Photography for Wound Management must be carried out on hospital wards and in clinic areas, the placement of a portable electronic flash over the lens or as close to the lens as possible will create sufficient even, repeatable and effective lighting, whilst providing control over unwanted shadows. Ideally, for patients that are seen multiple times for photography, it is best for standardisation purposes to use the same lighting source each time, however this may not always be possible for patients that are photographed in areas such as the operating theatre or in the community.
Medical illustrators should make careful notes regarding any non-standard lighting techniques, in order to enable repeat photographs. 4.4 Background Backgrounds should always be plain and neutral, so as not to distract from the clinical area. In the studio environment, a permanent black or white background is a common feature however for photography on wards and in clinics, a transportable photo background may be implemented so that obtrusive elements around the subject can be omitted/minimised. For bed-bound patients or patients/conditions that aren’t suitable for positioning in front of a background, it is recommended that a disposable sterile sheet (ideally blue or green) is used.
The sheet should be placed underneath or very close to the patient in order to minimise any shadows. The sterile sheet can also be used to preserve the patient’s dignity if it is thought that any sensitive areas may be inadvertently photographed (Figure 12). If sterile sheets are not available or the ward/ clinic are unable to supply them for the purpose of photography (due to high purchase costs), then disposable paper roll (usually pale blue or white) or plain white bed sheets are a suitable alternative and are normally readily available, although care must be taken to minimise any lighting flare. Figure 12.
Large abdominal wound with sterile sheets placed around the wound area to avoid photography of sensitive areas and to minimise surrounding distraction. clinical photography, design and video in healthcare page 13