal very strongly to us. We think of little
that is beautiful in connection with this order of
animal life. And yet, if we stop for a moment to con-
sider, we will find that not only do the reptiles offer
us material that is extremely interesting, but many
forms are really beautiful. Some of the lizards, for
example, or the snakes, are graceful and at the same
time beautifully marked. Even the frogs are no
mean subjects for the camera; very effective pictures
can be made with them if the surroundings are care-
fully arranged. When photographing a frog there
are many ways of treating the subject : in the water,
such as a shallow pond, on land, or, what is most
satisfactory, in an aquarium. The latter offers the
greatest possibilities; as the creature is unable to get
away, you can arrange the accessories to suit. Moss-
covered stones, grasses, and aquatic plants all help to

86

BULL FROG RESTING AT SURFACE OF WATER.

BULL FROG STANDING HALF SUBMERGED IN WATER.

PHOTOGRAPHING REPTILES 87

make the picture beautiful and interesting. Curi-
ously enough, a photograph of water taken at close
range does not give the effect of water. A piece of
glass inclined downward toward the camera does
much better. It may be placed on gravel or any-
thing equally suitable, and a piece of sod placed so
as to conceal the edge will give a perfect effect of
water, reflections and all.

In photographing tadpoles during their different
stages of development, they should be put in an
aquarium. A piece of glass laid horizontally against
the front glass will keep them from the bottom and
near the front. With full sunlight the reflections
from the glass will not cause trouble, provided the
background is not dark. When photographs of snakes
are wanted, the first thing to do is to learn to handle
them without fear. With the harmless varieties
there is no reason why we should be afraid of them ;
but our instinctive dread of anything snake-like is diffi-
cult to overcome. Once we let our common sense
assert itself, it will be found by no means difficult to
photograph any of the smaller snakes. A snake tak-
ing a sun-bath will usually allow us to approach to
within a few feet if we move quietly so that it will
not be frightened. Of the reptiles there are few
more exasperating than the common box-tortoise.
He will shut himself up in his house and positively
refuse to be seen or photographed. I have spent

88 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

hours in unsuccessful attempts to secure pictures of
these exclusive creatures. Either they will keep
their shell tightly shut, or else they will be too active
and keep on the go with such vigour that a good
picture is almost impossible.

In order to illustrate some of nature*s wonderful
methods of protection by means of colouring, mark-
ing, and form, we can find few better or more striking
examples than some of even the common varieties
of insects. There are some which closely imitate
flowers, leaves, twigs, bark, or grass, while others,
such as some of the grasshoppers which live in dusty
or sandy places, are without conspicuous markings,
and of a colour that corresponds almost exactly with
their surroundings. In a drawing, however well exe-
cuted, we always have a feeling of doubt as to its ac-
curacy, and this doubt increases in proportion to the
closeness of resemblance between the insect and its
surroundings. It is therefore to the camera that we
must look for a truthful and convincing picture of
these extraordinary examples of nature's handiwork.

GARTER SNAKE.

SNAPPING TURTLES FKIHTINO.

CHAPTER V

PHOTOGRAPHING INSECTS

Outfit required, — Long-focus camera (focussing hand-camera by preference).
Rapid long-focus lens with telephoto attachment. Rapid ordinary plates
(occasionally isochromatic plates are necessary). Tripod and other ordinary
appliances. Microscope with photo-plate attachment.

This is a most fascinating field for camera work, and
a field that is not very often entered. The many
and various difficulties to be overcome, the enormous
range and diversity of subject, the intensely interest-
ing material which may be procured with so little
difficulty, all help to make this branch of photography
of the greatest possible interest. Not only are there
the insects visible to the naked eye, but also the vast
throng of microscopic life, so remarkable in its in-
finite variety of form.

Beyond the few pictures of butterflies and moths
and dragon-flies, we do not see many insect pictures.
Occasionally a spider is photographed. But yet we
may say that insect photography is in its infancy.
The camera of the graflex type is undoubtedly the
one best suited to this kind of work, even though

89

go NAIURE AND THE CAMERA

frequently a tripod will be found necessary. Any
camera, to be of all-round use, must be arranged so
that it may be pointed directly downward or upward.
A picture of a strider that I once used was made
with the camera pointing almost straight down. I
had been asked to make a picture that would show
the insect and his peculiar shadow. After trying
many times and without success to secure such a
picture while the insects were in a small stream, I
finally had to catch some of the lively little creatures^
and put them in a white-lined box with about an
inch of water. In this way it was easy enough to
make the photographs of both insect and shadow.

Photographs of some varieties of wasps make in-
teresting pictures, as with little difficulty they may
be portrayed while at work building their mud house
or delicate hanging comb. These are but suggestions
of the endless subjects possible in insect photography.
To go into the subject at all thoroughly would entail
writing a book on entomology, and the writer has
neither the ability nor the desire to attempt such a
work.

MOTH UNFOLDING ITS WINGS AFTHR LKAVING COCOON.

CHAPTER VI

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC LIFE

PART I

THE AQUARIUM AND OUTFIT

Outfit required. — Long-focus camera. Rapid lens. Plate-holders. Fo-
cussing-cloth. Instantaneous isochromatic plates. Aquarium — two
wooden horses ; two boards about seven feet long ; bucket ; rubber
tube ; sponge ; cloth (for polishing glass) ; scrub-brush ; claw-shaped
tongs ; small landing-net.

Until quite recently fish photography was almost
untrodden ground. Few had attempted it, and fewer
still had succeeded. The new interest in natural-
history subjects, with its absolute demand for "photo-
graphs from life," has led, after touching on almost
every other branch of work, to the photographing
of fish, and almost every month we hear of some
person taking it up. Though not so interesting as
bird and animal work, it has, nevertheless, many points
of interest, and, like all other nature photography, it
teaches us a great deal that hitherto has never even
been thought of

9*

92 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

The first thing to do before undertaking fish pho-
tography is to prepare a special and somewhat elab-
orate outfit. Besides the camera, lens, etc., there
must be a suitable aquarium, and this will have to be
made to order. When having it constructed, con-
sider first of all what will be the length of the largest
fish you intend to photograph, and have your aqua-
rium at least four inches longer. It is not advisable to
attempt fish longer than twenty-eight inches (except
such as the garpike or other slender fish), as they are
very difficult to handle. The aquarium may be of
the portable type, though this has no particular
advantage and is seldom water-tight. It is better,
therefore, to build one strongly, so that it will not
break apart or leak. Then it can be packed ready
for shipping by screwing a heavy board over the
glass and top.

Good quality of clear white pine is about the
most satisfactory wood to use. It should not be less
than seven eighths of an inch thick except for a very
small aquarium, when half an inch would do. The
best way to insure its being water-tight, notwith-
standing what the carpenters will tell you to the
contrary, is to cut a shallow groove, B (Fig. i),
along the parts that come in contact. In this groove
lay rubber tubing, which may or may not be sealed
at either end. When the parts are drawn together
by means of long screws (brass by preference) the

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH

93

7/7

m

Fig. I.

rubber will come in contact so tightly that leakage
will be impossible. The wood should be thoroughly
shellacked be-
fore being put
together.

The glass
must be of the
best white plate,
free from bub-
bles and imper-
fections. The thickness of it depends on the size oi
the aquarium ; one twenty-six inches in length would
require the glass to be quite a quarter of an inch thick.
If no plate-glass is obtainable, a mirror can be
cleaned, and, if a good one, will be found to answer
perfectly.

The method of fastening in the glass is shown in
this diagram. The rubber tube A (Fig. i) is laid
in the groove and the glass pressed tightly against it
by a batten of strong wood such as oak; this, when
screwed in place, will hold the glass. The batten
should be bevelled, as shown in the diagram C
(Fig. i), in order to prevent its being reflected in
the glass. On the upper side of the glass no batten is
needed unless the tank is very large. The batten has
the disadvantage of casting a shadow, which shadow
usually falls on the fish. Heavy copper wire tightly
twisted and attached to two strong screw-eves will

94

NATURE AND THE CAMERA

hold the sides together. The wire may be removed
and a batten substituted when the aquarium is to be
packed. When the tank is made it should be
smoothly lined with white oilcloth. This is easily
cleaned, and its bright surface reflects the light and
therefore prevents heavy black shadows.

It will be noticed that when a fish is placed in the
aquarium, after stirring up any accessories that may
have been arranged, he immediately retires to the

farthermost cor-
ner, out of reach
of the camera.
To prevent this
his range must
be restricted, and
thebest way todo
this is by placing
a sheet of glass in
the grooves as shown in Fig. 2. The smaller the fish
the nearer to the front must this glass fence be put.
With large fish it is not safe to restrict their move-
ments too much. It makes them very restless and
frequently results in their breaking the glass or killing
themselves. The glass partition serves also to prevent
the fish disturbing the aquatic vegetation which adds
so much to the beauty of the picture. This subject
will be more fully dealt with later on. It is not
advisable to allow the partition to rest on the bottom.

'Ig. 2.

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH

95

as by so doing it interferes with the circulation of
the water. A small block placed inside the grooves
at the lower end will prevent this.

An extra bottom board covered with white oil-
cloth will be found useful when photographing fish
that stay on the bottom. This board should have
an arrangement by which it can be tilted so that the
end farthest from the glass may be elevated.

Handles at either end of the aquarium are useful,
but they should not be used when it is full of water;
the strain is too great, and is likely to cause leakage.
So much for the aquarium. Now we come to its
support, and for this I can recommend nothing more
simple or more efficient than a pair of wooden horses,
upon which two long thick boards should be placed.
The length of these boards must depend on the focal
length of the lens that is used. The camera placed on
these boards, as
shown in the ac-
companying dia-
gram (Fig. 3),
may be moved
back and forth at
will. It is sel-
dom necessary to
raise it more than
a couple of inches, and this may be done by using
one or more thicknesses of board beneath the camera.

96 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

I have never found that the camera needed to be
secured, its own weight being sufficient to hold it in
place. If desired, an arrangement could be easily
devised by which it would be secured to its support.

With regard to the lens used in fish photography,
the more rapid it is the better will be the results.
There is no particular advantage in its having very
great focal length. About nine and a half inches
for a six and a half by eight and a half lens is suffi-
cient. The type of shutter that will be found most
satisfactory is the focal plane ; not the drop-shutter
in front of lens, but the kind that is set close to the
plate. This gives the maximum illumination with
the shortest possible exposure, such as is made neces-
sary by the rapid movement of fish. With fish, such
as the salmon family, the bluefish, and the runners,
jacks and pompano, only the most rapid shutter can
be used with success. Another advantage in having
the shutter concealed is that fish frequently splash
the water, and lens-shutters, such as the diaphragm
pattern, are rendered useless by salt water.

In the list of material required for this work will
be found instantaneous isochromatic plates. Under
ordinary conditions these plates are perhaps not quite
so rapid as the regular plates, but with the greenish
or yellowish tinge of the glass and water, and the
greens, yellows, and reds of the aquatic vegetation, it
will be noticed that most of the colours are those

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH 97

which most easily affect the isochromatic film.
Therefore in fish photography they will be found
not only as quick as the ordinary extra-rapid plate,
but, owing to their sensitiveness to the colours just
mentioned, will yield a more perfectly exposed nega-
tive. Their value will be most noticeable when the
fish to be photographed is strongly coloured, where
bright yellow, red, and dark green may be side by
side. The ordinary plate would show only a slight
difference of tone between the yellow and red, and
perhaps none at all between the red and green, while
the instantaneous isochromatic would show a decided
difference in the three colours. Not giving the red
its full value, of course, because that can only be
obtained by using the slow isochromatic or by the
addition of a ray-filter. It is a rare thing, however,
to find a fish that will remain quiet enough to allow
of these being used.

PART II

ACCESSORIES AND THEIR PREPARATION

To any one who has not attempted fish photography
it would seem an absolutely easy matter to beautify
the aquarium by adding vegetation and stones as a
background for the fish. That is exactly what I
thought when I first began aquatic photography, but
it did not take me very long to discover how mis-

98 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

taken were my ideas on the subject. Absolute clear-
ness of water is highly desirable, but almost impos-
sible to obtain. After straining the water so that it
is clear enough for ordinary work in a good light,
take an apparently clean stone, not a smooth marble
of course, but an ordinary, moderately rough stone,
drop it into the aquarium, and watch the result.
The water will be seen to be filled with a muddy
substance, and instead of crystal-like clearness we
have a murky-looking water that is most undesirable.
But your troubles have only just commenced. Add
some fresh green aquatic plants, and you will notice
that they too give off scum and muddy material,
even though they may have been placed in the water
with the greatest of care. Now when the fish runs
amuck through these beautiful plants, and really. dis-
turbs the mud and scum, the water has lost all its
clearness, so that it is absolutely impossible to photo-
graph a fish through it. With tropical aquatic vege-
tation the difficulty is even greater than with our
more simple northern plants.

The beautiful ''sea-feathers'' that one sees waving
about with every movement of the water in the
tropical seas appear to be a clear, clean yellow or
purple ; but on putting them into the aquarium they
will be found to discolour the water immediately.
"Sea-caps" are even worse, and sponges cause so
much trouble that after a few discouraging attempts

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH 99

one gives up the idea of using them. What, you
may ask, is the remedy for these difficulties? The
only thing I have found to answer at all is to thor-
oughly clean every leaf by washing it with a soft
cloth. It is a task requiring great patience ; but once
the plant is really clean it will remain so for several
days, requiring only to be well rinsed in clear water
each time it is used. Betweenwhiles it is, of course,
kept in clean water, which should be as near as pos-
sible the temperature to which the plant is accus-
tomed. Over-warm water will cause the plant to
lose its colour and become covered with scum.
Never put any plant or stone, or in fact any acces-
sory, into the aquarium until you have ascertained
that it is free from scum and other foreign matter.
Stones, especially those that are rough and honey-
combed, require to be scrubbed with a hard brush
and sand until they are perfectly clean. Sand, if it
is necessary to use it, may be cleaned by throwing a
little at a time into a bucketful of water. The part
that does not immediately sink should be emptied
out. This must be repeated until only the clean,
heavy sand remains. But even this should not be
used unless you have a very quiet fish to photograph.
A restless fish will disturb the sand, which in sinking
will fall on the fish ; so that if he remains still enough
to be photographed, he will be covered with a fine
deposit of sand, and, needless to say, this will entirely

loo NATURE AND THE CAMERA

spoil the picture. Occasionally one finds a fish so
well behaved that he will allow the deposit to be
swept off, staying quiet the meanwhile. Such fish
are very rare. A piece of white coral looks so clean
that one is tempted to place it in the water with-
out previous washing, and too late we discover our
mistake.

Many of the aquatic plants are so light that they
float, thereby causing great annoyance. Especially is
this true of the grasses. Heavy split shot attached
to the ends is a good preventative, but these must
be carefully tied if the plant is brittle, as most of
them are. Another plan which can be used to good
effect with grasses is to take a thin strip of sheet-
lead and attach the grass along this at intervals. It
saves much time in the end if, before placing the
fish in the aquarium, all the accessories are carefully
arranged and secured.

In selecting the surroundings to be used, some-
thing should be known of the habits of the fish.
For instance, trout require stones or rocks, with a
little light vegetation, such as grass. Yellow perch
need only plants. The bluefish should have no ac-
cessories, while the angel- and parrot-fish look more
natural if placed among weed-covered rocks and a
luxuriant growth of plant life. Any fish that lives
on a muddy bottom should either be photographed
on the white oilcloth or on sand. But don't be

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH loi

tempted to use mud, unless you are fortunate enough
to find a clay that packs tightly and is not easily
disturbed.

Surface fish should always be shown near the sur-
face, for it adds so much to the interest and even the
value of a photograph if the fish is seen in sur-
roundings that are natural. In arranging the plants
and rocks (the tongs mentioned in the outfit will
be found most useful in doing this), place most
of them between the glass partition and the back
of the aquarium. In this way they will not be
disturbed by the movements of the fish. A fish that
becomes excited will disarrange everything in a very
short time. It is therefore better to have only a few
plants between the glasses.

One of the great difficulties met with in fish pho-
tography is the moisture which condenses on the sur-
face of the glass. When cold water is used and the
day is hot, the glass must be wiped and polished
every minute or two; for it is as well to remember
that unless the glass is absolutely clean and dry a good
photograph cannot be made. The slightest mark
on the surface of the glass shows with a distinctness
that is very discouraging, while the presence of a
little moisture makes everything behind it blurred
and ill-defined, just as though it were entirely out of
focus. It will be seen by this that too much care
cannot be taken in keeping the glass in proper con-

102 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

dition, dnd in order to do this avoid using any cloth
that leaves lint.

The water-supply is an important factor in fish
work. Not only must the water be constantly re-
newed, but it should be kept at the correct tempera-
ture. Few fish will live long in water that varies
more than six degrees from that to which they are
accustomed. If the change is very gradual they do
not appear to feel it so much, but a sudden change
is usually fatal. If trout are to be photographed, it
is nearly always necessary to use ice, as the tempera-
ture should be about 42^ or 46*^ Fahrenheit.

It is well to keep a thermometer in the part of
the aquarium where the fish is. With some fish this
is not needed, but with delicate cold-water fish it is
an absolute necessity.

The easiest way to keep water constantly fresh is
to place a pail of fresh water either on the back
upper corner of the aquarium or on a convenient
place near by. A small rubber tube used as a syphon
will allow a steady stream to flow from the pail,
while another rubber tube placed in the aquarium,
with the end hanging out over the edge, will syphon
out an equal amount. In this way the supply will
be constantly changing; but even so it is advisable
occasionally to aerate the water by pouring some in
from a dipper held several feet above the surface.

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH 103

PART III

HANDLING AND PHOTOGRAPHING THE FISH

Fish, having nothing in common with us, as have
the birds and animals, are difficult to handle because
we do not understand them and their ways, for we
have no standard by which to judge them. They
do not as a rule appear to be easily frightened, nor
indeed do they pay much attention to things about
them. Strong light and the restriction of their range
affect them more than anything else. Some vari-
eties do not even object to being handled, while
others will not allow themselves to be touched.
Evidently fish have individuality, and this individuality
applies not only to species, but to different fish of the
same kind. As a rule we find the chub, carp, and
tench are dull and slow and therefore easily photo-
graphed, while trout, salmon, and black-bass are
nervous and difficult to handle. But occasionally a
quiet, well-disposed trout or bass is found; while,
on the other hand, we sometimes find an individual
trout or carp or tench so nervous and wild that it
cannot be used. I mention this because I may allude
to certain fish as being difficult to handle, when the
reader attempting to photograph the same species may
experience not the slightest difficulty.

If the fish to be photographed is a common one,

104 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

do not waste time and patience with a wild individ-
ual ; rather let it go, and try your luck with another
and perhaps tamer one. In the end you will not
only save time by so doing, but you will secure a
better and more satisfactory photograph. Of course
it is understood that the aquarium must be placed in
a strong light. The better the light the better will
be the picture. On the end of a wharf is the best
possible place, for there, while having the benefit of
uninterrupted sunshine, you have water convenient,
and ■ — what is not to be despised — the advantage of
any cool breezes that may happen to blow. It also
allows you to keep the fish that you are not actually
using in a live-car (a perforated box placed in the
water), which should be kept in the shade. It is a
good plan to have a small canopy of some sort that
will shade the camera and plate-holders. This will
save many plates from fogging.

Now that everything is in readiness, the aquarium
filled with clear water, and a suitable background
arranged, we will commence fish photography. Sup-
posing the fish is in the live-car, a small landing-net
will remove it to the aquarium. Be careful in doing
so not to injure the scales against the edge of the glass.
In some cases it is better to take the fish in both
hands, holding it firmly but not too tight, and place
it carefully in the water between the two glasses.
At first probably the fish will swim rapidly from end

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH 105

to end in its efforts to escape, but after a few min-
utes of useless excitement it will usually calm down
and lie on the bottom. Now is your time to focus
and arrange your camera. We will say the fish is
twelve inches long and the aquarium thirty inches
long. It is obvious that if a fairly large image of
the fish is wanted, only a part of the aquarium, per-
haps eighteen inches, will be covered by the plate.
To avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble and an extra
chance of failure, place two marks (small pieces oi wet
paper will answer, don't use paste or mucilage) on the
glass at the extreme edges of the part covered by the
plate. This much done, set your shutter according to
the exposure to be given, and then coax the fish away
from the bottom. This may be done either by
means of a stick or with the hand. It usually
requires a great deal of patience and not a little time
before the fish can be induced to go just where one
wishes, but as so much depends on its being well
posed, it is better not to be in too great a hurry.
When focussing on the fish be sure to look down on
it through the water, otherwise you cannot tell how
far it is from the front glass. In the same way,
before you release the shutter be sure the fish is at
the same distance from the glass as it was when you
focussed the camera. In case you cannot induce the
fish to remain clear of the bottom, there are two
things to be done : one is to raise it with your hand

io6 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

(holding the bulb of the shutter in the other hand)
and make the exposure immediately after releasing
the fish, when the hand must, of course, be instantly
withdrawn. In this way I have often succeeded in
making photographs that I could not otherwise have
made. This method, needless to say, requires a very
short exposure, as the fish is in motion, whether it
sinks rapidly to the bottom or swims.

The other way is to place a stone on the bottom
so that a point of it will be up several inches. Then
gradually and slowly move the fish with a stick until
it rests on the edge of this stone. When exactly in
the right position (the head should be slightly below
the level of the tail) make the exposure, which need
not be so very short, as the movement of the fish
would not, in all probability, be nearly so rapid as when
actually swimming or sinking. Only a small part of
the stone should come in contact with the fish. An
important thing to remember is that the dorsal fin
be elevated ; not only is this desirable for the identi-
fication of the fish, but it adds greatly to its beauty.
With the dorsal fin down the fish lacks the appear-
ance of being alive.

While it is quite possible to keep track of unde-
veloped plates so that you know what each one is
when developed, I would advise as the safest and
easiest method that a white label, bearing the name
of the fish in heavy black letters, be placed on the

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH 107

glass so that it comes on the extreme edge of the
plate. Then, when the photograph of the fish is
made you have the name on the negative. This
prevents any possibility of error. The paper label, if
wet, will adhere to the glass, and may be removed
without any difficulty.

In photographing fish that are habitually found in
swiftly running water, some device might with advan-
tage be used in order to keep the vegetation bending
over, all in one direction of course, thus giving the
effect of a current. This may be accomplished by
attaching a very fine thread to each plant, that they
may be drawn over to the proper angle. This is
rather a "fake" way of doing it, and not altogether
satisfactory. A more elaborate method would be to
have several large openings at one end of the aqua-
rium through which the water would run freely,
while on the other side an equal quantity of water
would have to be admitted. Though I have never
tried this, I believe it would give a good effect of
swiftly running water, which would not only keep
the plants in the desired position, but would force
the fish to assume a natural and lively attitude, as
though it were in a brook. The rapid movement
of the fins would, of course, necessitate a very short
exposure.

With surface fish it is a good plan to have the
water several inches above the partition glass ; then, at

io8 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

the moment when about to make the exposure, dis-
turb the water's surface with your unemployed hand.
It is surprising what a good eiFect is produced by this
trick.

A peculiarity that is most noticeable among the
highly coloured tropical fish is the power that they
have of changing their colour and their markings.
Take, for example, some of the porgies, that large
family of fish so abundant around Key West. The
same fish might be photographed ten times in as
many minutes, and no two photographs look like
the same species. The fish is beautifully marked
with vertical bars, pink, blue, yellow, green, and
brown being the prevailing colours; and yet one pho-
tograph will show a plain silver-coloured fish, abso-
lutely lacking in marks of any kind, another will
show faint irregular blotches, another slight indica-
tions of bars, and yet another will show the fish in
all the glory of its full markings. The yellow-fin
grouper, still more pronounced in the pattern of
its markings, though scarcely so brilliant in colour,
will change in an instant from a pale, sickly yellow
with the markings only just discernible to a rich
green with markings of very dark brown and bright
red. Whether these changes are voluntary or not is
scarcely known, and anyhow this is not the place to
discuss that interesting question ; but the surroundings
will usually be found to have some effect on the colour

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH 109

of a fish, even in an aquarium. Yet the effect pro-
duced by surroundings of a certain colour is by no
means invariable. As a rule, however, when a
brightly coloured fish is placed in an aquarium
which is lined with white, and has no other colour,
the fish will not don his finest colours; he remains,
instead, pale and almost transparent, so as to blend in
more or less with the immediate surroundings. A
few stones added will sometimes cause a fish to
resume part of his colouring; but when a quantity of
rich vegetation is introduced, he will usually show
himself off in his ver} best markings, perhaps only
for a few seconds at a time, but more often for sev-
eral minutes together.

This colour-changing is one of the most exasperat-
ing difficulties to overcome. We have so little control
over it, and, according to the perverseness of things,
it almost always happens that when a fish assumes
exactly the attitude one wishes, it loses its colouring
at the same moment. It is quite needless to say that
an unlimited supply of patience is almost as neces-
sary as the camera itself if we wish to have any suc-
cess. I remember, when I began photographing the
fish of Key West, having a red nigger-fish brought
to me. It was of a beautiful delicate coral red, with
tiny specks all over its head and body. I immedi-
ately placed it in the aquarium, and, after the usual
amount of trouble, succeeded in making two expo-

1

no NATURE AND THE CAMERA

sures which showed the fish in good positions.
These, when developed, proved to be first-rate nega-
tives, and I was quite satisfied until, about a week
later, I procured another of the same species. Shortly-
after it had been placed in the aquarium, and I had
commenced making a water-colour drawing of it, I
was much surprised to see it suddenly change colour ;
dark purplish-brown markings in the form of irreg-
ular broad bars had come, changing and at the same
time adding much to the beauty of the fish. I only
tell this to show how much depends on knowing
what to expect from a fish in the way of colour. Do
not photograph a fish until you know what it should
look like when it is at its best; otherwise the photo-
graph, though true to life, will be misleading.

This colour-changing is not, so far as I know,
noticeable with fresh-water fishes. At least, none that
I have photographed has shown it except to a very
limited degree. Nor is it to be found among the
light-coloured surface fish, vSuch as the mullet, mack-
erel, pompano, and jacks. These, having colours that
are more or less transparent and iridescent, of blue,
green, and silver, colours which render the fish incon-
spicuous, do not need the variety of colours and mark-
ings by which the bottom fish are protected. These
bottom fish, whose home is among the brilliantly col-
oured vegetation, require colours as bright as their sur-
roundings, that they may not be easily discovered by

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH iii

their innumerable enemies. It seems very difficult
for us to realise that the wonderful colouring of the
various kinds of angel-fish should be a means of pro-
tection, but that such is the case is scarcely to be
doubted.

When photographing any fish that "jumps" it will
be found necessary to place either a piece of glass or
wet cheese-cloth (wet because it is more transparent)
on the top of the aquarium ; otherwise they will leap
out, even though the sides are several inches above
the surface of the water.

In arranging the backgrounds for fish, their beauty
may be greatly enhanced and additional interest be
given by using such examples of sea life as would
be found with the fish if it were in its natural home.
Sea-anemones, crabs, urchins, and any of the various
shell-fish add life and value to the picture. But do
not use any kind that give off coloured liquids, such
as the squids, sea-pigeons, etc.

In handling fish of any kind, more particularly the
catfish and some of the salt-water species, it is advis-
able to guard against being cut by the sharp spines
of the fins. The Key West fishermen tell of all
manner of diseases that come from such cuts. Such
stories are gross exaggeratioUvS, but it is nevertheless
true that the wound caused by a fish's fin is fre-
quently poisoned and proves very troublesome. Any
one unused to handling fish will find it difficult to

112 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

avoid being cut. Therefore I advise watching how
the fishermen do it. By so doing and by following
their method much unnecessary inconvenience and
pain may be avoided.

Should you ever be tempted to photograph the
Portuguese man-of-war {Physalia arethusa)^ be most
careful how you handle them. Do not let the ten-
tacles come in contact with your skin unless you
wish to enjoy the sensation of being stung by an in-
finite number of nettles. In photographing these
interesting and beautiful creatures, some difficulty
will be experienced. They are so light in colour,
resembling as they do a very brightly coloured soap-
bubble, that a white background is not desirable,
while a dark one has the disadvantage of caus-
ing the glass to reflect the camera and everything
else about it. Another difficulty is with the creature
itself, which insists on coming in contact with the
glass (this is probably due to capillary attraction)
and when removed leaves a jelly-like scum on
the surface of the glass. This, needless to say, must
be cleaned off before the photograph can be made.
I would suggest that a very thin piece of white silk,
or other almost transparent material, be fastened
tightly across the length of the aquarium at a dis-
tance of two or three inches from the front glass;
this would, I think, keep the creature away from the
glass without causing it to alter its form. In photo-

SI

C/3 O

PHOTOGRAPHING FISH 113

graphing any of the jellyfish or other floating forms
of animal life, the same thing could be done to pre-
vent their coming in contact with the glass.

Any oi the lower forms of aquatic animal life
may be more or less easily photographed, and in
every instance it is best that they should be portrayed
with accessories that are natural to them. It is as-
tonishing that such an interesting branch of photog-
raphy should so long have remained untouched.
The possibilities are almost unlimited. The exquisite
forms of plant life and the long list of animal life
offer subjects as novel as they are beautiful; and the
ease with which these pictures may be made once
the first few difficulties are overcome will astonish
any one entering this almost untrodden field.

CHAPTER VII

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, SHRUBS, FLOWERS, ETC„

PART I

TREES, FLOWERS, FERNS, LEAVES, AND GRASSES IN THEIR
NATURAL SURROUNDINGS

Outfit required. — Long-focus camera with swing-back and back focus.
Fairly long-focus lens which need not of necessity be very rapid.
Shutter, focal plane by preference. Focussing-cloth. Plate-holder.
Tripod, one of ordinary height and one that will allow of the camera
being placed within twelve inches of the ground. Isochromatic plates,
slow and instantaneous. Ray-filter. Cloth screen to shield plant from
wind. Pair of pruners.

In the foregoing chapters on photographing fish,
birds, and other animal Hfe, it will have been noticed
that one of the things most necessary for the com-
plete outfit is a plentiful supply of patience. Now,
Strange as it may seem, photographing growing flow-
ers also requires a fair share of patience — far more
than one would imagine. On an ordinary calm day,
when to the casual observer the trees and flowers are
absolutely motionless, it will be noticed that there is

PQ
< .

i

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, ETC. 115

almost always a faint breeze which is sufficient to
cause all flowers, especially those with long stems and
heavy flower-heads, to keep up a constant movement.
Seldom, except in the early morning and late evening,
does one find a day so quiet that the flowers stand
motionless. Were it not for that fact the photo-
graphing of flowers would be a comparatively easy
task, requiring only the ordinary technical photo-
graphic skill.

One of the principal objects in photographing
a growing flower is to show its environment as
well as its form; therefore the individual flower
chosen should be one that is growing under normal
conditions in surroundings common to its kind.
For instance, the blue-flag, which grows commonly in
fields and swampy places, may occasionally be found
in perfectly dry woods, quite away from water or
swamps; it would be obviously absurd to photograph
the plant in such a place, unless to show its eccen-
tricity. In the same way the pink lady's-slipper is
almost always found in woods, but once in a great
while a single individual is found growing in a com-
paratively open place, such as a field on the edge of
the woods. So it is with all flowers: they occasion-
ally stray away from their natural locations and live
a short life in surroundings utterly foreign to them.

It is well to select a plant that shows the flower in
full bloom and the buds in various stages of develop-

ii6 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

ment. The same may be said of leaves when cer-
tain plants are under consideration. In this way the
picture is a complete portrait of the plant, showing
everything except the roots and seed-pods; and as
these latter are so very seldom to be found on the
plant while it is in bloom, they have to be photo-
graphed separately. With low plants whose flowers
are near the ground, such as trailing arbutus, it is al-
most always necessary to accentuate the fact by placing
a chestnut bur or an acorn, or some such object which
would naturally be found on the ground, somewhere
near the flower. This makes the fact that the flower
is near or on the ground patent to anybody who sees
the picture; otherwise they might think the flower
was growing on a wall or even on a bush. Another
good plan is to show a flower of another species
growing near the one you are photographing, making
it, of course, incidental and therefore less conspicu-
ous. Its object is to show the season when these
two plants are in flower. This, though by no means
necessary, is frequently of interest.

Still another interesting idea is to photograph the
plant at diflFerent times from the same point of view,
showing its gradual development, being careful to keep
notes of the dates. Pictures of this description taken in
series are both interesting and instructive as illustrating,
in the case of the wild flowers, how rapidly they come
and go. It seems.no time between the bursting of the

VIOLETS (VioU' bicolor).

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, ETC. 117

blossom and the drying of the seed that will be sown
for the next year's supply. How quickly this takes
place is frequently realised with almost painful acute-
ness by the photographer. To-day the woods may
be full of a certain plant in all the glory of its gor-
geous blossoms; then to-morrow perhaps it rains, and
the next day we go to the woods to photograph the
flower, and find its day is gone; instead of the fine,
sturdy flowers, there are nothing but withered re-
mains, shrivelled up and lacking all beauty, while
here and there a single small flower hangs on as
though unwilling to die. Search as you may through-
out the woods, not a full-blossomed spray will you
find, for the flowering period is past. It is as
though an order had been given for the lowering of
the colours of that particular plant.

Procrastination is a thing to be carefully guarded
against in flower photography. Take advantage of
every opportunity if you would succeed in making a
good collection of pictures of growing plants; and
such pictures are extremely interesting and well worth
the trouble of making. Not only do the single plants
show to their full advantage, but clusters or colonies
of them growing together are depicted by the camera
as they can be by no other means. What more
beautiful picture can be wanted than an early summer
swamp filled with blue-flag, or a late summer tangle
of iron-weed, joe-pye-weed, purple asters, and golden-

ii8 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

rod ? We cannot show the exquisite colour, but by
using slow isochromatic plates the values of the col-
ours are well preserved, so that the feeling of colour
is in the picture. In securing such photographs a
good deal of technical skill is necessary, for the nega-
tive must have the rare quality after which we are all
striving, that is, the peculiar combination of softness
and vigour. Practice alone will give you this, and
even the most expert photographer must count real
successes as things that do not often happen unless he
has complete control of the conditions under which
his pictures are made, and of course, in working out
of doors, with the ever-varying quality of light and
diversity of subject, the conditions are so changeable
that it requires great skill to produce much evenness
in the quality of the photograph.

In picturing flowers it is usually necessary to use a
fairly small diaphragm, as the camera is often quite
near the plant, and, with few exceptions, the leaves
will protrude toward the camera. Having to work
with so small an aperture, with an object as unsteady
as a flower, it is obvious that there is every advantage
to be gained by employing a lens of great rapidity,
though, of course, much good work is done with
ordinary lenses.

Isochromatic plates are nearly always necessary,
and at times a colour-screen may be used with
advantage. It is in the use of this colour-screen

I'INK lli;i'AI KA
April a.i, lyoi.

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, ETC. 119

or ray-filter that the beginner usually fails. He
uses it when it is unnecessary and neglects to use it
where it should be used. In photographing a blue
flower with even fairly dark leaves, the ordinary plate,
being highly sensitive to the blue and very slightly
sensitive to the green, does not give the colour values
correctly : the blue is too light and the green too dark.
The colour-screen or ray-filter will correct this.
The common fault is in using the deep-coloured screen
when photographing a red or orange flower. The
ordinary plate, being only slightly sensitive to the red,
orange, and green, requires a longer exposure than
when other colours predominate, but gives the values
of these colours fairly accurately; the deep-coloured
ray-filter only tends to increase the exposure neces-
sary. For most flower-work the medium isochro-
matic plate is the most satisfactory. If the flower is
very shaky the quickest plates are best, and if white
flowers with dark green leaves are to be rendered
accurately, then use the slow plate or the ray-filter;
this will hold back the white and give the green
better value.

When photographing very delicate flowers, it is a
good plan to place around them a screen of white or
light-coloured cloth that will protect them from the
wind and at the same time reflect more light. This
cloth should be stretched tightly on upright sticks,
which should be firmly planted in the ground, not

120 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

too near the plant. For outside work a background
may frequently be used with advantage. It should
be without wrinkles and of a soft gray colour for
most flowers ; by placing it in strong sunlight or tilt-
ing it so that it will be in shadow, or by putting it
at different distances from the flower, it will give
many gradations of tone, from dark to very light.
When photographing flowers on branches, be sure to
secure the branch ; otherwise the slight swaying
caused by the least motion of the air will bring it
nearer to or farther from the lens, with the result
that it will not be in focus.

Pictures of trees are made more interesting if sep-
arate plates are made of the leaves, flowers, fruits
(which should be all the same scale), and bark, as
well as the entire tree. Nonhalation isochromatic
plates are most satisfactory for tree pictures ; they
insure the necessary sharpness of outline, free from
the disagreeable defect known as halation.

The lighting for all flower- or tree-work is very
important. For trees the most satisfactory results
are to be obtained when the sun is low and the
shadows long. For flowers the lighting must be
such as will best show the form of the flower. The
entire shape of flowers may be wrongly depicted if
the lighting is wrong. White flowers should never
have strong light streaming directly into them ; not
only does it flatten them, but it makes them too white

^

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, ETC. 121

and chalky. When the leaves are very highly pol-
ished, so that they reflect white light, it is best either
to choose a gray day, or else intercept the sunlight
by means of a cloth of some kind. Most ferns are
easy subjects for the camera ; they are usually fairly
steady, and their strong outlines and beautiful forms
are most satisfactory as photographs. Some of the
grasses also make beautiful pictures, whether shown
singly or in masses. In fact, there are few things in
the vegetable world that do not lend themselves more
or less to camera work. The commonest things
that we pass by every day, such as the lacelike wild
carrot, the much-despised yarrow, the timothy or the
redtop in flower, are fitter subjects for pictures than
many of the less common and therefore more appre-
ciated flowers.

PART II

PHOTOGRAPHING CUT FLOWERS, LEAVES AND FRUITS

Outfit same as Part I, with the exception of a short tripod and the addition
of several different-coloured backgrounds.

With cut flowers the greatest difficulty is in keeping
the flower from wilting. How delicate flowers are
can only be realised by those who undertake to pho-
tograph them. This is especially true of the wild
flowers. After they are picked, with some few ex-
ceptions, they are not fit to be used for many houns.

122 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

If used too soon they will move all the time; this
movement is so slow as to be almost imperceptible to
the eye, but it will be revealed by even a fairly long
exposure. The best way to avoid this is to pick the
flowers in the afternoon, and put them in water or in
a damp box and leave them in a cellar or other such
cool and dimly lighted place overnight. In the
morning they will be found strong and in full bloom,
when they should be photographed without unne-
cessary delay in a cool place free from draughts. For
some flowers the damp box is much better than
water. Any ordinary wooden or tin box will an-
swer if it is lined with thoroughly damp material
such as paper, felt, or cloth, and covered over with a
wet towel. If a flower is very full blown this is the
best way to preserve it overnight. Flowers to be
photographed may either be cut or pulled up with
complete roots. For pictorial effect the former is
the better, but of course if the roots are shown the
portrait of the flower is more perfect and certainly
more interesting, but it is also more difficult to ar-
range. One way to overcome the difficulty is to lay
it on a piece of clean glass and photograph directly
down on it. The background is of course placed at
some distance from the glass ; care must be taken to
avoid the reflection on the glass. Another way is to
pin the plant to a vertical background with very
small pins, which must be arranged so that they will

FKINr.KI) CICMIAN'.

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, ETC. 123

not be seen. Either of these methods may be ap-
pHed to cut flowers and leaves, but the former method
is much the more satisfactory.

A useful arrangement for cut flowers is a soft-
wood board several inches wide attached so that it
may be set at any angle; flowers, or branches of
flowers, leaves, or fruit, may be fastened to this by
means of fine nails or steel pins. A piece of wet
absorbent cotton wrapped around the stem will keep
the flower fresh for a sufficient length of time. An
ordinary well-lighted room will answer for a studio,
but of course a top light is an advantage. An abun-
dance of light is almost essential so that the exposure
may be as short as possible. How sensitive flowers
are to the slightest vibration will be discovered before
many pictures have been made ; with some flowers
a door banging in any part of the house will cause
them to tremble violently, and even a person walk-
ing across the floor in another room will affect them.
So it is needless to say that during the exposure
everything in the room must be absolutely still.
When a very long exposure is needed the photog-
rapher should sit down rather than stand. These
precautions may sound absurd, but I can assure those
who undertake this work that they will find them
only too necessary, and that overlooking them will
be the cause of many needless failures.

As regards plates, use isochromatic plates altogether,

124 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

and be very careful in developing them not to let
them become too dense. Use a slow developer, and
keep the plate well under control. On no account
use absolutely black grounds, for, as already stated,
they detract enormously from the artistic value and
beauty of the picture, all the softness and delicacy
being drowned by the intense black.

With flowers, leaves, or grasses, very striking and
decorative effects may be obtained. Curiously
enough, this has seldom been attempted — why, it is
difficult to understand, as the work is, comparatively
speaking, easy, requiring, of course, a keen sense of
the value of lines, of masses, of tones, lights, and
shades, just as decorative drawing does. A consider-
able amount of patience is needed, and perseverance
also, if you would find the flowers and leaves that
just fit into the scheme.

PART III

PHOTOGRAPHING FUNGI

Here we come to the easiest kind of photography
— easy and at the same time most satisfactory. Many
of the fungi are not only beautiful in colour, but
their forms and markings are very striking and show
to full advantage in a photograph. Take, for example,

JACK IN PULIMT
May i8, iQot.

I

PHOTOGRAPHING TREES, ETC. 12-

such varieties as the different amanita, the deHcious
morel, or even some of the clevaria : with a little care
in arranging them, very beautiful photographs may
be made.

In most cases it is advisable to photograph the
specimen as it is found growing. With few excep-
tions, they are unaffected by the wind, so that expo-
sures of almost any length may be made, provided
the surrounding vegetation is not easily disturbed by
the passing breeze. In all cases where the mush-
room is on the ground the camera must be placed
low, even within a few inches of the ground. When
for any reason it is necessary to remove the mush-
room in order to photograph it indoors, be sure to
cut a large enough piece of the surrounding earth or
bark to show the nature of the location. For car-
rying such bulky specimens a large flat basket is
most convenient, and that must be carried with
care or your specimens will break. It is so much
easier to carry the camera than the mushrooms that
there is every reason why the photograph should be
made on the spot. When it is thought necessary to
show the root of the mushroom, lay a suitable speci-
men alongside of the growing one. In any event it
is just as well to show the under side, as it is that part
which aids so much in the identification of the species.

Isochromatic plates are necessary for all the

126 NATURE AND THE CAMERA

brightly coloured varieties, while ordinary plates will
answer for those which are of more quiet colour.
Almost any lens of moderately long focus will do for
this work ; the camera should have a long bellows
and have back focus and single swing ; this latter is
made necessary by having to place the camera so
near the ground.

I