30 



PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS 



drawn with India inlc and a fine-pointed pen somewhere 

 on each step. The use of this little thing will shortly 

 appear, and it will save much time in obtaining a correct 

 focus. 



With the apparatus ready, and a location similar to 

 that described in the first section of this treatise, we may 

 begin, and for our first experiment let us choose again 

 the long-suffering carnation, not only because it will stand 

 handling, but also because it does not heap up difficulty 

 by requiring great depth of focus. 

 _, A parenthetical note is in order as to 



^""fT^ '■^^ atmospheric conditions in the studio 



^' or work-room. I have seen fresh carna- 



tions, full of vigor and water, simply melt before the 

 camera when used in a 

 hot, dry room, the air in 

 which was loaded with 

 chemical fumes. Mr. 

 Kurtz's magnificent Stu- 

 dio, in New York, fitted 

 for three-color photog- 

 raphy at a great cost, 

 was useless for photo- 

 graphing flowers, in 

 themselves the best pos- 

 sible subjects for his 

 process, because the 

 good man could not be 

 made to see that in an 

 atmosphere of collodion 

 and cyanide fumes, at a 

 temperature of 95° to 

 110°, no self-respecting 

 flower could be made to 

 stand up five minutes. 

 Therefore, keep the 

 work-room as cool as 

 possible, and have the 

 air moist. If a bare floor 

 is present, sprinkle it 

 with cool water ; if a 

 carpet prevents this, 

 dampen the air with an 

 atomizer. This is being 

 good to the flowers, and 



Fig. 4- 



quite as important, it is restraining the dust particles in 

 the air, which are apparently very anxious to be photo- 

 graphed full size. Lastly, keep the flowers in water until 



