Field guides out in the field need not be illustrated

My experience offshore has enlightened me about field guides. Drawn pictures are no substitute to actual photographs. I use several guides in my work offshore when something comes up that I am not familiar with. And many times, I have been misled by drawings that are simply not accurate. While I applaud the artistic eye of the illustrators, the drawings simply are not detailed enough to be used in a scientific field.

Drawn field guides are good for an average recreational fisherman or diver but when accuracy in identification counts, nothing beats a photographic field guide.