HFA camera type
A digital camera is the best type of camera to use in a clinic situation. You can take as many images as you need (nine is the minimum but you can take more) and they can be downloaded into a computer straight away and examined at the end of the consultation. When VCCH commenced the Homœopathic Facial Analysis (HFA) project we used a 2.2 megapixel camera, which was adequate. Later as technology advanced, we upgraded to a 7 megapixel camera which has the advantage of not losing any accuracy when the image is zoomed up close. 10 megapixel cameras are common now but a lesser quality is still adequate for facial analysis.
Phone cameras
Most patients use phone cameras to take (and send) their photos since online clinic has become more popular. While the quality is good – often photos are too big to send by email – holding a phone camera straight is more challenging than holding a traditional camera with a viewer box to the operators face. This action stabilizes the camera. Where possible, use a traditional good quality digital camera.
Photos - importance
The information you need, will be gained with photos provided they encompass the right size, presentation and angles. It is VITAL you take proper photos or have your patients’ send you proper photos. You may have to ask them a few times and talk them through the errors on their photos and how to fix them. If this still doesn’t get you good quality photos, set up a video session and talk them into sitting straight and take screen shots. Make sure the lighting is good.
The purpose of photos is to get images of a patient’s face that can then be examined (and enlarged) on the computer screen. By enlarging the photo, you will see information that you hadn’t noticed when they were sitting in front of you. However conversely you will also see information that doesn’t show on the photos. This is because a photo takes a two-dimensional image, and we are three dimensional.
There are nine basic photos that must be taken for a correct facial analysis:
- Front on
- Hairline showing
- Smiling (natural)
- Smiling (all teeth)
- Profile left
- Profile right
- Smiling (no flash or outside)
- Frowning between eyebrows (lines)
- Lifting eyebrows (lines on forehead)
There are several areas of the face that are difficult to rate if the head is held on an angle or is moving while being looked at:
- Forehead
- Bridge of nose
- Eyes
- Smile
- Teeth
- Chin
- Ears
- Asymmetry
To some degree, you can adjust your photos where the photo can be tilted to the correct angle via your computer photo system. This is ok for up/down errors but not for side to side.