94 Photography for the Sportsman Naturalist 



more expensive, and not so good. The photog- 

 rapher, as soon as he has mastered the intricacies 

 of the tripod camera, will do well to add one of 

 these indispensable, although rather expensive, 

 boxes to his outfit. He will never have cause to 

 regret the necessary expenditure, for with it he 

 can obtain pictures that it would be absolute folly 

 to attempt with an ordinary camera. 



So much for the actual camera ; but the acces- 

 sories are of great importance and must not be 

 overlooked or slighted, for upon them often 

 depends the success of the picture. 



The focussing cloth is of some importance. It 

 should be of some stout material that will wear 

 well and let as little light through as possible. 

 The ordinary focussing cloth sold by the dealers 

 is not good, for, while at first its quality is excel- 

 lent, it soon wears at the creases where it is folded 

 and becomes useless. I use a rubber cloth, made 

 by a few rubber goods houses, in which the rub- 

 ber is woven into the texture of the goods and 

 not merely coated upon the surface. This wears 

 well and is practically opaque. The cloth should 

 be large enough to admit of its being wrapped 

 completely about the camera when the latter is 

 set up and opened, leaving nothing but the lens 

 uncovered. This is often necessary in order that 

 the plate may be thoroughly protected when 

 the camera is left standing in the sunlight, as 



