FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about documentary photography for the Historic American Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record and Historic American Landscapes Survey programs ( HABS, HAER, HALS) of the Heritage Documentation Programs Department of the National Park Service. By Stephen D. Schafer. (FAQ is updated online at HABSPHOTO.com)

1. Frequently Asked Questions about HABS, HAER, HALS and (HABS-Like) photography
and the documentation of historic architecture, engineering and landscapes.
HABS Photography F. A. Q.
© 2024 Stephen D. Schafer www.HABSPHOTO.com
IS FILM STILL REQUIRED IN 2024?
Yes, large format, black and white film is still the only media that meets the Secretary of the Interior's
Guidelines and the photography guidelines for the HABS, HAER and HALS (H3) program.

2. Photographs from digital cameras (known as BORN-DIGITAL) do not yet meet the Secretary of the
Interior’s Standards which require large format film. The issue isn't sufficient megapixels, there are
complex issues including data transmittal, digital asset management of the files, file format
archivability, compression, color bit-depth, and perspective correction and data manipulation
guidelines that need to be established. Born-digital parameters are currently being codified by NPS and
the LoC.
Born-digital is coming soon, Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is currently alpha-testing the
technology with a Phase One IQ4 150 Trichromatic Back on a Arca-Swiss F-Line Universalis. However,
for contractors and independent photographers doing commissioned work for NPS review or mitigation,
analog large format film photography is currently the only way to meet the Secretary of the Interior's
Documentation Guidelines. Read more about Born-Digital HABS photography in this 2023 update: Born-
digital-habs-in-2023 Link
Many historic preservation mitigation requirements, for instance NEPA, Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; EIRs,
MNDs), reference the H3 guidelines specifically, and therefore they must be recorded on archival, large
format film and be transmitted to the LoC to comply.
BLACK AND WHITE… WHY NOT COLOR?
All three programs, HABS/HAER/HALS (H3), require photographs be taken on black & white film. The
technical requirement is: Silver-halide on a polyester base (similar to Ilford HP-5 or Kodak Tri-X).
If properly washed, this film is considered archival and resists fading resulting in a predicted Life
Expectancy of 500 years (LE500) or more under proper storage conditions. Color film uses dyes and
does not meet the LE500 requirement. Some resources that have colorful character defining features
and many HALS landscape documentations may require both black and white and duplicate views on
color transparency film. Additionally, color digital images of the resource are often included in the
field-notes (field notes are not required to meet the LE500 standard).
WHAT DOES LARGE FORMAT REFER TO?
Large format photography is captured by cameras that are capable of exposing large sheets of film that

3. are a minimum of 4 x 5 inches. 5 x 7 inch or 8 x 10 inch cameras are also common large format sizes.
5x7 has historically been the preferred format for HABS/HAER/HALS documentation used by in-house
NPS photographers at Heritage Documentation Programs in Washington, D.C.
Very important resources like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty were recorded on 5x7
film. Large Format aerial photos are typically made with 4x5 cameras because they can be hand-held in
aircraft. 8x10 cameras are often used for studio copy-views of historic photos, blueprints and maps but
are rarely used in the field because they are generally too heavy and cumbersome for extensive
location photography projects.
WHY IS LARGE FORMAT REQUIRED FOR HABS?
Quality, Consistency, and Life Expectancy.
The long answer is wonkier… The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, [as amended, now codified
in various sections of subtitle III of Title 54 U.S.C.] requires documentations meet the Secretary of the
Interior’s Guidelines for Architectural and Engineering Documentation. [48 Fed. Reg. 44,716 (1983)].
The “Guidelines” require large format film photography because it is durable, archival and records
maximum data. The National Park Service and Library of Congress (LoC) have systems and collections in
place for archiving and disseminating the large format images to the public making them accessible on
the internet.
Because the HABS documentation guidelines and specifications are the best practices for photographic
documentation, state and regional programs often use the HABS standards. In California, CEQA and
many local municipal ordinances have adopted the HABS guidelines, requiring large format
photography. If historic resources are impacted by new projects, demolition or alteration, there is
often a requirement to document the historic property by following the HABSHAERHALS recording
guidelines (which means the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines).
WHAT 3 THINGS CONSTITUTE A QUALITY DOCUMENTATION?
Documentations that meet the intent of the Guidelines have three main elements:
1. MAXIMUM DATA
2. ARCHIVAL MATERIALS
3. ACCESSIBILITY
1.) Maximum Data: The high resolution, large format photography must include maximum, accurate
data and shall be recorded with perspective correcting lenses. No retouching or alteration of the
records is allowed.

4. 2.) The film negatives, archival prints, report, measured drawings and captions must all be created on
archival materials, and the film shall be processed to archival standards to insure of 500+ year Life
Expectancy (LE500).
3.) In order to truly be a public benefit, the photos and report must be accessible to the public. This is
the reason records are sent to the Library of Congress and the reason the HABS/HAER/HALS online
collection is one of the most popular. (It receives nearly 50,000 visitors a month.) In order for 3H
records to indeed mitigate impacts they must be in the public domain (uncopyrighted) and accessible
to provide architects, engineers, students, scholars, preservationists, publishers, and interested
members of the public with information on the historical, technological, and cultural significance of
America's historic resources.
The only way to meet the Guidelines is through a process that ensures that the photographs, reports
and/or drawings are transmitted to Preservation Documentation Programs (HDP) of the National Park
Service. HDP will then transmit the documentation to the Library of Congress for scanning and public
dissemination. When donation to the NPS/LoC is not possible, it is imperative that the documentation
be 1. maximum-data, 2. archival and 3. public. Local museums, archives or libraries might serve
purpose #3, though not with the reach and storage ability of the LoC. Archives selected to receive
a mitigation project need to be able to handle the records easily, be publicly accessible and actually
used by the public. A documentation/mitigation that ends up on a shelf in city hall, a secure military
library or damp basement archive, accessible only by secret handshake, fails at providing public benefit
of any kind.

5. DO I NEED TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING AFTER I DO A HABS? No.
HOW MANY PICTURES DO YOU NEED FOR A TYPICAL HABS/HAER/HALS PHOTO PROJECT?

6. Establishing the right number of field views is always a complex question. The answer is as diverse as
the American heritage we document. It comes down to significance, budgets, time, access,
motivations, lawsuits, insurance, etc. If the building is a little garage in a historic district, then two
views may be sufficient. If that garage is the "HP Garage" birthplace of the Silicon Valley, then it would
likely warrant more views. For example, what about demolition of Heim Bridge in Long Beach, the
largest lift-span bridge in the Western United States? 11 views? 39 views? 74? Or 113?
In complex recording projects, the scope needs to be informed by the size of the resource, its context,
its complexity and its significance. In the Heim Bridge example, forty HAER field-photos were taken in
the field, forty copies were made of original engineering drawings to explicate the bridge's engineering
significance. Without access to the historic blueprints and plans, many more detailed field view
photographs of the bridge would have been warranted.
How was that quantity determined? Scouting, asking a lot of questions and working with an
architectural historian to analyze the bridge's significance and character defining features. There is no
simple guideline, but working with a preservation expert and an experienced HABS/HAER/HALS
photographer can help with complex scoping. The intent is to tell a complete story about the resource,
which may mean interiors, context, landscape, details and possibly even aerials if the resource is a
large district or property. However, the documentation should not be excessive, punitive or
disproportionate to the significance of the resource.
HOW MANY COPIES ARE PRODUCED FOR A TYPICAL HABS/HAER/HALS SURVEY?
Two or more usually. If the documentation package is formally reviewed by the National Park Service
(NPS) Regional Office for transmittal to the Library of Congress, then customarily 1 set of negatives and
2 sets of prints are delivered. Often additional copies are requested by the lead-agency, the
State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), consulting parties or the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation (ACHP) to fulfill local mitigation obligations or conditions. Local museums are typical
recipients of documentation reports. Often libraries, historic societies, state museums, universities,
the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and even advocacy groups are listed to receive copies of
records.
It again comes down to significance. If the building is the "HP Garage," birthplace of the Silicon Valley,
its regional importance could warrant duplicate copies in every library in the Silicon Valley. State and
local H3-Like documentations require one or more sets of negatives and multiple print-only copies be
delivered to archives such as state or regional museums, historic societies, university libraries and
regional information centers. Because the negatives and prints are expensive to
produce, original copies may not be warranted for all archives, especially if the negatives are
transmitted to the LoC. Archival laser-copies or a DVD of digital scans may be sufficient duplicate

7. records for historic societies, local libraries. Planning departments may only need a digital copy and
proof of transmittal to NPS to sign off on the mitigation because they probably are not able to store
negatives or prints in archival conditions. It might seem that uploading reports and images to the web
would be much easier but the necessity of maintaining a website, links and hosting digital documents in
perpetuity makes printed copies more reliable. (Have you ever been linked to a 404 website that didn't
exist?)
IS THERE A WAY TO DO HABS-Like DOCUMENTATION FOR LESS?
HABS, HAER and HALS negatives, drawings and written histories are scanned and made keyword
searchable. They are made available on the LoC website 24/7/365. The negatives are archived to
achieve a 500-year life expectancy in secure, temperature- and humidity-controlled conditions at Fort
Meade in Maryland.
– That sure is a perfectly stored, and publicly accessible document!
It may seem counterintuitive, but you can save time and money on local mitigations if the final records
meet the 3H guidelines and the documentation is donated to the 3H collections. No costly duplicates
are required. No NPS regional office review is required. No contacting, mailing and chasing down
acceptance forms from local libraries, historic societies and museums. If your record meets H3
guidelines, then making multiple sets of it will cost more than making one set for donation. To donate
a record to NPS, see this HOW-TO on my HABS MADE BETTER & CHEAPER page.
An example of this approach was the documentation of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Building
(HABS CA-2870), the first skyscraper in San Francisco, (Now the Yelp offices) which was photographed
before the project went through the planning process. Records were then donated to HABS informally
to mitigate the alteration and modernization of interior spaces: www.loc.gov Pac Tel

8. CAN ANY PHOTOGRAPHER DO HABS/HAER/HALS?
Yes, the HABS/HAER/HALS photography guidelines can be downloaded from the NPS website. Any
photographer with experience using large format cameras and film (4x5 and 5x7 cameras) and familiar
with perspective control can do an H3 photo survey. If you want to learn large format photography, 4x5
cameras, can be rented in larger markets like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles for those
wanting to try out the equipment. It should be noted that the requirements for acceptance of records
are strict. The guidelines for recording, processing and transmitting HABS/HAER/HALS surveys are
available for download (Guidelines Link) and it takes some time to master the field photography
workflow, logistics, field notes, maps, darkroom work, archival washing and printing.
We have found that for every day of fieldwork making photographs, there are four additional days of
darkroom and post-production required to complete and ship final deliverables. Unfortunately, we
have also been called to redo documentations submitted to HDP by inexperienced photographers that
were rejected because they did not meet archival specifications. Some photographers may not carry
the required insurance or may not wish to sign away their copyright to photographs and release them
into the public domain (a copyright release is required with every HABS, HAER and HALS transmittal).
Therefore, you may only find a handful of photographers in any region with the desire, training,
equipment and experience to deliver a HABS/HAER or HALS survey on time and on budget.
Suggested reading for photographers:
Recording Historic Structures (2nd edition)
A Record in Detail by Jack E. Boucher.
Industrial Eye by Jet Lowe.
A Constructed View by Julius Shulman.

9. DOES A HABS DOCUMENTATION NEED TO BE PRINTED IN A DARKROOM?
An in-house darkroom can improve turn-around times and keeps the negatives from being shipped off-
site for developing and printing, but since June 2015, HABS guidelines have allowed for "Digital Print
Cards.”
The resource is still photographed on large-format film and the film processed and archivally washed as
before. Then, instead of being contact-printed in a wet darkroom, the negative is scanned and printed
on a digital pigment printer using archival inks. This does not generally save time, but it allows
photographers without darkrooms to make H3 prints. "HABS Digital Print Cards" may also be a less time-
consuming way to make large numbers of printed copies for numerous museums and libraries.
WHAT IS “HABS-Like", “HAER-Like" & “HALS-Like" PHOTOGRAPHY?
HABS-Style, HAER-Like and Diet-HALS (H3-Like) are generalized terms, which require definition on a
case-by-case basis. In our experience, ‘HABS-Like’ parameters are an attempt to establish a less
complicated mitigation than official HABS/HAER/HALS documentations. There is no formal definition
for HALS-Like or HAER-lite or HABS-Style because the consultants writing the mitigation – not the NPS –
are making up on-the-spot rules.
In our experience "HABS-Like" generally means that H3 guidelines are used for recording, content and
deliverables but the finished documents (prints and negatives) may not be submitted to the Library of
Congress (This can be an expensive mistake, see the information about HABS Made Better and
cheaper).
In some situations however, the mitigation intent of HABS-Like documentations is minimized without a
meaningful quality standard, marginalized by being distributed only locally, and archival storage and
public access are diminished. In California, some of the “Like” mitigations we have worked on were
triggered by CEQA to mitigate impacts in Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) or Mitigated Negative
Declarations (MNDs). While HABS-Like documents were required by a local lead-agency, they did not
meet the mitigation requirements on the Secretary’s Guidelines for Architectural and Engineering
Documentation, and often they were delivered on color prints or digital media like CD-Rs that were
misplaced or were unreadable a decade later (or the photographer claimed copyright to the photos
making them unusable for the public). In state or local H3-like documents, it is important to put the
photographs in the public domain and make copies of the report available to the public in multiple,
accessible locations.
Note: Until official HABS/HAER/HALS numbers are assigned by NPS through donation or by the
Regional NPS Office for mitigation review, they are not real HABS, HAER or HALS
documentations. To avoid confusion, if a documentation is not transmitted to NPS/LoC the it should

10. never have the acronyms HABS/HAER or HALS printed anywhere on the record or have a
HABS/HAER/HALS number that implies acceptance to NPS/LoC.
DOES A SITE NEED TO BE ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER TO BE INCLUDED IN HABS?
Sites do not need to be formally registered on the National Register of Historic Places or be Landmarks
to be documented, but sites recorded for the HABS, HAER, HALS collections should be historically
significant, at least locally. The HABS/HAER/HALS collection seeks to record "A Complete Resume of
the Builders' Art", including folk and vernacular examples of historic resources and sites that may only
be locally significant. In 2017, the Associate Director, Cultural Resources, Partnerships and Science, in
a memo [H1817(2270)] to all State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, clarified that "…HDP, will
accept all documentation of National Register and National Register-eligible properties of national,
state, regional or local significance…” So, if a building, district, object, structure or site is Local, State
or National Register eligible then H3 large format photography would be the proper way to record the
site.
• • • •
STEPHEN SCHAFER ©2024
www.HABSPHOTO.com