PLANT LIFE.
For photographing plant life, a camera with long extension, swing back, and good rising front will be found the most useful type. It is desirable to have a fairly long focus lens, and, as allowing the greatest amount of light to reach the plate, a focal plane shutter should always be employed in the field. A couple of tripods, one of the ordinary height, and one that will allow of the camera being placed within 12 inches of the ground, will be necessary. As it is of vital importance that the photograph may show an approximately correct representation of the colour values of the flowers and foliage, only orthochromatic plates should be employed, in conjunction with a proper " light filter" or orthochromatic screen. A set of these screens will be found very handy, enabling the operator to select that one which is most suitable for the par ticular subject which is to be photographed. To avoid tviud and vibration, a canvas screen attached to four sharp-pointed uprights will be found exceedingly useful when photograph ing comparatively low-growing plants in the field, as it can be quickly erected to shield the plant to be photographed. Indoor
flower photography has been alluded to elsewhere (see pp. 450 and 022). Flowers are As the principal reason for photographing a growing plant is to show not only its form but also its natural environment, it is im portant in selecting the plant to be sure it is growing under normal conditions and in surroundings common to its species, or an entirely false idea of the plant's natural habitat will be given. In selecting the plant one should be chosen, when possible, showing the buds and flowers in various stages of development. In making practically "portrait studies " of individual trees. separate photo graphs (carefully taken to one scale) should be made of the foliage, leaves, flowers, and fruit, which will greatly add to the value and interest of the series. As regards the lighting of trees, the best results are generally to be obtained when the shadows are long and the sun is low, a far better scale of gradation being then obtainable, as the under sides of the leaves will be slightly illuminated.