Well said Pankaj ji Bottomline is:
TAKE MULTIPLE PICTURES FROM MULTIPLES ANGLES. -- 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/ On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 12:46 AM, Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]>wrote: > 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 >
