CHAPTER XI. 



OUR ^METHODS OF PIIOTOGRArHY. 



AS we are often asked how we obtain our pictures, 

 ^^^^ and do not believe in withholding- any inform- 

 ation likely to be useful to tlioso who desire to 

 share in the fascinating- pastime of making- studies 

 from the great Book of Nature, I propose in this 

 chapter to tell how we do our field work. 



The great points about successful natuial histoiy 

 photography are : the possession of suitable appa- 

 ratus to work with, an aptitude for taking- care in 

 stalking timid creatures, and plenty of patience and 

 determination to wait for and get what is wanted 

 in spite of obstacles. 



The illustration on the following page shows our 

 working plant. We take all our photographs with 

 a half-plate camera. The one represented in the 

 picture was specially built for us by Dallmeyer, 

 and contains a pneumatically- worked silent shutter 

 between the lens and the sensitised plate, in addition 

 to a focal plane one, also worked by compressed 

 air at the back. The adjustable miniature camera 

 on the top is of the same focus as that t)eneath it, 

 and is extremely useful in uuiking pictiu-cs of flying- 

 birds or restless animals. A\'lien it is in use, the 

 large camera is charged with a plate ready for 

 exposure, and the photographer manipulates the 

 focussing screw, wliicli moves both in exact ratio 



