Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-12

and with camera similarly protected,
the daring photographer finds some
coign Of vantage-often a rock, al
most surrounded by the sea-from
which to bay his prey. II he has to oc-
cupy some particularly dangerous
position. he takes the precaution to
have a rope fastened round his waist,
held by some one nearer the shore.
He has had some narrow escapes,
and on several occasions a wave has
dashed him to the rocks, smashing
his camera to pieces. Mr.. Mortimer
has been most happy in his work,
however. having taken more than
1000 successful pictures Of big
waves.
The Kearton brothers, who are,
perhaps, the most wonderful nature
photographers in the world, have
taken photographs Of wild birds in
their nests, which required not only
skill, but nerve and caution. The
Keartons adopted all sorts Of sub
terfuges in order to get close to their
subjects. Their favorite method is
to work from a small tent, which,
painted green and covered with twigs
and leaves, looks like mound or
hillock. For photo graphing birds
such as larks and whitethroats they
have a special life-size model Of a
bull, with a hole in the chest for the
lens, and for mountain birds a stuffed
sheep made on the same principle.
Sometimes the photographer must
disguise himself as a tree trunk for
birds in the bushes.
Most of the Kearton brothers
thrills have been experienced in try
ing to snap" sea eagle. They have
been trying 15 years, and have not
succeeded yet.
Many photographs have been taken
dangling in midair at the end Of a
rope, while once Cherry Kearton
waited six hours a day for three
days up to his shoulders in water to get
a picture of an osprey. The camera on
this occasion was placed on stills.
The most desperate efforts were made
to photograph certain golden eagle
on a Highland estate. Every day
for fortnight Mr.. Kearton tramped
up the mountains in dreadful wealth
er, and one day, during snowstorm,
he fell over a cliff, smashing the
camera and injuring himself so that
he was laid up for q week. Many
other stories these brothers tell of
stratagems and adventures in their
work on cliff, crag and moor.
Herr Schillings, the German ex-
plorer, is one of the most remark
able men among enterprisine pho
tographer journalists. He has re-
Gently published a book Of his fine
set Of photographs Of wild animals
Of the forest In their native element.
For several years Herr Schillings has
lived in Central Africa, and his Won
derful stories Of hairbreadth es-
capes furnish us with one Of the
most exciting books Of adventure
| OF recent times.
His modus perandi is to go direct
to the resorts Of wild animals, set
up his huge camera, which he has
had specially prepared, place a
flashing apparatus in readiness and
wait. Perhaps the scene Is the river
side, where the animals come in the
night to drink. Just as a lion, tiger,
leopard or some other savage beast
steps to the waters edge vicious
crocodile may make a snap at the
beast and a terrible fight for life
takes place. Instantly the flashlight
operates, and the ghastly scene Is
recorded on at least one Of the
films.
Just to study how beast Of prey
makes it's attacks, Herr Schillfngs
used to secure an antelope to tree
and await developments. Some
splendid photographs Of wild beasts
were secured, in the act Of sprtngtng
upon their prey. Binding hashes
of light in the forest however, were
so terrifying to the animals that in
most cases they left the bait un-
harmed. Some unique pictures are
published in his book Of fierce con-
/ ~~~~
surprising to hear, therefore, that
Herr Schillings has had some Won
derful escapes from death, as the
scars on his body bear testimony.
Apart from these cases the gen.
eral news photographer has had ad-
ventures that have given pause to the
stoutest heart. AS a case in point,
reference may be made to the riots
which occurred some months ago on
the Longchamps race course, when
the angry crowd broke down some
| Of the stands and set fire to the re-
mainder. A noted Paris photogra-
pher was observed amid the flames
taking snapshots Of the extraordi-
nary scenes, and it was only at the
last moment that he could be per-
suaded to leave his perilous post.
His enterprise nearly cost him his
| life, but he reaped q rich harvest
from the number Of extraordinary
photographs he had obtained by his
daring courage.
| The launching Of great battleships
and liners Is a time for photographers
to show their mettle. They climb the
masks Of ships, to be dislodged some
times from their point Of vantage by
the huge tidal wave, and are often res
cued from a position of extreme peril
just in time. Then the intrepid pho
ItogZlpher is expected to descend coal
mines after disasters to get snapshots;
he must go down with a diver to in
spect the hull of a vessel or photo
graph coral beds at the bottom Of the
ocean, or ascend to a giddy height on
the main girder of a skyscraper, or,
while troops are laying down their
lives for their country, he must calmly
make pictures of the scene, in order to
arouse the enthusiasm Of his country
men at home.
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