2D Nature Study:
Photos & Digital Images

Art 200 / Greg Clayton

Notes on maintaining image quality in digital images

You'll be tempted to find your images online — on Google Images or on Flickr. Be careful. The quality and the graphic character of such images varies dramatically. When at all possible, you'll likely get better quality, more content-appropriate, more graphically consistent images by preparing, shooting and editing your own.

Notes on Photo Use:

The craft of photography is more challenging than it first appears. While we all can point a lens at something and press the shutter button, effective images require much more attention to form, lighting and the craft of photography.

Photos must be taken in good lighting—brightness and contrast often need to be adjusted for final output. Avoid using the on-camera flash, as that tends to creates harsh highlights and awkward, center-lighting. Arrange your subject so that lighting is coming from the side, at roughly a 45° angle with the picture plane.
Do not use pale, washed out, grayed or overly dark prints.
Absolutely do not use pixelated digital images. Take time to arrange and shoot images of adequate resolution.
Learn the basics of taking photos and the basics of photo editing and printing—these are essential skills.
Shoot far more images than you expect to need (the pros do...do you expect to get better images than they do, while shooting fewer frames?)

Enhance photos as needed.  

Remember that scientific illustration is still an illustration field--scientists still rely on carefully crafted drawings and paintings because artists can selectively emphasize significant features in ways that photographs cannot. So, either draw your images carefully, or plan to retouch (your own) photos. Consider using colored pencils, or white & black charcoal to accentuate contrast in images—highlight lights, darks and enhance color and edges. Remember that contrast is important to discerning form—bold contrast help separate planes, gradual contrast models volume.

All images should be of consistent image quality and resolution. Images should complement the page design itself -- use similar color, when possible, especially in any background areas. Control photo-to-page-background contrast—be sure that photos do not overwhelm other graphics, and that other graphics do not overwhelm photos. Copied/clipped digital images tend to vary dramatically in quality. You are responsible to establish unity in your presentation by selecting, creating, and editing consistent imagery.

Sources of Images and References

Wherever possible, use YOUR OWN photographs. Any 'clipped' or copied photos must be referenced on the 'Sources' page of the study. (include a number or reference on/near each photo, create an endnote-like reference to the source of the photo. Book/journal title, title of article (if any), page number, web site address (if WWW), etc.

Art Department Digital Cameras

The Department of Art & Design has several digital cameras that may be checked out during the day. Talk with the Art Department secretary to find out when cameras are available. You will need to leave your I.D. with the Art Department in order to check out cameras.

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