Rock IdentifierHow to Photograph a Rock for the Best ID
Key takeaways
- Use soft, even, natural light and a plain neutral background.
- Tap to focus, hold steady, and include something for scale.
- Photograph both dry and wetted — water reveals true color and pattern.
Why the photo matters
Any identification — by a human expert or by this app — is only as good as what it can see. A blurry, dark, color-cast photo hides the very clues that make a rock identifiable. A few minutes of care dramatically improves your odds of a confident answer.
Light and background
Shoot in bright, indirect daylight — near a window or in open shade — which shows true colors without harsh glare. Avoid direct flash, which flattens texture and blows out shine. Set the specimen on a plain, neutral surface (grey or white paper, not a busy patterned cloth) so the app or viewer isn't distracted by the background.
Focus, scale, and angles
Steady the phone, tap the screen to focus on the rock, and get close enough to fill the frame without going blurry. Include a coin, ruler, or your fingertip for scale — size is a real clue. Take several angles, and capture any crystal faces, bands, or a freshly broken surface, which often show more than a weathered outside.
The wet-vs-dry trick
Dampening a rock with a little water mimics a polished surface: it deepens colors, reveals banding and translucency, and can make patterns pop that are invisible when dry. Photograph it both ways. (Skip water on soft or soluble stones like selenite, halite, or unstabilized turquoise — for those, keep it dry.)
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