PHYTOPHOTOGRAPHY— OR PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS 



1073 



GIANT CIIICKWEED PLANTS 



Kij;. 7— Taken in sihi, natural size, during a sunny forenoon. No shading 

 employed. Detail of most of the flowers lost. Background not attractive. 

 Time, a few seconds with small stop. While it shows how the plants 

 grow in nature, the general effect only is somewhat pleasing. 



geranium or crane's-bill ( Fig.s. 4 and 5). In the first 

 place they wilt almost instantly upon being plucked. If 

 taken up by the roots they last a little longer, though 

 generally not long enough to have you reach home. Even 

 under the most favorable conditions the plant commences 

 to droop in the most aggravating way in about ten min- 

 utes, and this casts out the plan set forth in the last 

 paragraph with respect to the blackberry branch. This 

 wild geranium rarely or never grows where nature's 

 background can be obliterated. Some say, why not use 

 a white sheet or a similar white surface back of it, just 

 where it grows in the woods? For the reason that its 

 purple flowers take zvhite, and would not show in the 

 result (Fig. 4), A color-screen would help some, but 

 not to the fullest required extent. Observe, too, in the 

 case of this plant, what extremely flexible and delicate 

 stems it possesses, and these likewise form a real menace 

 to your success, should you attempt the photography of 

 this species in the open, when the air is in motion even 

 in the very slightest degree. 



Now, having made up my mind not to be defeated in 

 the matter of obtaining a perfect photograph of any small 

 I>lant in existence, the same was secured of this trouble- 

 some geranium by selecting the most perfect specimen I 

 could find in a piece of woods only a few hundred feet 

 from my house. It was most expeditiously taken up, with 

 a great quantity of earth about its tender roots. Placing 

 the whole affair in a deep bucket having a little water 

 in the bottom, and shading the plant with a newspaper, 

 it landed in my studio in less than six minutes after it 

 was taken up, A background was already arranged for 

 it, and the camera was in complete readiness to make an 

 instant exposure on a six and a half by eight and a half 



rapid, dry plate. This was promptly done, and in Fig- 

 ure 5 we have the satisfactory result ; with a lens we 

 may observe even the fine pollen upon llie minute 

 anthers ! With the exception of its roots, every struc- 

 ture of this plant, at this stage of its growth, is in evi- 

 dence and capable of being studied. 



Occasionally, the Giant Chickweed gives one trouble, as 

 may be seen by studying the result shown in Figure 7. 

 These plants were wonderfully beautiful as they appeared 

 when focussed on the ground-glass ; and failure seemed 

 a thing not to be dreamed of. Yet, what do we have? 

 Why, one of the very kind of pictures that the student 

 of phytophotography should ever aim to escajie pro- 

 ducing. Note that the central portions of nearly all 

 the flowers are lacking in detail, and that there are no 

 relieving shadows for the brilliantly white petals. This 

 defect must be overcome, either by selecting a gray day 

 for the trial, or by the use of the open umbrella, as 

 described above. Rut then, the background is too dark 

 and unattractive, making the contrast with the flowers 

 altogether too strong. But ah ! that's another matter. 

 Giant Chickweed is by no means an uncommon plant in 

 the districts where it is found ; and the thing to have 

 done here was to have selected a more promising subject 



TWO SPECIMENS OF JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT 



Fig. 8 — Spathes, leaves and other parts; natural size; indoors, in full sun- 

 light. White cardboard background. Result perfect. 



