FIELD GUIDES
Observe first. Name later.
Practical notes for turning a photo-based rock identification into a more useful field observation.
How to check an AI rock identification before you trust it
A practical, non-destructive sequence for checking a tentative photo-based rock identification.
What to write in a rock location note for better identification
A short field-note method that adds useful context to a tentative rock identification without pretending location proves a name.
A glassy black rock is not an identification
How to observe a shiny black specimen without treating a photo as proof of obsidian, slag, or a meteorite.
How to photograph a rock with a scale without hiding the evidence
A practical photo setup that shows a rock’s size without obscuring the features needed for a tentative identification.
Layers, bands, and stripes in a rock photo are not the same thing
How to describe parallel features in a rock photo without treating any stripe as proof of a sedimentary or metamorphic rock name.
Rock colour: weathering or mineral colour?
A practical way to record rock colour in a photo without treating a weathered surface as proof of what the rock is made of.
What a rounded pebble can tell you — and what it cannot
How to use a pebble’s shape as a field observation without mistaking roundness for a rock identification or a travel-distance measurement.
Can you see rock grains without a hand lens?
How to record visible grain size in a rock photo without treating a smooth-looking surface as proof that a rock has no grains.
A white vein in a rock is not automatically quartz
How to photograph and describe a pale mineral-filled crack without turning a white line into a quartz identification.
What a magnet test can and cannot tell you
How to use a magnet as one careful, in-person clue without treating attraction as a rock name or a meteorite confirmation.
Holes in a rock: vesicles or weathering?
How to describe holes in a rock photo without assuming every cavity is a volcanic gas bubble.
Cleavage or fracture in a rock photo?
How to record flat, repeated breaks and irregular breaks in a rock or mineral photo without mistaking one for a final identification.
Is the colour a rock coating or the rock itself?
How to photograph and describe a dark, red, shiny, or pale rock surface without mistaking a coating for the underlying material.
What makes a rock sparkle in a photo?
How to document glittery grains and reflections in a rock photograph without calling every sparkle mica, pyrite, or gold.
Why one side of a rock is not enough
A practical photo sequence for showing more than one face of a specimen without treating multiple photographs as a final identification.
When a rock photo result is inconclusive
What to record and what to do next when a photo-based rock identification cannot safely narrow a specimen to one name.
How to take a close-up rock photo without losing context
A simple whole-view and detail-view method for documenting grain, texture, or a small feature without making a close crop stand in for the entire specimen.
What a rock’s weight can and cannot tell you
How a “heavy for its size” observation can strengthen a field note without substituting for a density measurement or a final identification.
Does a rock photo need a fresh surface?
How to record weathered and existing broken surfaces without damaging a specimen just to make a photo-based identification easier.
Why a wet rock photo looks different
How moisture can change colour, shine, and contrast in a rock photograph—and how to keep a wet image useful without treating it as the rock’s permanent appearance.
Why use a plain background for rock identification photos?
A practical way to use a simple background so the outline and surface of a specimen stay visible without turning the backdrop into evidence.
Is that line in a rock photo a crack or a shadow?
A photo-checking method for describing dark lines without mistaking lighting, surface relief, or a genuine fracture for one another.
Can your hand be a scale in a rock photo?
When a hand can provide rough context in a field photo, why it is not a dependable measurement reference, and what to use instead.