48 PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS 



actinically, at least. We consequently avoid the mass, 

 and find a projecting branch at the edge of the orchard, 

 which we can bring on the ground-glass so that it will 

 ■not have other blossom-ldden twigs as a. background. 

 We consider the exquisite cups of pink and white, and 

 perhaps we break the rule of photographing with the 

 light, for the sake of the shadows we can get in the 

 flowers, giving them modeling and form. Perhaps a 

 figure is introduced (never with face toward the camera), 

 and a picture breathing of spring is on the ground-glass. 

 The light is quick ; we stop down to y/22, wait the still 

 instant, give an exposure of perhaps one-third of a 

 second, and we ought to be happy upon development ! 



The apple-blossom is a "tame" flower, and we want 

 to photograph those termed "wild." Just about the 

 blossom time we hear of a great display of the ' ' wake- 

 robin," Trillium grandiflorum, on a rocky hillside. Thither 

 we journey, and the sight is gorgeous, for the whole hill- 

 side is dotted with the delicate, but large, white and pink 

 blossoms. Here is a different problem, for the tallest 

 plant is not 12 inches high, and our tripod stands full 

 50 inches. We slide in one joint of it all around, spread 

 out widely, throw one leg up almost horizontally against 

 the hillside, tip the camera down, and have the flowers 

 before us. How thankful we are that there are none of 

 man's rigid vertical lines to make apparent the dip from 

 the horizontal of the ground-^lass ! Now it appears that 

 we don't get any one of the trilliums full in the face, and 

 we proceed to aid nature by tenderly transplanting two 

 or three into eligible locations, carefully arranging them 

 so as to "look natural." A satisfactory view results, and 

 with a much longer exposure to compensate for the trees 

 which surround us, we press the bulb, and the trilliums 

 live again upon development. 



Again, later in the year, we strike a glorious mass of 

 the small "soft sunflower," HelioMthus mollis. Bright 

 yellow and orange, and dark centres ; the ray-filter is 

 needed ; we point at the centre of the plant, await the 

 momentary cloud, and a "quick bulb" exposure is 

 enough. 



We are entranced at the exquisite flowers of several 

 of the native orchids, Cypripedium pubescens, in rich 

 yellow, and C. acaule in deep pink. Long we labor to 

 get the plants and camera in harmony, but only failure 

 results, because the habit of the genus being to locate in 

 isolated clumps amid other low-growing plants, it is well 

 nigh impossible to get a background which will contrast 

 safely with the flowers. Later, we find the way out of 



