PHOTOGRAPHY 55 



few of the fields in which it offers facility, but for a 

 moment let us first mention a few technical essentials. 

 While the inexperienced amateur can 

 ec nica ^^ something in decorative work, it is 

 ii<ssentials i • i i , , 



obviously better that one who aspires to 



produce unique or pleasing decorative results in pho- 

 tography should have a fair acquaintance with the 

 camera and its handling. The ability to make photo- 

 graphs of the natural size of certain objects, sharply 

 defined, with a well-chosen background, is essential to 

 success in this field. 



For thfe most part, the same methods and apparatus 

 are' desirable, as were suggested in the preceding mono- 

 graph on Photographing Flowers and Trees. A camera 

 with plenty of bellows extension, so that objects 

 may be easily photographed full size, is important, 

 and it should be fitted with a lens of moderately 

 short focus — as, for instance, a seven-inch lens for a 

 5x7 camera — in order that objects may be conveniently 

 focused in natural size. A camera-stand for maintain- 

 ing the camera in a vertical relation to a horizontally 

 placed plate-glass exposing platform is nearly essential 

 to this work, and if that stand is portable, and with 

 its parts adjustable at various angles from the vertical, 

 so much the better. A collection of sheets of cardboard 

 of various colors from black to white, to use as back- 

 grounds, is necessary, for in this work control of the 

 background is essential to proper results. 

 Tv> H A^• ^^ many of the subjects that the 



f T?i^" '"^ present writer, at least, has to suggest 

 of Flowers f , ^- \. ^ \ a 



for decorative treatment are nowers, 



leaves, fruits, etc. — parts of the growing plant or tree — 

 some acquaintance with prompt and successful hand- 

 ling of these objects will be helpful. It is, indeed, to 

 an appreciation of the almost untouched wealth of 

 motive and potential design in these natural objects 

 that the writing of this monograph is due. The sug- 

 gestions here made, and applied in a limited practice to 

 flowers, ferns, fruits and the like, may also be applied 

 to other objects — a design worked out with wire nails 

 may be as pleasing for a certain use as one taking its 

 motive from a violet may be for another use. 



