BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



akin to that expressed by a very much married companion 

 when he assured us after a particularly violent domestic 

 "wind-storm" that he "loved her for her very perverse- 

 ness." 



The success of any Nature picture depends almost 

 entirely upon the degree of sharpness with which the sub- 

 ject is outlined. In many branches of photography a 

 slight lack of focus or "fuzziness" is allowable — in fact, 

 sought after. In dealing with Nature subjects, however, 

 the object of the photographer should be to convey to the 

 person viewing the picture a clear idea of the appearance 

 of the subject. The smallest detail should be distinguish- 

 able and perfectly sharp. To obtain pictures approximat- 

 ing to this standard, a great deal of trouble and care is 

 required, and, incidentally, considerable contributions made 

 to the "scrap-heap." It is rarely possible to obtain pic- 

 tures which are clear and sharp in every detail, but the 

 measure of success we have been able to attain in this 

 direction is the result of a good deal of painstaking work. 

 A little experiment will convince the beginner that if he 

 uses his camera at a distance of twenty inches or so from 

 the subject, the depth of that part of the field which will be 

 in sharp focus is very slight. If, for instance, an object 

 at a distance of exactly twenty inches is correctly and 

 accurately focussed it is probable — almost certain — that a 

 movement of the object half an inch forward or backward 

 will result in the sharpness being almost wholly destroyed. 

 That being so, the necessity for great care in focussing will 

 be apparent. The adjustment of the lens to such a posi- 

 tion as will render the focus sharp is, as a rule, not possible 

 while viewing the bird itself upon the focussing screen. It 

 therefore becomes necessary to focus on some object placed 

 temporarily in the position which it is expected that the 

 bird subject will occupy, and to make the exposure later 

 when it does occupy exactly that position. 



The first thing for the photographer to do is to choose 

 some point at or near the nest on which it may be expected 

 that the bird will perch. This is usually not a very diffi- 

 cult matter. If the nest happens to be an open cup- 

 shaped one, the most likely part of the edge of the nest 

 itself may be so selected. Where a picture of the bird on 

 the nest is desired, the dummy to be focussed upon may 

 easily be placed in such a position as will ensure sharpness 



42 



