CHAPTER X 



FISH PHOTOGRAPHY AT HOME 



After a fish photographic holiday, I usually return 

 home with a hundred or more negatives. Some of 

 these are of fish in natural environments ; others show 

 them swimming amongst weeds, which have been 

 arranged in a tank ; but a considerable number of 

 the negatives are of fish seen against a white back- 

 ground, the last being taken in clear water in front 

 of a white sheet, as described in the preceding 

 chapter. 



As a record of shape and external appearance, this 

 is all that is required ; but to show a fish swimming, 

 as it were in mid-air, looks unnatural, and fails to 

 interest most people. Therefore, without in any way 

 diminishing the value of the negative as a record, on 

 my return home I print in a suitable aquatic scene 

 round the fish. 



As the landscape photographer collects cloud 

 negatives, so at odd times I have collected nega- 

 tives depicting scenes under the water. Recently I 

 have obtained these in the pond ; but as everybody 

 cannot have a pond specially constructed for photo- 

 graphy, I will explain how I used to obtain them in a 

 tank, and then describe how the fish negative and the 



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