This workshop, organized as part of the BIFA4_052 project Digitizing reptile and amphibian specimens at the Bombay Natural History Society, was conducted by renowned nature and wildlife photographer Kedar Bhat to provide hands-on training to the digitization team in the art of specimen photography and digital image post-processing.
In the two-day workshop participants were introduced to the necessary requirements for specimen photography, right from staging specimens, what to look for when photographing a specimen, handling equipment and also key aspects of image processing. On the first day participants learnt key aspects of photography, hands on training on acquiring image, how to capture image for creating focus stacked images, proper use of use of light and the second day was kept for image processing. Participants learnt how to catalogue images using software like Adobe Lightroom and Fast Stone Image Viewer, basics of Adobe Photoshop, image stacking using Adobe photoshop and Helicon Focus as well as how to create layouts using processed images. This training has been very helpful for participants in digitization process of reptiles and amphibians and will be used for creating layouts and species information pages for the digitization portal.
