Christian,
Karen has a good suggestion, and perhaps you can even borrow a studio flash set-up rather than have someone do it for you. Alternatively, you can get decent results with a camera-mounted flash with an inexpensive deflector/reflector made just for this purpose so you can bounce the flash, reducing the reflections and spreading the light more evenly. You may even be able to borrow these from the photography department if they can not lend you a portable studio unit. After all, it is summer and their equipment probably has light usage.
Marc
American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
4 Rockville Road
Broad Brook, CT 06016
www.conservator.com
860-386-6058
Marc A. Williams, President
MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
Former Chief Wooden Objects Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
From: christian
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2015 11:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Photographing large items
Hi Marc,
Thanks so much for your information/suggestions. We are updating photos of all of the pieces in the museum's collection because the quality of the original photos is quite poor (blurry, poor lighting, no scale, etc). These photos will be for museum records only with no intention of being published, digitally or otherwise.
Unfortunately, we have a very limited budget (pretty much $0) so we're looking for economical means of taking these photos. Rarely does the museum acquire new pieces so an investment in photo equipment is not in the current budget.
Christian
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 8, 2015, at 9:41 AM, Marc A Williams <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Christian,
The answer to your question starts with a question to you. What is the purpose of the photography? If it is simply to have a record of the object, use a digital SLR with mounted flash. Take the photo at the best angle you can that minimizes reflection. Don't worry about a backdrop. If it is for something that you might use informally and perhaps be used on your web site, you can purchase small studio flash units with two flash units and two umbrellas for a few hundred dollars. These will allow you to get more even lighting (one left, one right) on larger objects and reduce much of the reflection. Again, don't worry about backdrops for larger items. If it is for publication and a backdrop really matters, hire a professional, as Tim suggested. You want to have a color scale and grey scale, as well as a measuring scale in the photo. These are easily available from any photo supplier. You can simply lean them next to the object or glue one to a block of wood that can stand on any convenient surface. For larger objects, I have even placed it on the object itself in a location that does not obscure part of the object.
Marc
American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
4 Rockville Road
Broad Brook, CT 06016
www.conservator.com
860-386-6058
Marc A. Williams, President
MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
Former Chief Wooden Objects Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
From: christian
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2015 6:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Photographing large items
Hello everyone,
I'm interning at a small museum & will be re-photographing all of the artifacts in the museum's collection. Some of these items are very large, heavy, and/or semi-permanently affixed to the walls. What is the best method to photograph these items in their current locations? The gallery where they are on display is dimly lit though additional lighting will not be a problem. I'm mostly concerned with an appropriate backdrop & the ability to include a scale.
Christian Roesler
Archaeology/Museum Studies graduate student
University of Memphis
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