Sequence viewing > Index - Copying Techniques - Resource - © Lloyd Godman

Original copy material - Large originals

Large works can be copied using the horizontal method but the larger area presents a more demanding challenge of the same set of problems - even illumination over the whole area and eliminating reflections etc.

There can be problems in lighting a work like this and also problems with perspective, aligning the camera in an exactly central position.

While it might be convenient to use a wider angle lens, try to use as larger focal length lens as possible and have more distance between the work and the camera.

This can cause a particular problem with works that might be in a gallery and extend high above the axis of the camera. Perhaps we dont have a tripod that allows us to get high enough to centre the camera with the work. In this example we see X is much longer than Y. This comes about because the distance from the top of the work to the camera lens is longer than the distance to the bottom. However by moving back and using a longer focal length lens; A is still longer than B the discrepancy is considerably reduced, which will correct the perspective to some degree.

Correcing perspective

• with a view camera

• in photoshop

In photoshop we can select the image, and under edit - using the transform tool - we xcan select perspective to correct the perspective completely.

However, remember that every action like this in photoshop is producing a lower qaulity image. The pixels that are being expanded are interpolated - so the more we can do in the camera the higher the qaulity of the resulting image.

If we copy a large work with the colour and grey scale reference wedges, we might find that the charts are so small in the frame that we can not get an accurate reading from them. With film grain might interfere – with digital we might have noise that does not allow us to gain an accurate reading from the scale.

Enlarged section of image above.

By taking a separate close up image of just the charts under the same lighting we can keep a much more accurate track of the grey scale.

By taking a separate close up image of just the charts under the same lighting we can keep a much more accurate track of the colour scale.

Aspects for consideration

• Faithful reproduction of colour & tones – no loss of tonal detail in blacks or whites - no colour cast in the high lights
• Sharp image from edge to edge of image
• Even illumination of original
• Tonal enhancement using filters if required

• No perspective distortion in the copy
• No camera or light reflections in the copy

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