FISH PHOTOGRAPHY AT HOME 187 



method of showing the shape and general outline of a 

 fish, for by this means one can obtain whatever amount 

 of contrast and clearness one may desire. But for all 

 other forms of fish photography, the pond — or, failing 

 the pond, a tank, which works on the same principle — 

 is by far the most satisfactory, for the following reasons : 

 the fish is illuminated as in nature, and as he does not 

 see the photographer he is not disturbed. In the pond, 

 as already stated, the conditions so nearly simulate the 

 usual surroundings of most fish that they very soon are 

 quite at home. From a photographer's point of view, 

 photography in the dark chamber of the observation 

 pond is child's play as compared with photography in 

 a tank, for reflection is not a hampering factor, and the 

 fish being at home swims leisurely about. 



I have described how the attitudes of the perch on 

 the plate facing p. 6 were only obtained after considerable 

 trouble. In contrast with this I here show a photograph 

 of a perch in an attitude of alarm swimming towards 

 the dark chamber in the pond. This photograph was 

 taken in the early morning, before breakfast ; was the 

 only negative exposed ; and was obtained after watching 

 for ten minutes. The cause of alarm was that the little 

 perch had seized a worm before a large rainbow trout 

 could get at it, and the rainbow had been chasing the 

 perch. 



Photographs of colour arrangements and markings 

 on fish as concealing factors are valueless, except when 

 taken with the fish illuminated as in nature, and I have 



