Prepare the object, identifier, and capture area
Confirm the object number and handling requirements before moving the object. Use a stable, uncluttered background and lighting that reveals form and surface without misleading colour or hiding condition.
Keep the object number associated with the session, but position labels and scales so they do not cover the object. Record the institution or collection, photographer, and capture date.
Capture a repeatable sequence of views
Begin with the principal view, reverse, sides, top, and bottom when safe and relevant. Add close-ups of inscriptions, maker's marks, joins, repairs, damage, decoration, and construction details.
Two-dimensional objects are normally photographed square to the camera to limit distortion. Three-dimensional objects need multiple angles that describe volume and profile.
- Principal or front view
- Back or reverse
- Side profile and thickness
- Top and bottom when relevant
- Marks, inscriptions, and labels
- Damage, repairs, and diagnostic details
- Scale and colour reference view
Place a ruler in the same plane
A scale can support dimensional interpretation only when it lies in the same plane as the feature being measured. Perspective, distance, and camera angle can make a ruler elsewhere in the frame misleading.
CurioAI calibration converts a known reference length into image scale for the fixed camera position. Keep zoom, camera height, object plane, and ruler plane unchanged after calibration, and verify important measurements physically.
Check focus and metadata before the object leaves
Inspect files at useful magnification for motion blur, missed focus, clipped highlights, shadows, and hidden edges. Confirm that every filename and photo record points to the correct object.
CurioAI records photo date and photographer for browser captures and requires them for uploads. Exporting images with the catalog record keeps that evidence connected during review or migration.
Review checklist
- Handling and movement are authorized.
- Identifier is confirmed before capture.
- Lighting reveals surface and accurate colour.
- Expected overall and detail views are present.
- Scale is in the measurement plane.
- Focus is checked before the object is returned.
- Photographer, date, object number, and view are recorded.
Where AI fits
Technology can accelerate capture, transcription, field suggestions, and consistency checks. It cannot establish provenance, legal title, cultural authority, or conservation conclusions from an image alone. CurioAI keeps generated fields editable and requires a person to review the record before saving it.
See the guided cataloging workflowSources and professional guidance
These sources inform the workflow above. Institutions should also follow their own documentation policy, legal requirements, community protocols, and specialist standards.