Getting the Best Photograph of Your Patient
After seeing thousands of photographs of patients from our clients, I have come to realize there are a number of issues that come up that I will address here in this on-line manual.
1. Know Your camera. Even though the manufacturers of digital cameras in their advertising material stress how easy it is to take photos with their camera, these cameras are much more complex than their analogue predecessors and require some study to understand how the features work. I am afraid it is true, you will have to dive into the camera manual to figure out what all these buttons on the camera are for. Take many test photos and don't just look at them on the LCD screen of the camera, but bring them into the computer so you can see if they are in focus or are blurry. The LCD screen on most cameras is just too small to make good judgements on photo quality.
2. Does the patient like the photo? So many photos come into SmilePix that I know the patient is going to dislike. There are many reasons why the patient may not like the photo. Here are the most common:
- The photo was taken too close with the lens in the wide angle position making the nose the size of a ballon.
- The angle of the photo was too high because the patient was in the dental chair and their face is distorted.
- The patients eyes were closed. Show your patient the photos you took and ask them which one they like the best.
This is also an oportunity for you to catch any mistakes you may have made. If the patient does not like any of the photos you took then take more until the patient is satisfied. I am not saying they will love the photo, because remember you are taking the photo because their smile is an issue for them, but at least get a photo they do not hate!
The two paragraphs above are the key points in creating good photos of your patient. Click on one of the chapter buttons on the left to get a more detailed explaination of that subject. The best way to get good photos is to practice, just like everythings else in life.