Tips on taking id'able photos for iNaturalist

Remember, all observations must include a photo to verify the sighting.

IMPORTANT: Respect nature and the environment. Do not break, destroy, disturb or in any other way damage the focus object or its surroundings.

01) If there are multiple species in the photo, either indicate which one is the focal in the description block, or use Microsoft Paint to circle the primary object or place an arrow.
02) If the focus species is in the distance, crop the picture to "bring" it closer. Again Microsoft Paint works well.
03) If your photo is rotated, you can either do it online after uploading https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/rotating-pictures-after-upload/5847, or use "JPEG Autorotate" https://savolai.net/apps/

Plants
01) The whole plant filling the frame (i.e. you can see the top of the plant at the top of the picture and the ground/soil at the bottom of the picture)
02) Close up of a single leaf, with the entire leaf in the frame of the picture
03) Close up of a single flower or berry (if the plant has flowers or berries)
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/abisko-plants-and-phenology/journal/17621-getting-great-plant-photos-for-identification-in-inaturalist
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/flpmctn12688.pdf

Fungi
01) Take a photo of the top side
02) Take a photo of the underside of the fungi. Gills make for easier identification.

Posted on December 25, 2019 09:24 AM by shauns