DOI Heft:
No. 162 (September, 1906)
DOI Artikel:Neil, C. Lang: The animal photographs of Charles Reid
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20715#0350
Charles Reid's Animal Photographs
HIGHLAND CATTLE
FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLES REID
f Copyright, Autotype Co.)
tale to enumerate the doings at the different
stages of the work between the inception of the
design and the production of the finished picture.
The journey alone may take days to accomplish.
The photographer may have his plans completely
frustrated by unfavourable weather. He may have
to wait a whole week for a particular picture, as
Mr. Reid has often done, and must be prepared to
trudge for miles and miles, burdened with a whole-
plate camera and a supply of plates. It is
here that the patience which is such a strong
characteristic of Mr. Reid comes into play with
such results as are shown in our illustration of
Highland Cattte.
Another way in which pictures are occasionally
obtained by, or one might say, come to the Reids
is when, as often happens, they are commissioned
to take, say, a stud of thoroughbred horses, and
contrive in an interval of leisure to snap a couple
of the stable tabby’s litter. Our illustration Play-
mates was taken in this way.
Deer are extremely shy of the camera, and, con-
trary to what one might naturally suppose, cannot
well be taken at close quarters with an instantaneous
shutter, but must be secured with a cap and hand ex-
posure. So sensitive are they that the click of a
pneumatic shutter causes them to start so quickly as
to spoil an ordinary instantaneous exposure. The
same remarkappliesto foxes and manyotheranimals.
The brief exposure now rendered possible by the
very rapid plates in the market has many advan-
tages, but one drawback deserves to be noted.
Many' otherwise excellent pictures of animals are
ruined by the winking of an eye. The closing of
this organ simultaneously with the opening of the
lens makes the subject come out as if it had no
eyes at all. Beside representing animals as blind,
this brevity in the matter of exposure is accountable
for many apparent freaks in the resulting pictures.
One of the most curious cases was that of a hackney
mare that, simultaneously with the exposure of the
plate, kicked up its hind leg, probably to dislodge
some troublesome insect that would persist in
settling on its flank. Mr. Reid regarded his plate
as wasted, but being curious to know what impres-
sion had been made on it by the sudden fling, he
329
HIGHLAND CATTLE
FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLES REID
f Copyright, Autotype Co.)
tale to enumerate the doings at the different
stages of the work between the inception of the
design and the production of the finished picture.
The journey alone may take days to accomplish.
The photographer may have his plans completely
frustrated by unfavourable weather. He may have
to wait a whole week for a particular picture, as
Mr. Reid has often done, and must be prepared to
trudge for miles and miles, burdened with a whole-
plate camera and a supply of plates. It is
here that the patience which is such a strong
characteristic of Mr. Reid comes into play with
such results as are shown in our illustration of
Highland Cattte.
Another way in which pictures are occasionally
obtained by, or one might say, come to the Reids
is when, as often happens, they are commissioned
to take, say, a stud of thoroughbred horses, and
contrive in an interval of leisure to snap a couple
of the stable tabby’s litter. Our illustration Play-
mates was taken in this way.
Deer are extremely shy of the camera, and, con-
trary to what one might naturally suppose, cannot
well be taken at close quarters with an instantaneous
shutter, but must be secured with a cap and hand ex-
posure. So sensitive are they that the click of a
pneumatic shutter causes them to start so quickly as
to spoil an ordinary instantaneous exposure. The
same remarkappliesto foxes and manyotheranimals.
The brief exposure now rendered possible by the
very rapid plates in the market has many advan-
tages, but one drawback deserves to be noted.
Many' otherwise excellent pictures of animals are
ruined by the winking of an eye. The closing of
this organ simultaneously with the opening of the
lens makes the subject come out as if it had no
eyes at all. Beside representing animals as blind,
this brevity in the matter of exposure is accountable
for many apparent freaks in the resulting pictures.
One of the most curious cases was that of a hackney
mare that, simultaneously with the exposure of the
plate, kicked up its hind leg, probably to dislodge
some troublesome insect that would persist in
settling on its flank. Mr. Reid regarded his plate
as wasted, but being curious to know what impres-
sion had been made on it by the sudden fling, he
329