Photography of Flowers 139 
Herrick Co. It makes allowance for every condition—the 
month of the year, hour of day, long, short or average dis- 
tances, light or dark objects, also for clear sun, bright, hazy 
and dull weather and varying speed of plates. I have found 
it reliable and comprehensive. 
In the matter of plates or films I learn from an experienced 
authority that the most rapid are necessary for flower photog- 
raphy, and that a color filter helps to preserve values, but 
extra timing is necessary with a color filter. I learn also 
that the conditions of flower photography are peculiar, in 
that to bring out the sharp details of a red blossom requires 
from four to six times as long an exposure as a white one; 
green details require two or three times; yellow but little 
longer, unless of deep orange tone; blue, unless of a deep 
purplish tone, about the same as white. 
An excellent way to acquire a practical knowledge of your 
camera is to take the same object under different conditions 
of time, size of diaphragm, sun, shade, and distance, making 
a careful record of each exposure, and note which gives the 
best results. A helpful article on “Photographing Trees and 
Flowers” appeared in “The Photo-Miniature,” No. 13, 
Vol. II., to which I refer the student. The subject is too 
large and technical for me to attempt any definite instruction. 
I only know enough to avoid the common, egregious, need- 
less mistakes. ‘Ten years hence when I have squandered my 
entire patrimony on films, plates, cameras and tripods, I 
may have an authoritative word to say. To-day I am but an 
index finger pointing to a delightful amenity of life. 
One does not realize the constant flux and flow in nature 
until he has tried to photograph out of doors. There is 
but a single day in the life of many plants when they represent 
perfection of growth and bloom. If, on that particular day, 
you forget the engagement, or the rain falls, or the wind is 
