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How to get your item ID'd (***NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ***)


sixgill pete

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A few tips for getting better ID's.

 

First, make the object you are trying to get an ID for be the central object of the photo. Not your hand. Put the object on a neutral colored background and photograph it as close up as possible. Then crop your pictures. Using your hand for scale is no good, we don't know how big your hand is. Make sure the photo is well lit and focused.

 

Second, use a scale rule (preferably metric; millimeters and centimeters) we have members from all over the world. The U.S. is about the only country that does not use the metric system Coins for scale are not good. A member in Belgium probably has no idea how big a U.S. quarter is, and we here have no idea how big a Chinese Yuan is. If you dont have a rule, tell us in the post how big it is. Length, width, height, thickness etc.

 

Third, give as detailed info as possible as to where it was found. State, County, Country, Province, Parish. Was it in a river, a beach find, a quarry? If you know the geologic info, tell us. If not do not guess, if we have the right info on where it was found, that can be obtained. 

 

Lastly, don't expect miracles on your items. We are mostly amateurs on here. We can and do make mistakes. If the item is really worn, don't expect an exact Id. But I promise we will do the very best we can, or try to direct you to someone who could possibly ID your item.

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Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt

Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers

 

image.png.0c956e87cee523facebb6947cb34e842.png May 2016  MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png.b42a25e3438348310ba19ce6852f50c1.png May 2012 IPFOTM5.png.fb4f2a268e315c58c5980ed865b39e1f.png.1721b8912c45105152ac70b0ae8303c3.png.2b6263683ee32421d97e7fa481bd418a.pngAug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png.af5065d0585e85f4accd8b291bf0cc2e.png.72a83362710033c9bdc8510be7454b66.png.9171036128e7f95de57b6a0f03c491da.png Oct 2022

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I should also add about the photo's. Make sure you take pictures from all angles and all sides. This is very important. Getting as many of the diagnostic features of an item photographed  is crucial.

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Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt
behind the trailer, my desert
Them red clay piles are heaven on earth
I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt

Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers

 

image.png.0c956e87cee523facebb6947cb34e842.png May 2016  MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png.b42a25e3438348310ba19ce6852f50c1.png May 2012 IPFOTM5.png.fb4f2a268e315c58c5980ed865b39e1f.png.1721b8912c45105152ac70b0ae8303c3.png.2b6263683ee32421d97e7fa481bd418a.pngAug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png.af5065d0585e85f4accd8b291bf0cc2e.png.72a83362710033c9bdc8510be7454b66.png.9171036128e7f95de57b6a0f03c491da.png Oct 2022

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Another thing to add here is to have an open mind. Please do not be upset when that object is not what you are sure it is.

If you are dead set on that shell fragment being a Megalodon tooth, then you shouldn't be asking for an ID in the first place.

We are here to help you. If you don't want that help, don't ask for it. All of us try to steer in the right direction for the most part and do our best to give positive ID's.

It is always best to have the item in hand. There is only so much you can see from a photo. If in doubt, take it to a museum that deals with fossils (art museums aren't always the best) or a university paleontology department.

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Great post, Don.  :) 

 

I would also add these:

 

TAGS:  - are primarily keywords for the search function, and are often overlooked when posts are read.

Please repeat any salient keyword information in the body of your post, (such as location found.) as this will better inform the responses. 


TAKING PHOTOS:

When getting photos, try to take pictures looking directly down at the item. Obliquely angled photos can distort diagnostic details. 

Please be sure to post in .JPG, or .png format. OTHER FORMATS DO NOT WORK WITH THE FORUM SOFTWARE.

 

Put your item on a smooth, single colored flat surface.


Make sure your photo area is well lit. Taking Photos outside in natural daylight can improve cell phone photo quality!

 

Holding the item leads to minute shaking movements, which can easily blur a cell phone photo. 

 

Please, use a ruler or measuring tape, meter stick or yard stick for scale. 

As an international Forum, we like to have actual measurements, rather than using coins or other random objects as scale. 

 

HERE is a link to printable millimeter paper, for those who might not have a ruler handy.

OTHER PRINTABLE RULERS

 

 

Do not use hands for size comparison. Everyone's hands are a different size. ;) 

 

20170305112553-5a6c2257.jpg

 

Take photos of top, bottom, and all sides. (Broken edges can be diagnostic, so make sure to get good, well lit images of these.) 

 

This will help immensely with IDs. Also, natural sunlight is great for photographing fossils.  Don't get too close to the fossil.

Make sure the item is in focus, not the background. You can get greater clarity with cellphone cameras if you take the pictures outdoors. 

Crop the background from the photos if possible.  Focus on the fossil. Be sure not to take the photos from too close. Often the background is more in focus than the fossil. (We need to see your fossil, not your table, counter, floor, or quilt. )

 

 

Photodirections_003.thumb.jpg

 

VIDEOS:

While videos may look nice, often they are taken by someone holding the object in hand.  This can cause blur, and fingers get in the way of seeing all details.

We would very much PREFER to see still images, (photographs) taken from directly above the image, not off to the side. (oblique angles)

 

 

Keep an open mind on your finds.

If you come here expecting someone to corroborate your thinking, you may walk away disappointed.

The people who answer in many cases have multiple years, even decades, of experience. Please try to understand what they are saying, and why. Not every round rock is an egg, not every pointed rock is a tooth. :)  Mother Nature makes some magnificent look-a-likes.  ;) 

 

Say "thank you" when you get an answer

Even if it wasn't the one you were hoping for. This may seem like common sense, but I find many people lacking in that these days. :( 

 

We take time to type out answers, provide examples, extra images, research, and evidence, and try to help as much as possible. 

A "thank you" serves as a nice reminder of why we do this, which is, ... just for the love of doing it. No Pay. No reward other than informing you about your find. 


Please keep in mind:

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we may get things wrong, or end up with no consensus on an item.   :) 

 

If you don't agree with an ID, just say so in a calm manner. 

Many of us are amateurs - some more experienced than others. We also have professional Paleontologists who are members. We are giving you our best ideas of what you have. If you do not agree, you are entitled to your opinion. We can agree to disagree. No need for name calling or personal attacks.

Disengage, and go have a walk in the sun.  People on the internet are too uptight these days. People can disagree without resorting to nastiness.

 

There is no need for any unpleasantness if you don't agree with us. 

If you are still not convinced of our answers, then do please take your item to the nearest museum, or local college geological/paleontological professor, and ask for some clarification. Sometimes, pictures do not do justice to an item, and it may need to be seen in hand to make a positive ID. 

 

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    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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lots of good advice

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"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen

No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go.

" I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes

"can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks

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Well said my Fossil brothers!

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Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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:dinothumb::dinothumb::dinothumb:

Max Derème

 

"I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day."

   - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier

 

Instagram: @world_of_fossils

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  • Fossildude19 changed the title to How to get your item ID'd (New Members Please Read)
  • 5 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Hi and thanks for the info! My question is my camera broke... Does using an iPhone (6) have the capability to capture  the tiny details of an item and if so are there any special settings or filters to use?  also, is there a way to automatically set my phone for setting the appropriate size while photographing?   Any additional apps that you can recommend would be greatly appreciated - I know this information is somewhere here, but can't seem to locate it (iPhone unsavvy)!  Sorry if this is a redundant question...

 

Thanks for any advice,

Roberta

 

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Hi Roberta,

 

The iPhone should have sufficient megapixel count to capture most details. The camera app that comes natively to the whole line of i-products has some built-in features such as pinch zoom, and light/exposure (just tap the screen to see the adjustable slider: it looks like a sun). The photos app (where the photos are kept) also has some additional editing features for light, exposure, contrast, shadow, black/whitepoint, saturation, and cropping. In terms of taking better macro shots, Camera+ does give a slight boost to the features. When taking pictures, you can tap anywhere on the screen to activate the automatic light levels (tapping on the dark object against a lighter background will even them out so as to increase the lighting on the dark object).

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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Use lots of light and get as close as possible to the subject. You also can use a lens in front of the iPhone camera lens. 

 

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My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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One more thing to add!

 

DO NOT DELETE YOUR POST AFTER YOU GET REPLIES!

 

Lately, people have been deleting the content of their posts once they receive an ID on their item. 

This is incredibly poor form. It takes what could be a learning tool for others, and renders the post useless. :( 

 

A major focus of this Forum is to teach people what actual fossils look like. If you post some items that aren't fossils, everyone learns what is NOT a fossil, by seeing your photos. ;) 

 

This is very valuable in terms of training your eye to see fossils in your area. 

Thanks for NOT deleting your post when it is answered. :) 

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    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm so excited to find this forum OMG wowzer. I have been hunting the net for months for help. I have been trying so hard. You see I sit in an area once under water in Central Texas. I found Hematite took months to ID it. What started as a prospecting for pieces to make jewelry has turned into lots of amazing finds. Some are Hematite and others are a mix of minerals and rocks of all kinds. I even have a piece that appears to be a carved artifact of a hunter. Saddly I can't verify where in Texas some of them came from cause I found them on a county road. I don't know how to find the quarry they came from nor how deep they were. The Hematite I know where it came from on the land I live on. So at least that part will be easy. Thank you thank you thank you for any niblet of info you can give me. If you say it's a paper weight I will believe you cause I'm so over my head.

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Thanks for the tips and information in this post. I greatly appreciate ALL fossil pictures I can find anywhere on the internet. I see species names in a book and want to confirm on a website and many times, it is difficult to find solid information and pictures.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am very new to this forum.... and fossils...I am very thankful for y’alls knowledge that is passed on!! THANK YOU 

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  • 2 months later...
  • Fossildude19 changed the title to How to get your item ID'd (NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ)
  • 1 month later...

sorry just read this after posting my query - I will take more pictures soon and include a scale using the advice provided here - apologies

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4 hours ago, Phil 100 said:

sorry just read this after posting my query - I will take more pictures soon and include a scale using the advice provided here - apologies

Cool. Most folks never get around to it. As you spend more time looking at what others post for ID, it will become obvious why it's a good idea. Sometimes a photo needs all the help you can give it.

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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  • 2 months later...

Ok so I took some good pictures.  Plenty of lighting and using a scale.  Now where/how exactly do I post them for ID?

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4 hours ago, Leisel said:

Ok so I took some good pictures.  Plenty of lighting and using a scale.  Now where/how exactly do I post them for ID?

Here Start a new topic and give us any more info you have like stratigraphy and location.

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Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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