Abstract
The difference between photography in general and photographic documentation is explored as a possible reason why standardized photographic documentation has been so elusive to cosmetic surgeons. Photographic documentation must employ the scientific experimental procedure wherein all of the elements that can affect the outcome of a photograph are held constant so that the one change, that performed by the surgeon, can be studied.
The adaptive nature of off-the-shelf cameras and lighting, targeted to the amateur photographer, defeats the principles of scientific documentation. Simple modifications to equipment already owned by the cosmetic surgeon and methods for standardizing the documentation of the rhinoplasty procedure are presented so that constancy and repeatability can be brought to pre- and postoperative documentation sessions and then be delegated to staff. These methods can be extrapolated for the documentation of other surgical procedures.
Photographs that illustrate the posing procedure and its effectiveness accompany the presentation.
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