Enrichment · Arts & Creativity · Collections

Every side,
with a ruler in frame.

A small museum, a historical society or a family collection gets one chance to photograph an object well before it goes back into storage. Work through the setup and the ten views, keep the files tied to the object number, and see what is still to shoot.

Add an objectWhat you get

Your objects

The worked example is made up: a tin toy truck with only the base left to shoot, and a sampler shot in a hurry with no scale, JPEG files and camera file names. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · Arts & CreativityFree

What you finish with
A record per object with its number, name, material, size, date and photographer; background, lighting, file format and handling notes; ten views marked shot, still to shoot or not needed; the file name pattern and four file checks. Counts views shot of those needed for each object and overall; flags a missing scale and color reference, JPEG-only files, file names without the object number and the handling notes.
Who it is for
Volunteers and staff at small museums, historical societies and school archives, art and history students, and families documenting heirlooms.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per object. Prints one object’s shot list, every object in a table or a blank list for the studio; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Set up the background and lights once for the session.
  2. Shoot the reference frame with the scale bar and color card first.
  3. Work through the ten views and mark each one.
  4. Name the files with the object number.
  5. Save the masters in two places and link them to the record.

Add an object

A simple setup

A copy setup for three-dimensional objectsobjectsoft light, 45°soft light, 45°camera on a tripod, lens level with the middleA setup for objectsobjectsoft light, 45°soft light, 45°Camera on a tripod, lens level with themiddle; two soft lights at 45°; a graysweep with no horizon line.
Shoot one frame of every setup with a scale bar and a color card beside the object; it lets anyone check size and color later.

Master files

Shoot RAW where the camera allows, and keep an uncompressed TIFF as the master. JPEG throws information away every time it is saved, so make JPEG copies from the master for the web and email, never the other way round.

Handling

Clean nitrile gloves protect most objects from skin oils; bare, clean hands are often better for slippery glass and ceramics. Move one object at a time, support it from below, and never lift by a handle, rim or projecting part.

Sources

  1. Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative. Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural Heritage Materials (digitizationguidelines.gov).
  2. National Park Service. Museum Handbook, Part II: Museum Records, photography of collections (nps.gov).
  3. Canadian Conservation Institute. Handling guidelines and CCI Notes (canada.ca/cci).
  4. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Digital preservation and file formats (siarchives.si.edu).

The worked example is made up. Follow your institution’s own photography and handling policies, and ask a conservator about fragile objects. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.