Textured originals

[thomasgeorge]

Jeaniesa, Have you tried any filters besides the polarizing type? In Astrophotography many folks use certain of the "colored" filters to enhance faint Planetary detail etc. with good results .Just a thought, Tom

[jeaniesa]

Tom, No, I haven't tried any colored filters, though I did wonder briefly about that idea. Can you provide a little more detail? I've never taken a photography class (I will be this fall, finally!), so I'm not real clear on the use of colored filters. Are you talking about using them on a camera (copystand) or on the scanner (between the glass and the photo)? -Jeanie

[thomasgeorge]

Jeanesia, Check out this: goto; TELESCOPE.COM>ORION TELESCOPE AND BINOCULAR CENTER>main page will open, SELECT TELESCOPE ACCESSORIES from the menu at the top of the page right side,>select FILTERS> and finally select ORION COLOR PLANETARY FILTERS. There follows a good description of what each filter is used for, what it enhances etc.. In Astrophotography the filters are usually mounted seperate from the camera in either motorized "filter wheel" devices, in frames which are manually removed and inserted or in "sliding bars" which allow linear mounting of as many as 5 or 6 filters which can be slid in front of the camers lens. May be a "dead end" but.... Tom

[Ed_L]

Jeanie and Tom,

I don't think there will be any benefit from using the colored filters if the photo to be copied is B&W. A red or yellow filter is commonly used with B&W film to enhance (darken) a light blue sky. But, as always, don't take my word for it -- check it out!

Ed

[thomasgeorge]

Ed, The majority of the Astro CCD cameras are BW with only a couple of exceptions. To get color the "target" planet or whatever is shot through colored filters, usually RGB although there has been some experimentation with CMYK ones. The greyscale images are then combined to produce the color composit. I was thinking that since we use the greyscale images in the channels pallete to find the one with the best "look"(exactly like the greyscale images shot thru the filters of the Astro camera) perhaps this methodology could be adapted to using the colored filters to enhance the "whatever" in J's photos. Sometimes teasing detail out of a shot of Jupiters clouds or subtle details of the Martian landscape or clouds can be done by this method. Only a stab in the dark though. Thanks for the info!!! Tom

[Doug Nelson]

I've been playing with a technique I first heard about over a year ago, involving scanning through some sort of diffusion material such as vellum, onionskin, etc. I've had mixed results.

The idea is if you have a satin/linen/textured photo you place it on this paper, scan through the paper, then use curves to bring back the tonality. The diffusion quality of the paper fills in the textures.

The good news is: it works.
The bad news is: the threads in the paper are at least as bad as the photo texture

I've experimented with other materials. It looks like some sort of plastic will be required. I actually got very good results scanning through a white kitchen trashbag, but the plastic was so limp it added wrinkles.

I've actually been shopping at art, craft, and drafting supply stores trying to find the ideal material. It should be threadless, textureless, white (no colorcast), translucent, and thin enough so that focus isn't a problem. But it also needs to have some stiffness so it won't wrinkle when sandwiched between the photo and glass.

I was looking forward to posting my discovery as a great new tutorial, with before/after, screenshots, etc. But I've not been able to find the right material. Now I invite you all to explore and experiment. The ideal material will be something with a specific brandname and model number, so there's no guesswork for others to do.

[kathleen]

i wonder if something the texture/consistency of the plastic that covers the graphics tablet would work.

if so, i have been racking my brain to think what would serve as a replacement for same,(i have an annoying scratch on mine, need to replace) it reminded me of something, and have about decided it is xray film. pretty stiff. it's blue though, but transparent. would that matter?

[Doug Nelson]

Kathleen:

Are you talking about plastic to draw through? Blue won't matter for that. In fact, some folks put paper on their drawing pads to provide a more natural 'feel' for their drawing. I think that's why the pens have replaceable plastic nibs, in case they wear down from working through non-slick surfaces.

[kathleen]

mmmhmm.

the plastic to draw through. i know the color wouldn't matter for that, but thought the surface and rigidity might lend itself to the use you're talking about. except for the blue?

[Doug Nelson]

The blue would disqualify it. Plus it might be too transparent.

[jeaniesa]

Originally posted by Doug Nelson
I was looking forward to posting my discovery as a great new tutorial, with before/after, screenshots, etc. But I've not been able to find the right material.

Hmmm - I had exactly the same idea. Been working on it for 4 months and I haven't given up yet! You gave me a couple other ideas - what about frosted glass or glare-proof glass (used in framing art.) Have you tried either of those? If not, I'll try to find some. If so, I won't waste my time.

Jeanie

[Doug Nelson]

Nope, I haven't tried any glasses, mostly on the assumption that they were too thick and might cause focussing problems. But now that I think about it, that might actually be an advantage.

Let me know how it turns out

[jeaniesa]

Well, I know for a fact that straight plate glass does not hurt focussing - but it also doesn't eliminate the unwanted reflection off of the textured surface. I'll let you know if I get any better results with frosted glass (aka sand-blasted, I think.)

[thomasgeorge]

Has anyone tried an infrared blocking filter? Just another shot in the dark perhaps. Tom

[Sally]

I can think of 2 ways to eliminate the “noise” (white spots) in the textured paper. Pre digital manipulation it was done with a copy stand and a polarise over each light. I never owned this expensive set up, but used to put a photo in a glass bowl of water to copy. I needed to adhere it to the bottom to keep it flat. You need to be familiar with the type of photo, because if you use this method on an unsuitable print you could damage the photo.

I now do something similar with my scanner. I get a cup of water and I gently rub the whole photo with wet fingers until the whole lot is damp but no visible water on the surface. I just rub any wet areas until they are absorbed by the print surface. Then scan it.

Remember to be cautious. Try out an unimportant corner first to make sure that the emulsion isn’t lifting.

I can send a before and after sample if some one lets me know the URL for posting it.

Sally Cowell