I agree with others this should not have been posted. I’m sure the photographer knows what it is but there is no way anyone could say with accuracy what is pictured unless they were there when the photo was taken.
Apparently this has changed recently, iNat’s ‘About’ page no longer mentions “engag*” terms, it is now a place where people help “each other” “learn about nature” - essentially a platform for free education / free teaching work (this also seems in line with the proposal to have the platform mine ID tips to generate ID-helping content). Additionally, it wants to provide “also” a “crowdsourced” species identification system (= an ID service), and an organism occurrence recording tool (= an online notebook).
(Strangely, the page also insists it is not for “accruing data”, but merely “generate” it whatever difference is implied - despite the fact that iNat previously proudly claimed that the site accrued data useful to biology/conservation science, as if it was a desired outcome then)
In the context of the OP’s request, I’d say poor- or zero-quality observations are perfectly fine - if only as a way to “record an organism occurrence”, with no obligation for a detailed photo / sound / name / place / date. It is still, quote, “observing wild organisms and sharing information about them” if I mention I saw a bird somewhere in Kerry, Ireland back in april 1997.
If some people complain that there’s no [good] photo for them to “crowdsource an ID”… it is their problem.
I’ve uploaded absolute garbage pics–I really have no expectation everything will hit RG but I figure it’s worth a shot if someone who knows better than me comes along
@Ivett This is where notes often come in handy. You can describe the conditions, the location, and what you saw with your own eyes, even though it’s blurry or far away or whatever the case may be. You can also look at getting sound recordings. I like to double check with Merlin to make sure my birds are correct and then record sound on iNat directly.
This relates to the question of what constitutes evidence on iNat. See this thread: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/what-is-evidence/470/26 To summarize this long thread, if diagnostic features are adequately recorded, such that it’s possible to make an objective judgement as to species, then it’s good evidence.
Also of interest, this same thread mentions that a sketch made at the time of observation can constitute valid evidence. Theoretically, then, a low-quality photo could be supplemented with a sketch made in the field. However, some iNat users do not feel that sketches constitute adequate evidence, and sketches may prompt negative reactions in some IDers.
It’s also worth noting that for some biologists, the best evidence is a permanently preserved specimen (i.e., a dead organism). See, e.g., J. C. Buckner et al., “The critical importance of vouchers in genomics” https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.68264 By that standard, iNat does not offer adequate evidence of any organism (and given the ease of making AI photos, there’s something to be said about the importance of actual specimens as vouchers). Obviously, however, many scientists do feel that iNat supplies good data. I guess this means there is going to be no final answer to this question.
Most biologists would recognise there is a gap between the best evidence and adequate evidence. It would be impractical to have every wildlife record backed up by a voucher specimen. There would be colossal storage requirements for the cetaceans alone, not to mention legal issues.
Here’s an observation with an amazing photo: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/293134222
Compare that to this: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/62368466
This one is so good, but it’s a few clicks away from being marked as “Casual” because it’s impossible to ID: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/290858667
I love those pictures, but those are the type of observations that stay as “Need ID” for 10 years.
Don’t get discouraged by seeing professional-quality photos. There are other things that make an observation better than just the photos.
Also, if you still feel uncomfortable, then look for a basic digital photography tutorial that teaches about:
- Exposure
- Aperture
- Shutter Speed
- ISO
- Exposure Compensation
Then, familiarize yourself with your camera (DMC-S1). Yes, it’s a point and shoot from 2011, but I bet you can get good pictures out of it.
Here’s the manual: https://help.na.panasonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DMCS1_S3_VQT3E21_ENG.pdf
For example, the main problem with this one (https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/481515006) is that it’s just underexposed. The metadata says “Exposure bias value: -1/1”. Maybe when you took this picture, your “Exposure Compensation” was set to -1. The metadata also indicates ISO 100. Try setting the ISO manually to ISO 800. The idea is to find out which settings work best for which scenes.
With the correct setting, that photo can go from this:
To this:
And with some additional steps like sharpening it and cropping it (send it to your phone and edit it there or learn to use a free photo editor like GIMP or Krita):
I’ve got an example of that too, I found Callitris rhomboidea along a ridgeline (RG - with seeds) and while I was there took some distance photos of Callitris sp. in an inacessible location in (NCR) Callitris rhomboidea forest according to the goverment survey (TasVeg 4.0 - Tasmania).
All avalible evidence direct and indirect points towards it being that species.
Thank you so much for the tips! To be honest i’m a little confused how did you managed to know my camera model only from the picture. I use this crappy camera because it slightly better than my phone camera. I’ll take your advices!
I really can’t see the point of uploading this “photo”. Waste of energy.
I have often been criticised that my pictures lack detail, as by always the same guy for sialis
sialis
On the other hand, always the same people upload 1000s of observations and I really can’t see any use for these
https://costarica.inaturalist.org/observations/279959628
All good advice apart from “send to your phone” Yes use Gimp or darktable. Free and works
Why upload a bad photo? Rather, use the time to take a better photo. Don’t use phones if you can buy a second hand camera for 100 USD these days. That is still less than 99% of phones. I look at other people’s photos to compare. A blob or spot tagged as “fly” of “bird” is pointless IMHO
Time doesn’t always help one take a better photo if it’s (a) stretching the capabilities of your camera, and/or (b) not something that will wait around. Such as far too many animals of all sizes. If we were only getting great photos of some smaller taxa, we’d get none. I do try to make sure my photos aren’t too bad, but at times a poor photo may still be better than none - and those may be the only options.
Having said that, I admit I don’t have a lot of patience for people who think a photo of a plant at a distance of (many) metres will be identifiable, particularly if I can see nothing stopping them going closer and getting an actual recognisable photo.
he is not criticizing, he is being accurate.
I have to agree. If the identifying features for the insect to get it down to species level are indeed on the underside of the abdomen then it very much is correct to criticise “identifying” to species level based on photos that only show top/sides of the insect.
For individual observations what matters is can the identifying features of the creature in question be found within the images/sounds of the observation? Even if a photo is somewhat out of focus or a sound recording has background noise it does NOT matter if the identifying things can be made out.
Taxon photos are a different matter. There both decent quality and identifying marks are important where there are more than a small handful of photos for a given taxon.
The linked Sialis photos are fine images of the insects in question. Sharp, in focus and with plenty of detail. That does not make them adequate to ID below genus level based on what someone who appears to be an expert has said.
Not every photo one takes is worth posting. I take a lot of photos and I throw away a lot of photos. If everyone upped their game a little and were more discriminating in what they decide is worth posting it would make IDing more efficient and enjoyable.
Do not be uncomfortable posting less-than-perfect images! So long as you feel the picture is good enough to be able to ID the critter/plant! Welcome!