Two types of person take pictures of plants, either they are botanists who know the key characters (including non-botanists who also know the key characters) and then there are nature lovers (professionally non-botanists :( ) who just like anything related to nature including plants.
Then there are always two ways by which you take photographs. Firstly you go for a trek and you are too busy with the trek that you cant spend enough time taking a good photographs. Secondly, you go out in search of a plant you find it and take lovely photographs. In either of the two cases you tend to miss important characters though you may take an excellent picture of whatever you take. For example, many closeup pictures in Flowers of Shayadri is too good, but they tend to miss important characters, though they were taken with the intention of publishing. Then there are chances when you miss taking good pictures because you dont realise that the plant you are photographing could be some very rare or interesting species. My boss, Dr. Rawat (who has traveled in Himalaya and across country a lot) whenever looks at good pictures of others, says that he doesnt have his own good picture of that particular species, though he has seen it so often. And I always tell him that, its just because he is too busy with other things in the trek that he tends to miss them. Solution is very simple, that is to take multiple picture of same plant from different angles and for sure experts will find ways out to find the clues from multiple pics. You all have digital cameras and it doesnt charge you to take multiple pics. Just for the information for my PhD I always relied on my filmroll camera, and many wont believe that in almost four years I had taken two trunks (big ones) of pictures, more than 5000 pics. Then I digitised the important ones in almost 20 days......but STILL I did miss some good angles. Bottomline is: TAKE MULTIPLE PICTURES FROM MULTIPLES ANGLES. Pankaj PS: I burnt those two trunks during Holika Dahan this year. But I do have the negatives :P.... On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 12:44 PM, Dinesh Valke <[email protected]> wrote: > Janaki ji, Gurcharan ji, and all friends, > > Whatever be our problems, the fact remains that more photographs are always > better than just one OR two !!! > My thoughts were put in a lighter vein highlighting the possible situations > which leads all of us to default on what we want. > > The request has been put several times by many of us. > Me too joining in requesting each of us to capture as many photographs of a > plant ... it is a sure help for ID. > > > Regards. > > > > > > On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 11:39 AM, JANAKI TURAGA <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> Dineshji, >> thank you for pointing out the problems in plant photography. >> i too face problems in capturing more images of a plant for identification >> and one of the reasons often for me is lack of memory space in my camera, >> and strong wind factor. >> It is for these and other reasons-i am sure other members would list their >> own problems, that I have asked for images that would help in identifying a >> plant. >> For me this would help in focusing on the important aspects related to >> identification of the plant and in choosing what to photograph! >> Kind Regards >> Janaki Turaga >> >> On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 11:27 AM, Dinesh Valke <[email protected]> >> wrote: >>> >>> ... my own thoughts: >>> >>> ... this is a kind of Catch-22 situation for me !!! >>> >>> While would like more pictures for a good attempt at identifying the >>> plant from all members (including me) ... there are more times that I have >>> found capturing poor and precious shots in at least 2 major circumstances: >>> >>> 1) suddenly realizing that the drizzle is no more a drizzle ... and find >>> rain drops in dangerous positions on my camera !! >>> 2) there is no more time for any captures ... "a cruel decision often >>> made by friends accompanying me" ... and then coincidentally Mother Nature >>> starts throwing her charms !! >>> >>> Regards. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 10:56 AM, JANAKI TURAGA <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Gurcharanji, >>>> good post, would be more useful if it is demonstrated with >>>> photos provided with each each view that is required for identification. >>>> kind regards >>>> Janaki Turaga >>>> >>>> On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 4:03 AM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> I have often been writing on the need for structures other than flower >>>>> upper view for proper identification. Last few days we have seen this more >>>>> often. Yesterday I saw a photograph sent by Ritesh ji, which I just passed >>>>> off as some member of Caryophyllaceae, and was just about to write >>>>> Arenaria >>>>> sp. when I thought of checking it. I downloaded the picture to my desktop, >>>>> magnified it using my phot editor and was surprised to find plant with >>>>> alternate leaves which are somewhat circuluar with cut margins. It took me >>>>> some more time to identify it as Saxifraga sibirica, and hope >>>>> identification >>>>> turns correct. A simple web photo does not show any of these. >>>>> I again request that members who especially go out on photography >>>>> trips should bring back at least three snaps: photograph of twig with >>>>> inflorescence and insertion of leaves and their shape; a top view of >>>>> flower >>>>> to show petals, stamens and carpels; and a side view of flower to show >>>>> bract >>>>> (if any), calyx and other features. I think with these three photographs, >>>>> identification would be a much simpler process. Any additional snaps are >>>>> always a bonus. In many plants basal leaves and upper leaves are >>>>> different, >>>>> and always helpful in identification. So is fruit if available. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Dr. Gurcharan Singh >>>>> Retired Associate Professor >>>>> SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 >>>>> Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. >>>>> Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 >>>>> http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ >>>>> >>>> >>> >> > > -- *********************************************** "TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!" Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae) Research Associate Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project Department of Habitat Ecology Wildlife Institute of India Post Box # 18 Dehradun - 248001, India
