Nature in Camping 27 



1 8. Squatters. Who sits on what? Lichens on tree trunks and rocks; 

 barnacles on wharf-piling or crab shells, etc. 



PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS 



Taking successful flower pictures is one of the problems of nature pho- 

 tography which, while not difficult, requires a little understanding of the 

 materials of photography and their capabilities. However, the beautiful re- 

 sults possible with flower subjects warrant the slight effort and trouble 

 required in this direction. 



Camera 



Let us start first with the camera. Due to the smallness of the flower it is 

 usually necessary to approach quite close to a flower to get an image large 

 enough to make a good picture. The average camera does not allow for 

 approaching closer than five or six feet, which is all right for large shrubs 

 and similar subjects but would not do for individual, smaller flowers. 

 For such cameras closer pictures require the use of a supplementary lens 

 known as a portrait attachment. These can be purchased very cheaply and 

 permit an approach to within about 2% feet of the subject. Or with a little 

 experimentation ordinary spectacle lenses can be successfully used. To try 

 them out remove the back of the camera and place a piece of ordinary 

 ground glass where the film goes with the ground side facing the lens, and 

 observe the image. This image will appear upside down, which is quite 

 natural, so don't let it disturb you. Then just mark your distance on the bed 

 of the camera. 



Tripod Improvised of Twigs 



There are expensive cameras, of course, which are excellent for photog- 

 raphy of this nature but which may be prohibitive in price. These have long 

 bellows extensions and allow of approaching to within several inches of the 



