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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



to record interesting facts. It is 

 strange that we have received so very 

 few photographs that do this, and so 

 many that seem scrupulously to avoid 

 it. Can our photographers explain 

 why the term nature photograph, 

 seems to be so generally understood to 

 mean natural scenery or a landscape 

 view? 



Photographing Spring Flowers. 



BY HARRY G. PHISTF.R, VERNON, NEW 

 YORK. 



The amateur in quest of subjects for 

 his camera will find them in profusion 

 among the early spring flowers. Some 

 of these, such as the crocus, should be 

 photographed as they grow, with a 

 gray card for a background. Others, 

 like narcissus, jonquil and daffodil, 

 may be picked and taken indoors and 

 there arranged to suit one's fancy. 



I use a tumbler of wet sand in which 

 to arrange them punching holes in the 

 sand with a pencil and inserting the 

 flower stems and leaves. The sand 

 holds them upright and keeps them 

 from wilting. 



Care should be taken in arranging 

 them to see that they are unequally 

 spaced, except in the case of a decora- 

 tive design, and also that each one is 

 turned at a different angle with the 

 camera. A long focus camera is es- 

 sential for this work. A small stop 



EXCELLENT DETAIL IN CROCUS. 



With fitting background. 



should be used and full exposure given 

 in order to get correct values. Some 

 skill is necessary in development. Care 

 should be taken not to carry the de- 

 velopment too far, or the delicate de- 

 tails in the white flowers will be ob- 



A DECORATIVE DESIGN. 



