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Thread: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

  1. #11

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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    Many years ago had to shoot a bunch of maps and large drawings for our Museum. Linhof Heavy Duty copy stand with an extension column added on and with a horizontal extension to get the camera farther away from the stand's vertical column. Even with the camera up high on the column(s), I had no problems with vibration. 4x5 Sinar Norma with Sinar binocular viewer so that could look forward at the GG. 2 flash heads on either side aimed down at the maps at a 45 degree angle with Polarizers on them and a Polarizer screwed into the lens for crossed Polarized lighting. 4x5 chromes which were sent out later to be scanned. Had to shoot test Chromes and add 1 or 2 cc gels to color balance... I was a bit skeptical of leaving my equipment set up at the at the Museum, but then I realized that the Museum had an excellent alarm system. Earlier this year had to photograph another bunch. This time used 2 LED flood lamps with Polarizers on them. Big change was to use my FX Nikon DSLR, again with a polarizer on the lens for crossed Polarized lighting. Shot the maps in sections and had Photoshop merge the images. Went so much faster and easier that I ended up also shooting a bunch of paintings.

  2. #12
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    Many years ago had to shoot a bunch of maps and large drawings for our Museum. Linhof Heavy Duty copy stand with an extension column added on and with a horizontal extension to get the camera farther away from the stand's vertical column. Even with the camera up high on the column(s), I had no problems with vibration.
    I have done work for museums as well.

    Well, you should not have problems with vibration if you used electronic flash.

    It is just bad luck you couldn't get a Polaroid MP-4 copy system. The local printers were throwing them into the dumpsters 20 years ago.

  3. #13

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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    Quote Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net View Post
    I have done work for museums as well.

    Well, you should not have problems with vibration if you used electronic flash.

    It is just bad luck you couldn't get a Polaroid MP-4 copy system. The local printers were throwing them into the dumpsters 20 years ago.
    I meant to say that with using the 2 LED flood lamps.....

  4. #14
    multiplex
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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    extremely sturdy tripod, and mount

  5. #15
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    I meant to say that with using the 2 LED flood lamps.....
    Understood, and it makes sense. Thanks for that.

  6. #16
    Drew Bedo's Avatar
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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    I have used a mirror on the front of the taking lens; a Spiratone "Circo-Mirro-Tach". Gotit off e-Bay years ago.

    Used it on a 4x5 Zone VI with 210mm lens. Wider lenses show the inside of the mirror mount. No exposure compensation is required for the mirror.

    In use, the image size is controlled by bellows extension, while focus must be don by lowering and raising the whole camera using a geared center column tripod.

    This worked qwell enough. The difficulties come from getting enough height over the subject and focusing with the tripod.

    Go for it.
    Drew Bedo
    www.quietlightphoto.com
    http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo




    There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!

  7. #17
    Les
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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    The sketch is bit rough and not necessarily to scale. You can construct several pieces of 2x4's....attaching the camera with a clamp or tripod head for more flexible movements.....pushing the whole contraption against the ceiling. If you don't wish to mar the ceiling you can put some pads or material on that side, preventing that. Anyway, couple longer boards would bow slightly (as per pic), but keeping everything against the ceiling as desired. You can tweak the focus on the same trajectory and not necessarily on the object you intend to focus on....with fair amount of accuracy. You can also use various aids like a cell phone (go-pro tor mini security camera) to determine where it focuses on gg. Granted, it may not be perfect, but it will be elevated :>). Basically it's a home made solution....so don't rotten tomatoes this way. Best of luck.

    Les
    Click image for larger version. 

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  8. #18

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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    Quote Originally Posted by Leszek Vogt View Post
    Basically it's a home made solution....so don't rotten tomatoes this way.Click image for larger version. 

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    Good luck with that one! Like some fraternities (hopefully, not most) hazing has been reported.

    I, for one, love DIY:

    www.instructables.com

    https://www.diyphotography.net

  9. #19
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    Quote Originally Posted by xkaes View Post
    Good luck with that one! Like some fraternities (hopefully, not most) hazing has been reported.

    I, for one, love DIY:
    Sure, but is it your DIY, or from someone else? I suspect the later because, in part, you have not contributed. Oh, have you authored any fake PhDs lately?

  10. #20

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    Re: Any Tips On Photographing From Overhead With A 4x5

    I forgot to mention one other thing... Make triple sure that nothing on the camera or attached to the camera could fall onto what you are photographing. Years ago I had a hard time getting permission to photograph some old documents in our State's Library. In the end got permission and the trust of the administrator who I was dealing with. Turned out that another photographer was given permission to photograph some original documents a few weeks before with his view camera. Documents were only handled by the staff with white cotton gloves. While he was photographing one of the documents, something fell from the camera (never learned what it was) onto the document damaging it.

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