Images for the Species Albums 2011
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:31 am
As the season fast approaches (but not fast enough for many of us I expect!) now is probably a good time to remind contributors of the requirements for the Species Albums.
General guidelines can be found here, and could I draw attention to a couple of specific points:
Data. A photograph really needs to have data for inclusion into the Species Albums. The minimum requirement is date and locality, with a grid reference if possible.
Should the site where the image was taken be particularly sensitive then a more ambiguous location such as 'near Buxton, Derbyshire' will be sufficient, but the image really does need something.
If there is any further relevant information that can be added to the data to increase the value of the image then please do include this also. An example could be a photograph of a female ovipositing; additional valuable data could include time of day, ambient air temperature, the plant upon which the ova were being laid, was it in full sun or shade, the quantity of ova laid, etc.
An image without data, while possibly a work of art or extremely high in technical merit or an example of enviable photographic skill has no scientific value whatsoever.
Prior to submitting an image to the Species Albums please consider whether the image is really required in the Species Albums? On what grounds does it merit inclusion? Perhaps the image was taken at a hitherto unrepresented location for an otherwise very local species? Does the image portray an aspect of the species behaviour that is not represented in the album? Does the image portray the insect from an angle that clearly depicts features of the butterfly that are not in any of the other images?
An example could be a basking male adonis blue; does the image show, for example, a feature or an eliment of behaviour that is not already represented by the many similar images?
It is also worth mentioning that there are resident species and subspecies which are less well represented than others in the Species Albums and images of these would be particularly welcome.
I shall be shortly attempting to rationalise the Species Albums a little, completing the aberration descriptions, naming aberrations where I can, suggesting revisions to the main text, etc. which shall take me months but will be well worth it in the end.
UK Butterflies is well on the way to having the largest library of images of British Butterfly specimens anywhere on the Web, which shall in time become a valuable scientific resource; as valuable as the collections of cabinet specimens that our illustrious forebears amassed a century ago. This is all thanks to you, the photographers amongst us, who continue to contribute photographs of both high quality and of real scientific value.
Thanks in advance to all.
Felix.
General guidelines can be found here, and could I draw attention to a couple of specific points:
Data. A photograph really needs to have data for inclusion into the Species Albums. The minimum requirement is date and locality, with a grid reference if possible.
Should the site where the image was taken be particularly sensitive then a more ambiguous location such as 'near Buxton, Derbyshire' will be sufficient, but the image really does need something.
If there is any further relevant information that can be added to the data to increase the value of the image then please do include this also. An example could be a photograph of a female ovipositing; additional valuable data could include time of day, ambient air temperature, the plant upon which the ova were being laid, was it in full sun or shade, the quantity of ova laid, etc.
An image without data, while possibly a work of art or extremely high in technical merit or an example of enviable photographic skill has no scientific value whatsoever.
Prior to submitting an image to the Species Albums please consider whether the image is really required in the Species Albums? On what grounds does it merit inclusion? Perhaps the image was taken at a hitherto unrepresented location for an otherwise very local species? Does the image portray an aspect of the species behaviour that is not represented in the album? Does the image portray the insect from an angle that clearly depicts features of the butterfly that are not in any of the other images?
An example could be a basking male adonis blue; does the image show, for example, a feature or an eliment of behaviour that is not already represented by the many similar images?
It is also worth mentioning that there are resident species and subspecies which are less well represented than others in the Species Albums and images of these would be particularly welcome.
I shall be shortly attempting to rationalise the Species Albums a little, completing the aberration descriptions, naming aberrations where I can, suggesting revisions to the main text, etc. which shall take me months but will be well worth it in the end.
UK Butterflies is well on the way to having the largest library of images of British Butterfly specimens anywhere on the Web, which shall in time become a valuable scientific resource; as valuable as the collections of cabinet specimens that our illustrious forebears amassed a century ago. This is all thanks to you, the photographers amongst us, who continue to contribute photographs of both high quality and of real scientific value.
Thanks in advance to all.
Felix.