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Things to Know for Natural History Photography Albums

Do Not Procrastinate!
Species are abundantly available for photographing in the spring, summer and early fall. Very few wildflowers are still blooming at the end of the fall semester, and it is nearly impossible to identify wildflowers down to species level without a picture of the actual flower. Likewise, moth and other insect species begin to dwindle with the onset of cool weather. Aim to have the majority of your photos taken by the midway point of the semester. Then you will have the remainder of the semester to work on your identifications.

Do Original Work
Sharing a camera with a classmate is fine. Going on nature walks together is encouraged. However, be very careful to avoid duplicating images. Two different albums CANNOT contain identical images. Two students may take pictures of the same species at the same place/time, but they may NEVER share the same image in two different albums.

Document Where You Took the Photographs
To receive full credit for taking photographs, you must adequately document where and when you took them. See the 5-minute how-to video that explains how to take photographs to document where you were and how to photograph plant parts. Then make sure that you fill out the "country", "state", "county", ... fields in your album to document where and when you took EVERY image. Images without these data are of little scientific value.

Use the Online Guides
Here is a guide to the moths of Clarke County and a page devoted to species of the Botanical Garden. There will also be class periods devoted to helping you identify species in your album--please take advantage of these sessions. Other guides can be found by clicking on Discover Life's "IDnature guides" and "Study site" links in the top banner.

FAQs

  • I uploaded my images...why aren't they showing up? -- Photos take an average of 24 hours to appear on the website after you upload them (another reason to avoid procrastination...). However, if we are available in the lab, we can "force" them through for you--just send a request email to dl@discoverlife.org with 'UPDATE MY ALBUM' in the subject line.

  • Why won't my pictures show up when I click on my name? They only show when I click 'edit'... -- Notice your url when you click on 'edit'. It flips you from www.discoverlife to pick14.pick.uga.edu. pick14 is our most-updated server. When you are on our homepage, go to the bottom right and click on the word 'original'. This will put you on pick14, and your images will show up when you click on your name AND when you click edit. Don't worry; your images will get to www eventually.

  • I shared a camera with a classmate, and we don't remember whose pictures are whose. Since we did all the work together, can we just share the images and use them in both of our albums? -- NO. This is copying and will be considered a breach of acedemic honesty (see http://www.uga.edu/honesty). Only one of you may use a particular photograph. Also it is not permitted to swap photographs or use others' photographs. For you to share a camera and divide a series of photographs, you must submit pictures of both of you at the site and you must submit different photographs of each species.

  • Can you help me identify my photos? -- Sure! Send emails with the numbers of the images (e. g., I_EHAB123) you need help with to dl@discoverlife.org. But before doing so, you must identify them to one of the general categories in the title's top dropdown box (e. g., moth or plant).

  • Can you identify all of my images for me before my album is due tomorrow??? -- Lol.

Updated: 6 November, 2012
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