Convert your large family portrait to digital using the
digital camera and the bright light of the outdoors .
What happens when you want to scan the family
portrait that is twice the size of your scanner? One option is to take a
photograph of the image, using a digital camera.
Take the portrait outside and hang it in an area with sufficient
lighting and no shadows. If you can’t hang it up, try laying it face up on the
ground, and stand over the portrait. You don’t want to be too close; try
standing on a chair. Move away from the image and use the telephoto lens
to bring the image in closer. Avoid shooting at angles and use the highest
resolution your camera allows.
For some images, even those that fit in a scanner, this method produces
better results than scanning. For example, a small canvas painting, or a
photograph printed on heavily textured paper scans poorly, as scanning often
exaggerates the texture. Using a camera instead of a scanner solves this
problem.
This is also a great way to capture and preserve the paintings of the
family artist. We have a friend who does beautiful oil paintings.
When she finishes a painting, she normally gives it to a family member.
Although she sometimes takes a picture of her various paintings, she does not
take the time to capture a quality image that can be reproduced digitally. Had
she done this, she could easily put together an impressive coffee table book,
that could be affordably printed at one of the many print-on-demand companies.
And what an impressive and appreciated gift that would make for her family and
friends.
Using your digital camera is also a way to share those traditional
scrapbook pages. Since many of these pages are too large for a home scanner,
this method will capture the page digitally, and allow you to reproduce your
scrapbook.
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