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Guide to photography for
pest identification

Scientific Photography Tips

Use a simple, contrasting background to help the specimen stand out
Multiple photos can be helpful to show different characteristics
Include a scale to help show the size - this could be a pen, ruler, your finger, anything that is a more standard guide to size
Make the specimen fill as much of the photo as possible so smaller details are more visible.
Use the camera zoom and/or a macro lens
Add notes of any other features that may be helpful

Parts of a plant

Leaflets

Habitat

Flower front and back

Leaf back

Leaf front

Plants

Take the plant, or part of it to a more sheltered area if it is windy so you can get a steady shot.
Take multiple angles of the plant.
Take a photo of the plant in its environment, as well as closer up photos.
Include the flowers, buds and seeds if there are any.
When photographing an individual leaf, include both ends of the leaf.

Insects

Take multiple photos and pick the best later.
Insects are often moving which can make your pictures blurry.
Popping them in the freezer for a minute and then taking them out can make them slow down.
Take photos of the insect's environment as this can often help with identification.
Juvenile insects are very difficult to identify from a photo. Information on the host plant; either having a photo, or if known adding that in the description to the observation helps.
Try and find adult individuals and if both adult and juvenile are present try to get photos of both.

Fungi host environment

Gills

Cap

Fungi

Fungi includes yeasts, rusts, mildews, moulds and mushrooms.
Take photos of any symptoms showing on the plants.
Try clearing around the fungi to help it stand out.
Take the photo up close to create a shallow depth of field which will help blur the
background. Use a macro lens - fungi are often very small.
Take photos of all angles you can. For large fungal fruiting bodies (e.g. mushrooms) take a photo from the top, the side (to get the stalk) and of the base of the cap, i.e. the gills.