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Volvime XVI January-February, Nvimbor 1 
DIRECT APPROACH AS A METHOD IN BIRD PHOTOGRAPBIY 
P.y WILLIAM LEON DAWSON 
WITH EIGHT PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR 
I T IS USUAE.LY assumed that a bird-photographer works from a lilind. The 
customary compliment paid to the writer when his photographs arc shown is 
upon his patience. Never was a compliment wider of the mark. I am not a 
patient man. I am as little patient as a mountain torrent — Oh, a few "darkling 
pools” and placid stretches, to be sure, hut for he most ])art dashing, foaming, 
fretting, plunging on to the sea. And by the same token it has always seemed to 
me that bird photography from a blind bears about the same relation to bird pho- 
tography in the open that jugging for catfish does to lly-fishing. Pound for pound 
the jugger probably has the advantage, and we concede that the quality of his 
catch is above reproach ; but the fly-caster, whether he lands a string of sparkling 
beauties or not. has always a glorious good time, and he knows in his heart that the 
tamer methods are not for him. 
Of course it is a matter of psychology, the difference between the waiting 
game and the aggressive, the store-keeper and the drummer. Being, therefore, a 
bit of a drummer himself, the writer will confess at once that he never took a doz- 
en photographs from a blind in his life; and that when he wants portraits of birds 
he does precisely what he does wdien he wants subscribers to "The Birds of Cali- 
fornia”; viz., goes after them. 
But there is the psychology again ; you can't "rush” birds any more than you 
can humans. Not as often, in fact. There is, often, in humans a fund of good 
nature which will bear with sudden approach, and occasionally a fund of accumu- 
lated interest ( in your subject, whatever it may he) that justifies quick action. But 
save in those rare cases where curiosity enters in. vour claim-in-advance upon the 
forbearance or indulgent attention of a bird is absolutely nil. His approachahility 
is measured only by his inertia, and that, in a creature so mobile, is very small in- 
