Ophthalmology Practice A picture is worth a thousand words. A clinical photograph is an invaluable tool in the learning process of any medical practitioner by documenting the progression of a disease or response to treatment over time. Ophthalmic photography is a highly specialized form of medical imaging dedicated to the study and treatment of the disorders of the eye. Surgeons and healthcare providers rely extensively on photographic communication for patient conditions, surgical outcomes, teaching, education, research, and marketing. [1] Digital Photography Over the past two decades, digital photography has taken over ilm photography and has now become the standard. Digital photography offers significant advantages over conventional photography. Storing and retrieving digital images is particularly convenient in terms of time and space. Digital format ofers an undisputed economic advantage as immediate visualization of pictures allows deletion of the undesired images and recapturing the same, avoiding the cost of useless prints, as with traditional photography. Digital images can also be useful in providing care in tele- ophthalmology systems deployed in remote or underserved areas and in sharing images via electronic communication with peers. [2] Digital photography ofers the ability to correct almost all aspects of an image once it has been imported into a computer and the proper sotware has been installed. [3] Digital photographs are indispensable in today’s world for publications, presentations, patient information and communication, and medicolegal documentation. This article deals with the principles and practice of external ophthalmic digital photography. Basic Setup Camera i. Choosing the right camera: A multitude of digital cameras at afordable prices ofering a wide array of features are available in the market. Cameras essentially are either single lens reflex (SLR) or ‘point-and-shoot’ (compact digital). The main diference between the two is how the photographer sees the object through the lens. In a point- and-shoot camera, the viewinder is a simple window through the body of the camera. One does not see the real image formed by the camera lens. An SLR camera uses a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism (a ive- sided prism) to direct light from the lens to an optical viewinder on the back of the camera, thereby enabling the photographer to see the exact frame about to be captured. Furthermore, point-and-shoot cameras have a shuter lag, which is the time delay between pressing down the ‘click’ (shuter) buton and the image actually being captured. In point-and-shoot cameras it is important to initially press the shuter buton halfway down to enable the camera to focus on the subject properly before pressing all the way down. Diferent lenses can be used with an SLR camera, which also allow the photographer to modify parameters such as shuter speed and aperture, and enable him to take photographs under all conditions. An SLR camera is bulky, heavy and expensive, whereas a point-and-shoot camera is light, portable and relatively inexpensive. The choice between an SLR and a point-and-shoot must be made keeping in mind the budget, ease of use, photographic requirements, ability of the photographer and features required. Of late, a few cameras have been built with the purpose of bridging the gap between the professional SLR Principles and practice of external digital photography in ophthalmology Bipasha Mukherjee, Akshay Gopinathan Nair Access this article online Website: www.ijo.in DOI: 10.4103/0301-4738.94053 PMID: *** Quick Response Code: It is mandatory to incorporate clinical photography in an ophthalmic practice. Patient photographs are routinely used in teaching, presentations, documenting surgical outcomes and marketing. Standardized clinical photographs are part of an armamentarium for any ophthalmologist interested in enhancing his or her practice. Unfortunately, many clinicians still avoid taking patient photographs for want of basic knowledge or inclination. The ubiquitous presence of the digital camera and digital technology has made it extremely easy and afordable to take high-quality images. It is not compulsory to employ a professional photographer or invest in expensive equipment any longer for this purpose. Any ophthalmologist should be able to take clinical photographs in his/her oice setings with minimal technical skill. The purpose of this article is to provide an ophthalmic surgeon with guidelines to achieve standardized photographic views for speciic procedures, to achieve consistency, to help in pre-operative planning and to produce accurate pre-operative and post-operative comparisons, which will aid in self-improvement, patient education, medicolegal documentation and publications. This review also discusses editing, storage, patient consent, medicolegal issues and importance of maintenance of patient conidentiality. Key words: Digital camera, external photograph, photography Department of Orbit, Oculoplasty, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Services, Sankara Nethralaya, Medical Research Foundation, Chennai, India Correspondence to: Dr. Bipasha Mukherjee, Department of Orbit, Oculoplasty, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Services, Sankara Nethralaya, Medical Research Foundation, 18 College Road, Chennai - 600 006, India. E-mail: beas003@yahoo.co.uk Manuscript received: 06.04.11; Revision accepted: 17.11.11 [Downloaded free from http://www.ijo.in on Monday, February 18, 2013, IP: 220.227.249.162] || Click here to download free Android application for this journal