We would greatly appreciate your intellectual input on our project! 

We regularly get comments and constructive criticism from knowledgeable collectors that ensure that the information on our website is correct.  We also get new images each month of fossils actually collected by people.  These images are usually of animals and plants that we already have on the site (i.e., better images and more angles of pre-existing specimens and also new specimens to add to the wealth of information on cf.com), but new species (new to cf.com) also come our way on a regular basis. 

We are also participating in this project by presenting our own finds, publishing our research, and by overseeing the content and look of the site.  Our approach has been a slow one (with real fossil finds, hours of discussions paleontologists, and hours of library work-the hard way maybe), but it is more rewarding and more educational doing it this way. 

If you send us images please remember that they will have the most educational value when others can clearly see the fossil in detail.  However, the limitations of your camera or scanning equipment don't necessarily preclude the image from being posted on the site (as you can tell by surfing around the site).  Of course, you want the best images possible if they are to be of any value to another fossil collector.

So, what is a "good photo" for one of our fossil pages?

The ideal photo for the site has the following properties:

• jpeg's, gif's, or tiff's are at 100–200 dpi resolution, or greater (for fossils typically 2–3" in length or diameter).
• fossil fills the frame.
• contrasting background:  light colored background for dark fossils, dark for light colored fossils (any color you like).
• scale for reference accompanies fossil:  ruler, penny, hand, or person will do.

A.  Methods There are several methods for creating images (jpegs).  (Method 1) By scanning in photographs, (Method 2) using a digital camera, or (Method 3) by placing the fossil directly on a scanner and scanning them in as you would a photograph, you can create your own reference gallery that you can burn on a CD for posterity.  Software that is widely available will then let you enhance, touch up, and even label your images.

Method 1:  SLR Cameras

Scanning in photographs taken with a standard 35 mm camera is very easy.  However, if you are taking the pictures directly, some skill and experimentation is required to get the proper lighting and exposure with an SLR camera.  Although the use of a standard 35 mm camera is beyond the scope of this section, here are a few things to consider:  a) Fluorescent lighting (or even bright sunlight) is preferred to incandescent lighting.  This minimizes the tendency of the fossil to come out yellow in the image. b) Invariably, parts of the fossil will be out-of-focus, but image enhancement can sometimes compensate for this.  Having the fossil "flat" to the camera will also minimize the problem.  Of course, this is limited to fossils that have a flat dimension.  Round fossils may be problematic. c) The best angle for the lighting is with the light source behind the camera, using a contrasting background so that the edge of the fossil can be clearly seen.  Once again, the angle of the fossil is important.  Proper lighting can bring out detail, while poor lightning (bad angles or too dim) can ruin a photograph. d)  One advantage of an SLR camera is that very large fossils, such as 2 foot diameter ammonites, can be easily photographed. e)  Whatever you do, please have the fossil (and ruler) fill the entire frame.  We get a lot of large jpeg files that have the fossils take up a small fraction of the image, which defeats the purpose of asking for large file sizes.

Method 2:  Digital Cameras

The current digital camera technology is so much better than even a few years ago.  Even the simplest digital camera takes remarkably good images, and the prices are very affordable.  One disadvantage is that some digital cameras are set at 72 dpi resolution.  This is great for the family photo album, but these jpegs appear fuzzy on our site as full-size images.  For fossils that have a length or diameter of 2–3" the ideal resolution is somewhere between 100 and 150 dpi, as illustrated by Figure 1.  Very large images (in excess of 150 dpi) are very welcome, as this gives us a lot of room to sharpen and resize them (all thumbnails are being phased out).  If the fossil is light colored, then a dark background is preferred, and vice versa.  Again, please have the fossil fill the frame.

Figure 1.  The scallop Neithea texana (Roemer) taken at ideal resolution.

Ideal Size and Picture Quality

Method 3:  Scanners

Another easy way of creating images is by carefully placing the fossil on a flat bed scanner and directly scanning in the fossil.  This method has the advantage over 35mm photography in that the entire fossil is in-focus (within limits).  If the fossil is light colored, then a dark background is preferred, and vice versa.  A limitation of this method is that large fossils do not fit on a flat bed scanner, and you run the risk of scratching or even breaking the glass.  Please exercise care when doing this to maximize the life of your scanner. On the file types, please send jpeg's, tiff's, or gif's.  The jpegs should be sent with little compression so that no information is lost when sent.  Everything will be converted to jpeg's for the site regardless of the original file type.

B.  Enhancing and Touching Up Images

High resolution images that have been touched up (dust and lint colored out) but not enhanced (not sharpened, etc.) are preferred.  We receive many photos that have been sharpened too much.  This procedure commonly produces a tiling effect (depending on the software) that gives the fossil a distorted, watery appearance.

Changing the brightness and contrast is also desirable, as these two effects alone can make the fossil really stand out.  However, other alterations such as digitally replacing ornamentation that has broken off (tubercles) or digitally adding ornamentation that was not already present is not acceptable.  We will accept fossils that have been accurately restored by skilled and knowledgeable individuals.  However, please indicate to us that the specimens have been partially restored.

C.  Summary

      Again just to emphasize our preferences, the ideal photo for the site has the following properties:

         ●jpeg's, gif's, or tiff's taken at 100–200 dpi resolution, or greater (for fossils typically 2–3" in length or diameter).

         ●fossil fills the frame.

         ●contrasting background:  white for dark fossils, dark for light colored fossils (any color you like).

         ●scale for reference accompanies fossil:  ruler, penny, hand, or person will do.

Oh!  And please give us images from several angles.  Very important to people trying to id their stuff!