MIDDLETOWN, DELAWARE 
Decembsr 11, 1958. 
Dear Dr. Schmitt; 
My enthusiasm for the trip grows daily... it seems 
to be a major topic of conversation around the laboratory 
and at home I 
Many thanks for your long letter, and for all the 
information it contained. I will have a great many questions 
as time goes on, but will limit myself to only a few for the 
present. I met with Dick Darsie yesterday, and had a con- 
structive planning session. 
The Marine Lab. now has an aqua-lung which I will 
ship writh ray other gear. I have done a great deal of mask 
and schnorkle work, but none with a lung, and so will be a 
novice in need of instruction by the more experienced members. 
I understand fully about the matter of writing 
accounts for publication. You can be sure that not only ;vill 
full recognition of the expedition be given, but manuscripts 
will be submitted to you and to the Secretary for approval. 
There are a number of questions about photography, 
hov;ev 9 r, that I would appreciate your opinion on. As you 
know, biophotography can become a rather precise technique in 
itself, and after years I have evolved some sort of standard- 
ized procedures, both in taking and processing. One thing I 
have learned, and that is not to put all my eggs in one bas- 
ket... in other words, to shoot every subject several times 
with infinitesimal variations. This is not waste, but rather 
assurance that I get precisely what I see. The result is 
several original photo graphs that seem to be dupl i cates. Can 
we not extend this procedure to scenic photography as well, 
thereby giving you and me identical originals? I understand 
completely why the Smithsonian must have originals, but dupli- 
cates are of very little value to me since photoengravers 
usually refuse to publish them. Furthermore, it would be less 
expensive if I shot two pictures at a time, than it would be 
to send a roll away later for duplication. If we could set 
this up as a standard procedure, I would be most appreciative. 
Should there be one of a kind, of-course .you will retain the 
original, and I will obtain a duplicate. 
It might be well to do the same with black and white 
photographs, thereby giving each of us an original negative for 
our files. The cost involved would be negligible. 
