Photodocumentation in skin of color.

Abstract

Photodocumentation is an important tool utilized across medical specialties and plays an especially pivotal role in dermatology given the visual nature of the field. Although it has been well-established that dermatologic diseases manifest differently in dark skin compared to light skin, there is under-representation of images of dark skin in dermatology textbooks and other educational resources. It is essential for dermatologists to work toward increasing the availability of images of dermatologic disease in dark skin by improving their own ability to successfully photograph dark-skinned patients. In this article, we describe our nuanced approach to photographing skin of color in regards to the ideal background type, lighting, and camera settings.