Phoneography 101: skills to master
1) Check your app options
2) Remove your case. Getting close is the key – even the few mm of a case can limit
your view.
3) Keep your phone warm (in your pocket) if using outside – if not the lens will steam
up when you get close to the eye.
4) Use a cloud storage service and install the app on your phone, select auto-upload in
the cloud app – this way you’ll never lose that vital image even if you lose or break
your phone.
5) For cats – hold the phone horizontally.
6) For Horses and rabbits hold the phone vertically.
7) Practice on anaesthetised patients and enucleated eyes.
2) Remove your case. Getting close is the key – even the few mm of a case can limit
your view.
3) Keep your phone warm (in your pocket) if using outside – if not the lens will steam
up when you get close to the eye.
4) Use a cloud storage service and install the app on your phone, select auto-upload in
the cloud app – this way you’ll never lose that vital image even if you lose or break
your phone.
5) For cats – hold the phone horizontally.
6) For Horses and rabbits hold the phone vertically.
7) Practice on anaesthetised patients and enucleated eyes.
Understand photography basics
Understand and know how to manipulate:
Depth of field
Use smallest aperture can get away without reducing ISO
Exposure
Spot metering for exposure can help
Freeze movement
Aim for shutter speed to equal or exceed the lens length
e.g. 1/60th second for a 50mm lens
Maximise sharpness of image
Always use lowest ISO you can
Use small aperture
“Pin hole effect” – pin hole aperture = near infinite depth of field
Ensure shutter speed fast enough to freeze movement.
Depth of field
Use smallest aperture can get away without reducing ISO
Exposure
Spot metering for exposure can help
Freeze movement
Aim for shutter speed to equal or exceed the lens length
e.g. 1/60th second for a 50mm lens
Maximise sharpness of image
Always use lowest ISO you can
Use small aperture
“Pin hole effect” – pin hole aperture = near infinite depth of field
Ensure shutter speed fast enough to freeze movement.
Aim to take standard views for all patients
Photograph the name of the patient e.g. clinical record screen
Whole face – aim to get both tapetal reflections
Whole eye, straight on– aim to fill screen with eye if macro allows, aim to get tapetal
reflection – talk to patient just before take picture
Whole eye, lateral view – aim to skyline corneal curvature and anterior chamber
Lid anatomy (where relevant)
Eyes open
Eyes closed – induced blink
Lid margins everted if pathology present
Nictitating membrane prolapsed
Whole face – aim to get both tapetal reflections
Whole eye, straight on– aim to fill screen with eye if macro allows, aim to get tapetal
reflection – talk to patient just before take picture
Whole eye, lateral view – aim to skyline corneal curvature and anterior chamber
Lid anatomy (where relevant)
Eyes open
Eyes closed – induced blink
Lid margins everted if pathology present
Nictitating membrane prolapsed
Setting up your camera app for phoneography
a. Make sure images are saved to the camera roll and not just in the app itself.
b. Make sure maximum image capture resolution is selected
c. If available turn on “touch to focus” and “touch to set exposure”
d. If available turn on “Volume snap” – this allows you to press the volume
buttons to take images.
e. Turn on geotagging – always remember where you were when you took the
image – a real help when trying to locate images if you work at different
locations
f. Turn on “live exposure” – this will display your ISO and shutter speed and
help you decide if your LED illumination needs to be altered
g. Select full manual if available – this will allow you to set your focus at infinity
which will stop the camera “hunting” for the right focal point.