THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF PETS, ETC. 105 



The photography of park deer presents no 

 particular difficulties if the deer are reasonably tame 

 and not too numerous. A large herd will almost 

 invariably stampede at the sight of a stand camera, and 

 even when snapshotting one has to move with great 

 caution, and to take any cover that is available. The 

 writer has secured two or three good results by riding 

 boldly up to the herd on a bicycle. The ability to take 

 a snapshot whilst so riding is a useful one to the 

 naturalist, and by no means difficult to acquire. The 

 simplest method is to suspend the camera with a strap 

 round the neck, and to keep one hand free to work the 

 shutter. It is quite possible, however, and does not 

 require an extraordinary degree of skill, to add to the 

 accomplishment of riding without the help of the 

 handle-bar that of simultaneously manipulating a hand- 

 camera. Snapshotting on horseback is even simpler, 

 and well worth a trial when it has been found 

 impossible to get close enough on foot. The rationale 

 of both methods is identical, the object being to 

 get within range of the animals under circumstances 

 which they do not usually associate with the approach 

 of man. 



The photography of domestic animals should never 

 be neglected by the naturalist-photographer, for it is 

 the grammar of his craft. It is always possible to 

 secure some sort of result, but to secure a good result 

 requires nearly as much patience, nearly as much 

 observation and nearly as much practice, as are re- 

 quired when dealing with wild life. 



