34 Wild Birds. 



In photographing birds sitting, brooding, or standing at the nest there is no difficulty 

 with a lens of speed -^, which requires ^^-^ second to fully expose the plate, at a distance 

 of twenty-eight inches with full lens and strong light. With scenes in which the actors 

 are in constant motion, however, we require a much faster lens, which will reduce the 

 exposure to at least -gij- of a second. 



For photographing inaccessible nests, and birds which pose well but are unapproach- 

 able under ordinary conditions, we must resort to the long focus and telephoto lenses. 

 The long exposure required for the telephoto lenses now on the market, from one half a 

 second to a second or more, restricts their use to comparatively rare and lucky chances 



T/ie Tripod. — When two cameras are carried of the 4x5 and 5x7 size, a single 

 tripod will answer for both, provided it is moderately stiff about the head. A two-length 

 tripod of medium weight will serve most purposes, but a shorter one is also required for 

 nests on or near the ground. This is best made by cutting down one of the ordinary 

 kind, rather than resorting to those of the multifolding type, which are constantly spread- 

 ing and slipping at critical moments. 



The '' Graphic " ball and socket clamp, used as a camera holder for the bicycle, has 

 been strongly recommended as a substitute for the tripod or as an adjunct to it, as in 

 photographing nests in trees, when the clamp which is screwed to the camera is fastened 

 to a convenient limb, but since my own work has been of another kind, I have had little 

 occasion for its use. 



T/w Shutter. — In photographing birds whose sense of hearing is well known to be 

 acute, next to a good lens, a silent shutter is most needed, especially when the camera is 

 less than three feet away. The shutter which is silent not only in name but in actual use, 

 and at all speeds, is at present one of the greatest needs in the photography of animals, 

 and especially of birds. 



Birds will often jump into the air as if shot, at the first click of the metallic shutter. 

 Fortunately, however, the force of habit now comes to our aid, since they gradually learn 

 that it is harmless, and may be safely disregarded. 



The " iris diaphragm shutter," which I have mainly used, is often troublesome in that 

 some part of the sound arises at the very beginning of the exposure, so that a startled 

 bird in the course of ^L of a second may be all over 3'our plate. The marks on all such 

 shutters, which are conventional rather than exact time measurements, differ in different 

 shutters of the same or different make, and their limit of rapidity does not exceed 

 " T¥iT second." For greater speeds the focal plane or some other very rapid shutter 

 must be used. 



Plates. — For animal photography the most rapid plates are none too fast, and any of 

 the best brands can be recommended. It is alwa3's a good plan to adhere to one kind 

 which has proved satisfactory. One piece of advice should not come amiss, which is to 

 always use fresh plates, and all of the same emulsion if possible, and if any doubt as to 

 their age exists, to test them before starting on an expedition. Old plates blacken along 

 their edges in a characteristic manner, when placed in the developer, and if deterioration 

 passes this stage the whole plate will fog. The dusting of plates, slides, and liolders be- 

 fore reloading, and the carriage of all unused plates in a dust-proof bag, are as much a 

 necessity now as ever. 



Much of my own work has been done in the country with dark room and base of 



