How do I document work quickly and easily?

Capturing context means documenting information about the entire object, not just the details you find most interesting. This is important for preserving histories as well as for your own reference. If your only record of an artifact is a cropped image or zoomed-in detail from a research session, it may be difficult to identify later.

Tips to do this well:

• Always check the back of flat objects
• Designs could be double-sided
• Credits or inscriptions on the reverse side can be important to an object's history

• The best lighting for photos is overcast outdoor lighting. If you can, pop outside and take advantage of this!
• Indoors: even, neutral colored light is best, but don’t worry if you don’t have time or resources to set up lighting equipment or lamps. Simply seeking out the spot in your space with the brightest, most even light will do.
• If in doubt, google tutorials on lighting art documentation photos!

When dealing with a lot of archival material and as a result, numerous images, organizing your images can be essential to keeping track of individual photos and groups of photos. Using photo organization software like iPhoto’s albums makes it easier to sort and find images.

• It’s also possible to add captions or other info for later reference.
• Searching online tutorials for your specific phone or software can help you navigate these features.