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Fluid-preserved reptile and amphibian specimens are challenging to photograph with traditional methods due to their complex three-dimensional forms and reflective surfaces when removed from solution. An effective approach to counteract these issues involves combining focus stack photography with the use of a photo immersion tank. Imaging specimens beneath a layer of preservative fluid eliminates glare and risk of specimen desiccation, while focus stacking produces sharp detail through merging multiple photographs taken at successive focal steps to create a composite image with an extended depth of field. This paper describes the wet imaging components and focus stack photography workflow developed while conducting a large-scale digitization project for targeted reptile and amphibian specimens housed in the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History Herpetology Collection. This methodology can be implemented in other collections settings and adapted for use with fluid-preserved specimen types across the Tree of Life to generate high-quality, taxonomically informative images for use in documenting biodiversity, remote examination of fine traits, inclusion in publications, and educational applications.
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Frontiers in Imaging of Specimens in Mollusk Collections
Natural history collections are important depositories of biodiversity data. Digital photography of natural history collection specimens and subsequent dissemination of the resulting images on the web allow for the virtual discovery of these specimens, enhancing their accessibility to the target audience and the public in general. This presentation discusses digital photography of marine mollusks in collections, including some of the latest techniques for imaging of very small specimens, photography of specimens preserved in liquid, haptobionts, problems of color retention, transparency, 3-D photography, equipment, and other current areas of interest. Despite the focus on mollusks, the discussions can be extrapolated as generalities applicable to invertebrates from other phyla. The presentation also includes a discussion on equipment and the ideal digital parameters for imaging of natural history collection specimens, including image policies on acceptable file-format requirements for data hosts and aggregators such as iDigBio and others. (The presentation includes work funded in part by the NSF Thematic Collections Network grant award 2001528 “Mobilizing Millions of Mollusks from the Eastern Seaboard”).
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- Award ID(s):
- 2001528
- PAR ID:
- 10534849
- Editor(s):
- Goldfarb, Keith
- Publisher / Repository:
- The Northeast Natural History Conference
- Date Published:
- Edition / Version:
- 1
- Volume:
- 2024
- Issue:
- 1
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Natural History photography imagery macrophotography databases mollusks
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: 466 KB Other: PDF
- Size(s):
- 466 KB
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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