I've been going through the pictures on my computer to add to the plants database. Some the image type is obvious, but others not so much. Is there a page that explains in more detail what is appropriate for each image type designation?

For instance I took some pictures of shrubs that were just breaking bud in the spring to show the underlying structure and date of bud break. Would that be "stem/bark", "emerging growth", "entire plant", or "documentation". The emerging growth and documentation are the two that are confusing me the most. Is emerging growth for plants just coming out of the ground, leaf and flower buds just opening, or both?

What is the intended purpose of the "documentation" type? I have used it for things that didn't seem appropriate in other categories and then included an explanation in the photo comments. One instance was to show an odd fungus that impacted only that plant. One picture I used it to show the bare structure of a shrub in spring as previously mentioned. Another instance I used it to show what a caterpillar nest on that plant looked like for those interested in the plant as a butterfly host plant.

I have quite a few images relating to butterfly and moth host plants, showing the adult laying eggs as well as what the eggs, caterpillar, and pupae look like. I don't know that they are really appropriate for the plants database. It is a plant database, not an animal database. But, I do think that the only reason many people are looking at growing these particular plants is to act as host plants, so images of what to look out for would be helpful. I definitely understand the concern I saw someone else bring up recently also. Some pictures showing a butterfly or other animal at a plant got thumbs up so much that it became the default picture for the plant, even though it barely even showed the plant.

Maybe if there was a couple more image types like "wildlife/animal value or interaction" and "pests and diseases". Then set it so that the highest thumbed "entire plant" or "bloom" images for instance would be chosen as default images first, unless there are none available.

Good suggestion on how the thumbnail is chosen. I would like to see the very best (not necessarily my own) photo of the bloom. I've seen some rather odd thumbnails that are simply following the thumbs -- ones I recall: a snowy winter photograph, a newly emerging bud. Both photos are quite lovely, but seemed a bit questionable as the 'poster child' for either plant. Perhaps this will be addressed when Dave sorts out how to display the different categories of photos. There have been discussions about tabbing each category, and perhaps within the category the photos would be presented by thumb order? I never have a clue what is or is not possible in the world of computer codes, so usually just sit back to see how things evolve.

I also am sometimes baffled at which category to pick, but to a large extent I think it is just up to the photographer - what was your intent when you took the picture.

I also agree that a new category showing insect and/or wildlife use of a plant would be quite useful (and fun to view); and I also like the category of pests/diseases - visuals can be very helpful in diagnosing problems.

The data base moderators have the ability to over ride thumbs to pick the best photo for "poster child", so it is already built into the system. But I don't know if they generally spend much time doing this task. I occasionally do it in the lily data base.

I don't spend much time doing it, but whenever I see an image that should be at the top, but isn't, I mark it as the plant's main thumbnail. Maybe we should make it so that people can submit a proposal to make an image be the main thumbnail and then the moderators would have the chance to approve it or deny it.

That's kind of the way I do it Jon, "in the course of other data base work".

That method seems a bit sketchy to me, and ripe for cronyism. Just my two cents, no speculation or intrigue intended. Most-thumbed is a much more democratic approach, but I think Morgan has a good point to focus it to the most-thumbed bloom or whole plant shots rather than most-thumbed of all categories.

Our moderators and admins aren't given to cronyism, I should think.

Occasionally the thumb winner is out of focus or inappropriate. For example, a bulb or seeds instead of a bloom or inflorescence (talking lilium here). And it can be difficult to choose the best photo especially when there are many of them.

Bonehead said: That method seems a bit sketchy to me, and ripe for cronyism. Just my two cents, no speculation or intrigue intended.

Such a way with words, Deb! The dark-side of the cut-throat world of flower pictures.