Digitizing Your Photos, Slides, and Negatives - Beginning Photo Retouching and Restoration Using GIMP - page 24

Find a Service Provider
When you have to digitize a large photograph, check with the local photo labs or with photographers who
offer copy services. They can photograph your image and either provide you with a copy negative or a
digital file (which is preferable). Printing companies often use oversized scanners for large documents,
photographs, or artwork—usually up to 11" × 17".

Use Your Camera and Tripod
With a sturdy tripod and a decent digital camera, you can fashion your own copy stand to digitize large
pictures (you can also purchase a purpose-built copy stand from a photographic supplier). The tripod
should have a head that can tilt at 90 degrees and be tall enough to allow adequate room to place the image
between the feet. I set up the following example (Figure 2-3 ) outside, on an overcast day, with my camera's
white balance set to Daylight, and the ISO set to 100. Although I prefer shooting outside like this, it's not
always practical—the weather doesn't always cooperate.

Figure 2-3. A tripod set up as a copy stand and a 16” × 20” portrait digitized with a camera

For working indoors, good results can be achieved by using three or four 250-watt photo flood lamps
and the Tungsten setting on your camera. Photo flood bulbs have a color temperature of 3200 degrees Kelvin
to help capture your image with the correct color balance. B&H Photo is a great online supplier from which
to purchase studio lighting equipment. Visit their site at www.bhphotovideo.com . You can also shop on eBay
for good used equipment.
Following are the steps to capture a large image with a digital camera and tripod setup:

1. Position the tripod over the image.

2. Tilt the tripod's head at a 90-degree angle (the camera should point straight

down at the image) and move the tripod, as required, to frame the image within
the camera's viewfinder and minimize distortion of the image.