THE



Avicultural Magazine


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

FOR THE STUDY OF

FOREIGN & BRITISH BIRDS

IN FREEDOM & CAPTIVITY



Third Series. —Vol. X.—No. 14 .—All rights reserved. DECEMBER, 1919.



BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE ZOO


By W. S. Berridge, F.Z.S.


The Zoo is a veritable paradise for the photographer—birds, beasts,

reptiles, fish, and insects from all parts of the world being found within

its precincts. With such an array of subjects at hand the camera

enthusiast cannot fail to find something to his liking, but as the writer

has been asked to contribute to a Magazine devoted to the study of

birds it will be as well for him to confine his remarks to avian fauna.


Although the late Lord Leighton designated photography a joe-

to-graphic art, there can be no gainsaying that it has made vast strides

during the last few years. Colour photography and rapid work, enabling

one to obtain records of birds in flight and during display, cannot but

afford valuable object lessons to the Nature student, even if, as is often

the case, the photographs fall short of high art. The writer is of opinion

that bird portrayal is by far the most difficult of all branches of

natural history photography, the restless and nervous disposition of most

feathered folk rendering them extremely difficult subjects to deal

with. Then, again, so many are endowed with very brilliant plumage—

bi’ight yellows and reds being especially difficult colours to render in

their true tone values, although, to a certain extent, the task can be

simplified by making use of colour-sensitive plates.


Another difficulty to contend against is that so many birds are of

such small proportions that it is necessary to be within a few feet of



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