Photographic procedures

Extract

Preparation of appropriate photographs is absolutely essential in conveying paleontological information. The effort expended in adequate cleaning and preparation of specimens is not only reflected in exposing the detail of material so that it can be properly described but also in permitting the morphologic information to be transmitted to others through photography. Therefore the purpose of this chapter is to describe the general procedures involved in preparing high quality, publishable photographs because special techniques related to photography of microfossils will be treated elsewhere, the emphasis within this chapter will be upon photography of macrofossils, specimens large enough to be photographed using a normal spectrum of photographic lenses and extension tubes. Because nearly all paleontological material is illustrated as black and white photographs, no reference will be made to the preparation of color illustrations.