art/document reproduction

[greenetee photo]

I am going to be doing copy work of historic architectural drawings. The drawings have been rolled up for approximately 50 years, so there is not way they drawings will flatten out on their own. I am not allowed to take the drawings out of the archive, so I will have to set up there. What is the best way to flatten the images? Use a piece of non-glare glass? I'm not allowed to put anything on the drawings (tape, adhesive putty) to adhere them to a wall, so they will have to be shot from above or from an angle. It would be so much easier to take them to a studio in Atlanta that does reproduction work, but that isn't going to happen. (The images have to photographed large format because a negative is needed, so they can't be scanned.)

[jmooney]

What about using some map weights:

http://www.gsdirect.net/Categories/File+Mailing+Supplies/File+Folders+Carrier+Strips/Map+Weights/

[Oren Grad]

(The images have to photographed large format because a negative is needed, so they can't be scanned.)

Digital files can be written to film. Whether that's a reasonable way to go depends on your situation - constraints on the capture process, intended use of the files/negatives, budget.

An example of an organization that does this sort of work:

http://www.albumenworks.com/

[erie patsellis]

How large are they and what are your time contraints? Ideally, a vacuum back would work, you can make one easily enough using a small shopvac, a little lumber and either pegboard or other material you would drill holes into. (think air hockey table in reverse)

[greenetee photo]

The docs are approximately 24x36". I'm shooting the job next week. I was told today that we would be shooting documents in addition to shooting building exteriors. Thanks for the heads up!

It has to be something I can transport fairly easily. I thought about creating a box using foam core and the foam used in Pelican cases. I would build it the same proportion as 4x5. The documents would be placed on the foam, and on top of that I would place a piece of non-glare glass. It would be relatively light, and easily transportable.

How would the vacuum back work?

[erie patsellis]

pretty much the same as an air hockey table, but in reverse. Instead of blowing air up, you suck air down (I use a small 1 gal. shop vac). It works very well for lighter materials, such as maps and drawings.

[Greg Lockrey]

you can make a table with peg board some 1x4"s and a vacuum cleaner

peg board on top of 1x4's and solid board like foam core on bottom. drill hole into 1x4 and insert vacuum cleaner hose and turn on suction

shooting through glass is a pain, but regular glass is better than non-glare just use cross polarization lighting

[greenetee photo]

How do you attach the vaccuum to the back of the board? And does this mean that while you're shooting you are listening to the shop vac run?

[greenetee photo]

Ooops, sorry. Didn't see the reply before I asked how the shop vac works.

[greenetee photo]

Ok, I've assemble all the parts I need for this reverse air hockey table. What about the noise? I'm going to be shooting documents for an entire day. Will I be deaf at the end of the day? :-)

[Cesar Barreto]

I had this kind of problem a bunch of times in the past and used different solutions depending on maps sizes and what I was allowed to do. Magnets are great if you can work some metallic thing to stay under the maps. Once I used elastic bands to hold the borders, using or not paper clips. Already used glass, with great sucess, but it takes some space and work to deal with reflections.
On my last job, when I had to shoot some hundreds of architecture drawings, the last solution was the only to work out fine and I used a plywood board inclined about 30º to hold the maps and the glass. Laser align kept everything squared and after building the set everything went out pretty fast.

[Mike Anderson]

Ok, I've assemble all the parts I need for this reverse air hockey table. What about the noise? I'm going to be shooting documents for an entire day. Will I be deaf at the end of the day? :-)

I'd see about using a garden hose as an extension. If using a garden hose doesn't lose too much vacuum, you can get a 50' or 100' foot hose and locate the vacuum away from the photo area. Doing photography next to a running shop vac doesn't seem like fun.

...Mike

[greenetee photo]

"Laser align kept everything squared and after building the set everything went out pretty fast."


How does laser alignment work? I've never heard of that. Obviously I haven't done any copy work in a loooong time. :)