l\ 
HUNTING 
WITH A 
CAMERA 
A. BROOKER KLUGH 
Wild Life 
Photography 
T HE photography of reptiles is 
most successfully accomplished 
with the reflex, as with this type 
of camera the focus can be instantly 
changed as the animal changes its posi¬ 
tion. 
From the standpoint of photography, 
reptiles may be divided into two classes, 
those which can be handled, as the ma¬ 
jority of snakes and turtles, and those 
which cannot, as the rattlesnakes and 
the Snapping Turtle. In the case of 
those which can be handled, it usually 
pays to devote some little time to in¬ 
ducing them to take up a situation and 
assume a position which shows them 
to the best advantage. Specific and 
individual temperament 
shows itself as markedly 
in reptiles as in other ani¬ 
mals, but with the major¬ 
ity of individuals the more 
they are handled the more 
tractable they become. It 
must, however, be borne 
in mind that a picture of 
a reptile engaged in some 
natural activity, such as 
feeding or egg-laying, is 
worth a dozen of one 
doing nothing in partic¬ 
ular. 
Amphibians are, as a 
rule, very easy subjects, 
as they may be freely han¬ 
dled and are much given 
to remaining in one posi¬ 
tion for a considerable 
length of time, so that quick exposures 
are not necessary. The faults to avoid 
in protographing frogs and toads are: 
(1) Too high a view - point, which 
makes the animal look even more 
“squat” than it really is; (2) making 
an exposure when the subject is in an 
unnatural attitude, due to fear; (3) 
photographing the animal in some situ¬ 
ation, such as on a flat stone or on a 
road, which does not show its natural 
environment. 
Panchromatic plates and suitable fil¬ 
ters are of considerable value in giving 
a correct rendition of the colors and 
markings of many reptiles and am¬ 
phibians. 
Fish can rarely be photographed sat¬ 
isfactorily in their natural environ¬ 
ment, and for successful work an aqua¬ 
rium must be brought into use. 
Aquaria of various sizes can be ob¬ 
tained from dealers in scientific appa¬ 
ratus, and the requisites of an aquarium 
for this work are: 
1. It must be rectanguar and all four 
sides made of glass. 
2. The glass, of one of the longer 
sides at least, must be perfectly clear. 
3. The frame of the aquarium should 
be made of metal, and be strong enough 
to allow the aquarium to be carried 
about without being strained and 
springing a leak. 
Another piece of equipment, which 
is necessary for fish photography, is a 
rectangular, flaring box, open at both 
ends, one end being the size of one of 
the long sides of the aquarium, and the 
other end large enough to admit the 
front of the camera. The object of 
this box is to provide a dark tunnel 
between the side of the aquarium and 
the lens and thus to avoid the reflec¬ 
tions which would otherwise be formed 
on the surface of the glass, and which 
would mar the clearness 
of the objects within the 
aquarium. The length of 
the box will depend upon 
the focal length of the 
lens, the size of the aqua¬ 
rium and the scale of re¬ 
duction of the object to be 
photographed, and must 
be found by trial. The 
inside of the box should be 
painted a dead black. 
It is desirable to keep 
the fish for some time in 
an quarium before photo¬ 
graphing them, as re¬ 
cently captured fish are 
usually very wild and are 
given to making sudden 
rushes and leaps. After 
a few days in an aqua¬ 
rium most fish become much quieter 
and more tractable. 
The aquarium should be set up on 
supports out in the direct sunlight on 
a clear day. The glass should be care¬ 
fully cleaned inside and out, especial 
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