4. Photographing Plants & Animals

Here are some tips for photographing plants and animals for identification.

Plants

1) Take three photos:

  • Overall shape of the plant
  • The leaf as it connects to stem
  • Flowers and how they are arranged, bark (if a tree)

2) Note the following information:

  • Location of the plant
  • Plant size (height)
  • Habitat where the plant is growing (water, shoreline, etc.)
  • Colour of underside of leaves (e.g. white v. green)
  • Hairiness- note if hair is present on leaves, stems and/or twigs

Animals

1) For upclose photos of species:

  • Take a close up of the species
  • Capture bird’s eye views, side views, and underside views of the species next to an object like a pen for a sense of scale

2) If you are only able to take a photo from far away, note the following:

  • Location
  • Approximate size
  • Habitat
  • Any behavior (basking, diving, foraging)
  • Any sounds (bird songs, etc.)

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