NEST-PHOTOGRAPHY. 27 



into here, which tells us that the nearer the object 

 to the camera, the greater must the exposure be, 

 and as nests, being for the most part small in size, 

 will have to be taken at close quarters, so will the 

 exposure have to be correspondingly long. There 

 is, too, another factor which must not be lost sight 

 of ; we want the utmost detail, not only in the 

 lighter parts but in the shadows as well. Through- 

 out bird-work an abundance of soft detail is desir- 

 able, and therefore we should take care, if we err 

 at all in our exposures and who does not ? that 

 it is on the side of over rather than under 

 exposure, for the latter tends towards harsh, crude 

 negatives. 



Nests on the Ground. 



The simplest of all nests to photograph, and 

 therefore the first to be attempted, are those 

 placed openly on the bare ground. Usually in 

 these cases little or nothing in the way of nest is 

 present, a hollow in the earth sufficing, and since 

 such rely for safety on their similarity to their 

 surroundings, it is a mistake to make them appear 

 prominent in the picture. 



There is no latent difficulty in these subjects, 

 they are simple and straightforward. Pointing 

 the camera too vertically downwards is to be 

 avoided, as it gives a flat and uninteresting result. 

 If simply a study of the eggs is required there is no 



