How To Take A Good Photo

Curated Canvas Guide

How To Take A Good Photo

You don't need professional equipment — just your phone and these simple steps. Follow this guide to capture your specimen beautifully.

10 Simple Steps to the Perfect Shot
01
Step 1

Prepare Your Specimen

Before taking photos, make sure your rock or mineral is ready.

Clean Gently
  • A soft microfiber cloth
  • A soft brush (makeup or paintbrush works well)
🚫
ImportantDo not use water unless you know your specimen is water-safe
02
Step 2

Set Up Your Phone Camera

You do not need professional equipment — just use your phone correctly.

Camera Settings
ON Rear camera Higher quality
OFF Flash Always turn off
OFF Filters No filters
ON RAW / Pro Mode If available
Enable RAW on iPhone
Settings → Camera → Formats → Enable Apple ProRAW → 12 MP
Enable RAW on Android
Camera → More / Pro → Enable RAW
💡
If RAW is not available, that's okay — just use the highest quality photo setting.

For a simple walk through video on taking the best pictures, click the button below

Watch Instructional Video
03
Step 3

Set Up Your Shooting Area

Choose a simple, well-lit setup.

Surface
  • Use a table, desk, or countertop
  • Place a plain background behind and under the specimen:
    • White paper
    • Light gray poster board
    • Neutral fabric
🚫
AvoidBusy patterns or textured backgrounds
04
Step 4

Lighting

Good lighting is critical for sharp, detailed photos.

Best Option — Natural Light
  • Place your setup near a window
  • Light should come from the side, not directly overhead
Acceptable Option — Indoor Light
  • Use soft white bulbs
  • Avoid harsh shadows and yellow lighting
🚫
Always AvoidFlash and direct overhead lighting — both flatten detail and cause harsh reflections on minerals
05
Step 5

Position the Camera

  • Hold the phone steady
  • Keep the lens level with or slightly (less than 20°) above the specimen
  • Do not shoot from directly above unless the specimen is flat
  • Leave space around the specimen — do not crop tightly
📐
Think "museum display," not "close-up snapshot." Give your specimen room to breathe in the frame.
06
Step 6

Focus and Exposure

  • Tap the specimen on your screen to focus
  • Hold for a second until the focus locks
07
Step 7

Take Multiple Photos

Please take several photos so you can choose the best one.

📱
Do not zoom digitally — move the phone physically closer instead. Digital zoom degrades image quality significantly.
08
Step 8

Review Before Uploading

Before uploading, check that:

  • The photo is sharp — no blur
  • Colors look natural
  • The entire specimen is visible
🔁
If anything looks off, retake the photo. A better source image means a better final print.
09
Step 9

Upload Your Photos to Our Website

When ready:

  1. Go to the Curated Canvas upload page
  2. Select Upload Photos
  3. Choose the best images
  4. Upload the original files
    • Do not edit
    • Do not crop
    • Do not add filters
✨
RAW files are welcome and preferred — they give us the most detail to work with.
10
Step 10

Submit & Relax

Once uploaded, we take it from here:

  • We professionally enhance and upscale your image
  • The background is refined
  • Museum-style text is added
  • Your image is printed, framed, and shipped
✨
You'll receive a finished piece worthy of display.
Final Notes

You've Got This

  • You do not need photography experience
  • Follow the steps slowly — quality matters more than speed
  • If you can see detail clearly on your phone screen, we can elevate it beautifully