20 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Mirrors in Photography. 



Few photographers realize the beau- 

 tiful effects that may be obtained by the 

 use of mirrors. Suitable ones that 

 should preferably be without a frame 

 may be obtained at small expense from 

 dealers in plate glass, such as The 

 Pittsburg Plate Glass Company of New 

 York City. They may be of any size, 

 convenient to the photographer and the 

 space at his disposal. 



One mirror may be used for photo- 

 graphing an object so as to show both 

 front and back, though owing to dis- 

 tance the back view will be somewhat 

 smaller than the front. Interesting 

 duplicating effects may be made, as in 

 the photograph of the water lilies and 

 the white rabbits here shown. It is also 

 desirable at times to picture some small 

 curiosity from all points of view. This 

 may easily be done by setting up the 

 object in the front of the mirror and 

 slanting the mirror sidewise, not from 

 top to bottom, so as to reflect the far- 

 ther side of the object, this reflection to 

 be a little to one side of the object. 



But notable and comical effects may 

 be obtained by using two. so as to pro- 



duce a kaleidoscopical eft"ect. Take for 

 example the little bunch of blooming 

 clematis shown in the accompanying 

 illustration. A wreath appears in the 

 photograph but there is only one bunch 

 of flowers. Astonishing effects may be 

 had in the duplicating of animals as is 

 shown in the photograph of the two 

 toads, a frog and a turtle in the accom- 

 panying illustration. There are appar- 

 ently seven turtles, while in reality 

 there is only one. There is no difficulty 

 in this kind of photography. Put the 

 mirrors together edgewise to form a V, 

 and photograph that V ; you will have 

 no end of interesting illustrations, ac- 

 cording to the angl^ of the V. More or 

 fewer may be obtained, according to 

 this angle. Three or four kittens, placed 

 within the V, will be multiplied until 

 there are seven tinjes as many. The 

 writer has taken several such photo- 

 graphs of kittens but has never suc- 

 ceeded in getting all sharp and in per- 

 fect detail. The subjects were too 

 lively. 



Probably the funniest of all is made 

 by placing within this V several toads. 

 Put a little sticky material on the top 



A BUNCH OF FLOWERS BECOMES A WREATH. 



