PHOTOGRAPHIC DIFFICULTIES 67 



loss of a screw from the lens brought light into 

 my camera, and fog to the films, of which two 

 dozen were spoilt." 



Photography in the African wilds is a very 

 different matter to the gentle art as practised in 

 a colder country, with cold and clean water to 

 develop in. The warm, muddy water, the heat of 

 a closed tent, and the continuous bites of mos- 

 quitoes or sand-flies do not help one to turn out 

 the results that can be obtained at home, or on 

 expeditions in colder countries. Only those who 

 have tried to photograph in tropical Africa know 

 these difficulties. The main obstacles to good 

 results in the development and fixation of films 

 are the inconvenience and even danger of working 

 at night, and the difficulty of procuring cold and 

 clear water, or even a sufficiency. The incon- 

 venience of working at night is due to the fatigue 

 after a hard day's hunting preventing efficient 

 film development or causing its postponement. 

 Such delay diminishes the great advantages of 

 the early development of exposed films, and if 

 unduly prolonged will actually destroy their value. 

 This inconvenience and the danger from mosquitoes 

 in night photography can be overcome by the use 

 of a daylight developing tank and bag, but this 

 advantage is counterbalanced by the increased 

 warmth of the tent and water in the daytime, 

 which cause over- development and frilling in 

 films. 



Over- development can be checked either in 

 the tank or dish by using a shorter time limit ; 

 but film frilling can only be obviated either by 



