Nature Photography 1

Abstract

THE object of Mr. Bedford's book is to encourage the pursuit of photography among those who cannot afford either the time or expense to undertake very advanced work in this direction. The author rightly points out that there are great advantages in this method of studying over the older method of collecting, and that the study of natural history by means of photography may be taken up by those whose time and means are strictly limited. The first part of the book deals with the apparatus required. A detailed description is left to text-books on photography; some knowledge of cameras and photographic methods is assumed, and the author confines himself to suggestions and to an account of the particular kinds of apparatus which he himself has found serviceable. On the whole, this part of the book should be valuable to a beginner taking up the subject for the first time, but one feels that in some parts space is wasted in describing processes of which a sufficient account is given in every book on photography, and other parts might with advantage be made more full, for in places the reader is left with no clear idea of the nature of the instrument or process recommended. Rough estimates of cost might also have been included; several times we are told that the choice must be decided by the possible outlay, but no actual estimates of expense are given.