Reading path: Underwater images and evidence →
Protect the original
Treat the camera file as the primary record. Keep an untouched copy in its original format, including metadata when possible, before making adjustments. A duplicate gives you room to edit, while the original allows another person to check what the camera captured and what processing changed.
Use a clear naming system to link versions, such as a dive date, site code, frame number, and suffixes like “original” and “edited.” Avoid overwriting files during export. If storage is limited, prioritize preserving originals and making a separate working copy rather than relying on an edited image as the only record.
Describe consequential changes
Record adjustments that could change the evidence a viewer sees. Examples include a substantial white-balance correction, strong contrast or saturation changes, local brightening, noise reduction, sharpening, cropping, and removal of distracting objects. You do not need a diary of every small slider movement; make the record useful and proportionate.
A short note might say: “Global white balance and exposure adjusted; contrast increased; right edge cropped; no local retouching.” This tells a reader that the apparent color and framing are not straight from the camera. For an image used to compare organisms or surfaces, retaining more detail about the processing can help future reviewers interpret differences.
Separate illustration from evidence
The appropriate edit depends on the image’s purpose. For a travel or storytelling image, tonal adjustments can help convey the scene. For documentation, edits should support legibility without disguising features that may matter, such as a boundary, patch of growth, injury, or color pattern. Keep a less processed version available alongside any presentation copy.
Suppose an animal appears pale in the original file and becomes vivid orange after a strong color correction. The edited image may be attractive, but the shift should not be presented as an unaltered observation. Label it as adjusted, retain the source file, and avoid using the corrected hue alone to support an identification.
Make the record travel with the image
Store the edit note where it will remain connected to the photograph: a catalog entry, accompanying field record, or consistent metadata workflow. For a small collection, a spreadsheet can link filename, date, site, and edit summary. For a shared project, agree on what counts as a material adjustment before people begin preparing images.
A useful final check is to compare the export with the original at the same display size. Look for clipped highlights, hidden shadows, altered edges, and color shifts. Then confirm that the original and note are backed up together. This modest practice preserves both a usable image and a clear account of how it came to look that way.
Have a correction or a source to suggest? Send a note →