Re: [MCN-L] Digitizing Photographs
I would say that I would be much more concerned about the heat on the glass bed of the flatbed scanner than the light exposure. Those beds get pretty hot after multiple scans and this can do an awful lots of damage by activating dirt on the surface of the photograph or causing chemical reactions within the substrates. This can easily be alleviated by running two imaging rigs so that one is cooling as the other is imaging so the bed stays relatively safe heatwise but this comes with obvious added workflow complications plus space and hardware implications. Best, Simon Simon Tanner Department of Digital Humanities Room 219, 2nd Floor Drury Lane King's College London Email: simon.tan...@kcl.ac.uk Twitter: @SimonTanner -Original Message- From: mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu] On Behalf Of Frank Kennedy Sent: 23 January 2015 16:51 To: mcn-l@mcn.edu Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Digitizing Photographs As was passed on to me by the NEDCC, the light exposure from a flatbed scanner is similar to having the original object on exhibit for one day. With that in mind, you can decide. A camera copy stand will likely use powerful incandescent lights which are highly damaging, but for such a brief time that the result is the same - like one day on exhibit. LED lit type scanners produce very little UV light and the scanning can be considered harmless. As others have pointed out, be careful with handling and the forced flattening of any curled prints which will crack the gelatin. We've scanned many thousands of old BW prints this way. Personally, I find the results from a flatbed visually superior to the results from high-end photography, with the added benefit of no skew or fisheye.. Frank Kennedy, IT Manager Norman Rockwell Museum 9 Glendale Rd., PO BOX 308 Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-931-2216, fax 413-931-2316 http://www.nrm.org ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/ ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
Re: [MCN-L] Digitizing Photographs
There are many considerations to be taken into account, and the best solution will be particular to each institution and project. I've noticed a few references to the heat produced by incandescent lights on a copystand. For the record, flash is highly preferrable to incandescent in most copystand setups. Flash generates almost no IR and it's UV can easily be filtered. In greater sharpness (compared to incandescent, which commonly requres slow shutter speeds -- subject to vibration, etc.) frequently results. The sharpness advantage is due to exposures that use 1 extremely brief pulse of flash light, which can be as short as ~ 1/5,000 sec., depending on equipment. Of course the camera/strobe approach requires additional expertise. But the lighting setup can often be done once and locked down for use by less imaging-experienced staff. Erik MoMA On Fri, Jan 23, 2015 at 11:50 AM, Frank Kennedy fkenn...@nrm.org wrote: As was passed on to me by the NEDCC, the light exposure from a flatbed scanner is similar to having the original object on exhibit for one day. With that in mind, you can decide. A camera copy stand will likely use powerful incandescent lights which are highly damaging, but for such a brief time that the result is the same - like one day on exhibit. LED lit type scanners produce very little UV light and the scanning can be considered harmless. As others have pointed out, be careful with handling and the forced flattening of any curled prints which will crack the gelatin. We've scanned many thousands of old BW prints this way. Personally, I find the results from a flatbed visually superior to the results from high-end photography, with the added benefit of no skew or fisheye.. Frank Kennedy, IT Manager Norman Rockwell Museum 9 Glendale Rd., PO BOX 308 Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-931-2216, fax 413-931-2316 http://www.nrm.org ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/ -- *Erik Landsberg* *Director, Imaging and Visual Resources* *The Museum of Modern Art* 11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019 212-708-9489 erik_landsb...@moma.org www.moma.org ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
Re: [MCN-L] Digitizing Photographs
Yes, I’ve used flatbed scanners everywhere from the National Archives to medium sized art museums in the Midwest. As Joseph stated - it all depends on the type of image - super uber fragile or not. I’m not a conservator - but, I figure using a flatbed scanner and the fear of light damaging the image…wouldn’t it only damage it noticeably if you use the scanner light repeatedly? (sort of like taking multiple flash images of a painting for 100 years over time..). And yeah, I’d just hire a consultant/contractor to photograph delicate images. So you don’t have to invest financially in fancy pants camera equipment. -Sarah On Jan 23, 2015, at 7:46 AM, Joseph Hoover joe.hoo...@mnhs.org wrote: In a case of a small museum with limited resources, I would go ahead and use the flatbed scanner. Using a copy stand is a good approach, however, unless your organization has the resources and money to hire (or find a volunteer) a professional photographer who is experienced and can accurately measure and balance light and tone, you are more than likely to wind up with a poor quality reproduction and you may find that you will do more physical and light damage to the photo than on a scanner. I have seen inexperienced museums professionals use camera stands with terrible results. You have to know what you are doing with a camera stand to get good light, exposure balance and tone, with a scanner, while you may have other technical issues, lighting issues are not one of them. It really comes down to using conservator common sense with the resources you have. Are you dealing with a one-of-a-kind photograph of Abraham Lincoln or a black and white snap shots of a church picnic? However, if the photo is fragile from damage or is over-sized, I would set those aside and have them photographed later. -- *Joe Hoover* | Digital Technology Outreach Specialist Minnesota Historical Society | Historic Preservation Department 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55102 (651) 259-3461 joe.hoo...@mnhs.org | www.mnhs.org/lhs On Thu, Jan 22, 2015 at 3:05 PM, Matt Wheeler mwhee...@pmm-maine.org wrote: Good afternoon. We have a collection which consists mostly of black and white photographic prints and are beginning to digitize them using flatbed scanners. However, I spoke to a conservator who advised that they be rephotographed with a digital camera instead due to the intense light exposure on a flatbed. Is this a legitimate concern? Will the scanners cause degradation of the originals, and would this degradation be considerable? Thanks in advance. __ Matt Wheeler, Photography Archives, Penobscot Marine Museum Archives (207) 548-2529 ext. 211 5 Church Street, PO Box 498 Searsport, Maine 04974 ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/ ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
Re: [MCN-L] Digitizing Photographs
As was passed on to me by the NEDCC, the light exposure from a flatbed scanner is similar to having the original object on exhibit for one day. With that in mind, you can decide. A camera copy stand will likely use powerful incandescent lights which are highly damaging, but for such a brief time that the result is the same - like one day on exhibit. LED lit type scanners produce very little UV light and the scanning can be considered harmless. As others have pointed out, be careful with handling and the forced flattening of any curled prints which will crack the gelatin. We've scanned many thousands of old BW prints this way. Personally, I find the results from a flatbed visually superior to the results from high-end photography, with the added benefit of no skew or fisheye.. Frank Kennedy, IT Manager Norman Rockwell Museum 9 Glendale Rd., PO BOX 308 Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-931-2216, fax 413-931-2316 http://www.nrm.org ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
[MCN-L] Register for 2015! Simmons LIS Continuing Education - Online Classes
(please excuse cross-postings) *Simmons SLIS Continuing Education – Exceptional CE Since 1975* Winter 2015 Online (asynchronous) Workshops $250 (SLIS Alumni Price: $200) PDPs: 15 CEUs: 1.5 February 3 - February 28, 2015 Digital Integration Literacy MARC Basics for New Catalogers Marketing the 21st Century Library Preserving Your Collections March 1 - March 31, 2015 Discovering the Ins and Outs of Interlibrary Loan Small Library Management Starting and Growing a Research Business Teen Lit Boot Camp: Gender and Teen Lit The Book as iPad App: Multimedia, Multi-touch ebooks and their Future in Libraries April 1 - April 30, 2015 Applying Learning Theories to Information Literacy Instructions Diversity 102: Moving Beyond and Forward (5 weeks - $300/$250, 20 PDPs, 2.0 CEUs) Learning Objects for Librarians: An Introduction Transforming Libraries to Serve a Knowledge Networked Society When the Internet is Just a Stepping Stone: Historical Research for the Cultural Heritage Professional *** For additional information on workshops or to register see http://alanis.simmons.edu/ceweb or contact sli...@simmons.edu Linnea Johnson '04LS 2014 MBA Candidate Manager of Technology | Adjunct Faculty School of Library and Information Science Simmons College | 300 The Fenway | Boston, MA 02115 office 617.521.2834 Continuing Education School of Library and Information Science Simmons College | 300 The Fenway | Boston, MA 02115 office 617.521.2803 | fax 617.521.3192 email sli...@simmons.edu ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
Re: [MCN-L] mcn-l Digest, Vol 113, Issue 12 Digitizing Photographs
Here is a relevant article regarding the light levels used in modern flatbed scanners https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://www.city-gallery.com/learning/guide/light-levels.phpk=Zn6W9g0QMlyJSNRckEnWug%3D%3D%0Ar=gHnaDWocvuQXhwjmuMBP9g%3D%3D%0Am=KuiQOv77OIOx2NO0VEOvzsrces5LCw8rQDDb0KJVKW0%3D%0As=45572c6a984ea1325062e61a711830de73ff0e4b370486dafe77969651b7f69e There was another at: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://www.analyticalphilately.org/images/ScanningCCP.pdfk=Zn6W9g0QMlyJSNRckEnWug%3D%3D%0Ar=gHnaDWocvuQXhwjmuMBP9g%3D%3D%0Am=KuiQOv77OIOx2NO0VEOvzsrces5LCw8rQDDb0KJVKW0%3D%0As=0d11bb29708dbcc8f07b76aaaf41b669a256e4c9d65d5ed1a8f1c5a311d7846b but the link is no longer active. I have contacted them asking if I could still obtain it. If it do, I will post it also. Marianne Weldon Collections Manager for Special Collections 202 Canaday Bryn Mawr College 101 North Merion Avenue Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 office 610-526-5022 mwel...@brynmawr.edu Fellow, The American Institute for Conservation See our collection online at: Triarte.brynmawr.edu and at emuseum.net ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
Re: [MCN-L] Digitizing Photographs
In a case of a small museum with limited resources, I would go ahead and use the flatbed scanner. Using a copy stand is a good approach, however, unless your organization has the resources and money to hire (or find a volunteer) a professional photographer who is experienced and can accurately measure and balance light and tone, you are more than likely to wind up with a poor quality reproduction and you may find that you will do more physical and light damage to the photo than on a scanner. I have seen inexperienced museums professionals use camera stands with terrible results. You have to know what you are doing with a camera stand to get good light, exposure balance and tone, with a scanner, while you may have other technical issues, lighting issues are not one of them. It really comes down to using conservator common sense with the resources you have. Are you dealing with a one-of-a-kind photograph of Abraham Lincoln or a black and white snap shots of a church picnic? However, if the photo is fragile from damage or is over-sized, I would set those aside and have them photographed later. -- *Joe Hoover* | Digital Technology Outreach Specialist Minnesota Historical Society | Historic Preservation Department 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55102 (651) 259-3461 joe.hoo...@mnhs.org | www.mnhs.org/lhs On Thu, Jan 22, 2015 at 3:05 PM, Matt Wheeler mwhee...@pmm-maine.org wrote: Good afternoon. We have a collection which consists mostly of black and white photographic prints and are beginning to digitize them using flatbed scanners. However, I spoke to a conservator who advised that they be rephotographed with a digital camera instead due to the intense light exposure on a flatbed. Is this a legitimate concern? Will the scanners cause degradation of the originals, and would this degradation be considerable? Thanks in advance. __ Matt Wheeler, Photography Archives, Penobscot Marine Museum Archives (207) 548-2529 ext. 211 5 Church Street, PO Box 498 Searsport, Maine 04974 ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
