A PowerPoint I made to teach product samplers the proper way to photograph food shipments detained by the FDA at US ports of entry.

1. Picture Perfect
Best Practices for documenting
sub samples for testing

2. In this Tutorial…
• What to photograph
• Recommended equipment for
photographing sub samples, etc.
• Getting the best photos
• Assembling and labeling your photos
• Delivery to your FDA detention
resolution experts

3. What to photograph
1. Photograph the entire lot.
Photo must include the entire palette,
with the entry number, lot number, or
container number visible and legible in
the shot. (These have been marked out
for confidentiality.)

4. What to photograph
2. Sample bag (or box) itself
Be sure to include the
front label and back
label. Again, these have
been pixelated for
privacy. Yours must be
clear and legible.
Front Back

5. What to photograph
3. Picture of the product

6. What to photograph
4. Picture of all sub samples

7. What to photograph (Multi-export)
• Bar code
• Lot Number
• Entry Number
• How many Subs
• Date
• Number of Subs
out of total
This must be repeated for each line of product being tested.

8. Recommended Photo Equipment
• Point-and-shoot style digital camera or
mobile device with flash
(recommended resolution of 4.0
megapixels or higher)
• Basic photo viewer/editor (comes
installed on most computers)
• Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, or
equivalent software

9. Getting the best pictures
1. Always consult your manual for
proper operation of your camera.

10. Getting the best pictures
2. Make sure the area you are
taking pictures is well lit. Turn on
additional lights or move the sub
samples if necessary.
(Dark locations make it difficult for
the camera to focus, even with
the flash, and can result in blurry,
unusable images.)

11. Getting the best pictures
3a. Gently “half push” the shutter
release to allow the camera to focus
before fully depressing the shutter
release to capture the image.

12. Getting the best pictures
3b. If using a mobile
device, tap the screen
directly over the area
you want in focus. The
phone should adjust
focus and brightness
automatically.

13. Getting the best pictures
4. Take the picture!

14. Getting the best pictures
5a. Review each photo before moving
on to the next image.

15. Getting the best pictures
5b. Use the zoom controls and toggle switches to
zoom in on important information like (Lot #, etc.) If
you can’t clearly read it, we can’t read it either.
Please retake the photo.
(Features may be different on your camera. Consult your owner’s manual.)

16. Getting the best pictures
5c. If there is too much glare on the information in the
picture, we can’t read it. Try turning your camera’s
flash off, or turning on more lights so the subject is
more evenly lit.
(Features may be different on your camera. Consult your owner’s manual.)

17. Getting the best pictures
5d. If the information on your image is pixelated, we
will not be able to read it. This delays the process and
makes everyone grumpy. Please make sure your
images are set to a high resolution and that text like
the entry # and lot # are clearly legible.
(Consult your owner’s manual.)

18. Getting the best pictures
6. Import the images into your computer.

19. Getting the best pictures
7. Review your images using your computer’s photo
viewer program. Many of these viewers allow for
adjustment of brightness and contrast. If necessary,
use these to improve the visibility of text in the image
for optimum legibility.

20. Emailing the Images
• Images MUST be clearly labeled in a
Word, PDF, PowerPoint or equivalent
file format. Each page must include
– Entry Number
– Line & Lot/Container Number
– Date Sampled
EXAMPLE HEADER
SAMPLE COMPANY INC., ENTRY #123-09877543-2, 001/001, 12/14/2015

21. Emailing the Images
• Email completed packet to
fda@abcr.com.
• Be sure to notify your favorite ABC
Research Laboratories FDA detention
resolution expert so they can assist you
as soon as possible.

22. Questions?
If you would like to know more about
documenting FDA detained product, or
have other FDA detention resolution
questions, please let us know!