The Telcphjfographic Lens and its Uses 75 



one to photograph her with a telephoto from a 

 distance of twenty-five or thirty feet, but few of 

 them will sit quietly when one tries to come much 

 closer to them than this. 



Then, too, there are times when one cannot, 

 even if the subject will allow it, approach close 

 enough to use the ordinary lens. For photograph- 

 ing birds' nests on inaccessible cliffs or at the end 

 of branches too small to hold even the weight of 

 the camera, the telephoto lens is invaluable ; and 

 when one becomes thoroughly conversant with the 

 workings of one and its various uses, he will find 

 that he will often employ it in preference to any 

 other of his lenses and will never cease to wonder 

 at the ease with which he can obtain pictures that 

 had always before seemed to him impossible. 

 Many of the nature photographs at which the 

 uninitiated are apt to exclaim in wonder do not 

 seem such miracles of the photographic art when 

 looked at through the medium of a telephoto lens ; 

 and one has but to gain a thorough knowledge of 

 the possibilities which are opened up by the use 

 of one of these instruments to cause him to for- 

 ever afterwards swear by them. When he once 

 does gain this knowledge, he will never again be 

 without one. 



As I have already said, any lens which one hap- 

 pens to have can be used as the positive, or front, 

 element, and the cost of the telephoto, the rear or 



