BIRDS, PHOTOGRAPHY OF Most of the methods used in the photography of animals (see " Animals, Photography of,' " Zoological Photography," etc.) apply also in the case of birds. There are other points, how ever, to be taken into account. Many birds are not only small in size, but are difficult to approach because of their natural timidity and wildness, this being especially the case with birds in a free state. The telephoto lens becomes of in creased value, even high magnifications having often to be employed. Even more than in the case of animals, it is necessary to possess con siderable knowledge of the haunts and habits of birds, and frequently there must be added an unbounded store of patience and perseverance. It is frequently necessary to use all sorts of elaborate and ingenious appliances to bring the camera into workable proximity to the bird without alarming it and arousing its suspicions.
In fact, no work of much value can be done in the direction of bird photography without making a special study of it and acquiring the necessary knowledge and apparatus to make good results possible. Particular attention should be paid to effective and characteristic pose, and natural surroundings, and the use of orthochromatic plates and suitable screens is often imperative to secure a true rendering of the colour values of the plumage.
A telephoto lens of fixed magnification, intro duced by Busch. It has a focal length of about ri times the camera extension required, and the two kinds obtainable work at f/9 and f/7 respec tively. It is well adapted for hand-camera work, and is largely used by press photographers when photographing distant objects.