The purpose of photography for documentation is not necessarily to make the object look exciting or beautiful. The goal of a documentation image is to present the object in sufficient detail that you would be able to identify the object, confirm the catalog record, read details, and see the differences with future images. Often, the best documentation images are simple. The best lighting, angles, and setups will produce the clearest image. A plain background, a steady camera, even lighting, and a readable accession number card are all that are needed.
Place the object on your background and make sure nothing else is in the frame that could be confused with the object. Place your accession card in view. Place the measurement device (ruler) with the object, flat against the surface, and level to the object. Photograph the whole object first. Your photograph should be large enough that the shape and size of the object is clear.
Then take different photographs. Some objects, such as a vessel, will need photographs taken from different angles: front, back, side, top, and base. Others, such as a book, may require photographs of the front cover, back cover, spine, title page, fore, fore and aft edges, and important inscriptions on the page edge. When possible, keep your camera level so that you avoid distortion. Photographs taken too close to the object and at sharp angles, or using a wide-angle lens, make the closest part of the object appear disproportionately large. Take some distance from the object to get the most appropriate perspective. Using some degree of zoom will often result in a better image.
Lighting should be clear of the object but not so strong that glare or shadows obscure surface detail. Flash photography can be difficult for glass, glazed ceramics, metal, and plastics, as the light can bounce. Photographic light coming from one direction can also highlight certain details that are only available to one side of the object. Even, soft lighting produces images without glare or strong contrast. Take a quick look at the image to make sure that it is free of intense glare, dark areas, and the right balance of color. Do not leave fragile objects under photographic lights for more than is necessary for photographing them.
Keep your accession number in view of the image, but it should not obscure the object or other important details. Double-check the number on your card for any errors before and after photographing your objects. If you attach the wrong catalog record to the wrong object, your image is not correctly documented! Your filenames should also follow a certain pattern: they should include the accession number and the view or detail shown in the image. Using the words front, reverse, base, inscription, and condition detail will make it clear when sorting through images.
Close-up images can be helpful for a maker’s mark, an inscription, a stain, repair, a label, the way the object was fastened, or construction details. Use a measurement device to photograph a detail whose size you wish to note, and then take an image of the full object so you can see the location of the detail. You can crop the image and correct the exposure slightly to improve legibility, but avoid using tools that remove details or alter the color or sharpness of the image to the point that it is unrealistic. The photograph should be a reliable record of the condition of the object, not an idealized version of the object.
Review your photographs against your object and the catalog record. Is the whole object in view? Is the right side captured? Are the measurement devices legible? Is your accession card in the image and numbered correctly? Do you notice any unwanted shadows, reflections, or details around the background? Your documentation image should direct the attention toward the object and its details, not the apparatus used to create the image.