Friday, May 15, 2020

TGIF: Old Tools Are New Again


Still sheltering in place after some eight weeks.  In spite of the fact that the health experts continue remind us of the potential dangers, the region is beginning to open local businesses.  Personally, we will remain sheltered.

For near future, this decision implies that wandering about the Midwest is on hold.  Rather than producing new photographs, will rely previous obtained results.  

Before digital tools became available color photography was a bit expensive. Therefore much of the earlier work is in black and white. 

Now the task is to convert analog film into a digital file.  One  way to accomplish this would be to, using a digital camera, photograph the negative black and white film.  Another method would be to use a special instrument - scanner - to digitize the film image.  Of the two, have chosen to scan film.

Film scanners are a bit hard to come by as manufacturers have for the most part, stopped making dedicated film machines.  There are available flatbed scanners but while they can be used with film or prints, the results are less than choice.

The good news is that just before film scanner production ended, managed to purchase two.  One is dedicated for 35mm film and the other is for roll film.

The bad news is that the computer needed in order to use them must be running a long ago abandoned system.  For a Windows computer that is Windows XP or earlier.

More good news is that we have such a machine. The black and white photographs posted this week were obtained using the above computer and scanners to digitize black and white film negatives.

This is also how the film scanned architectural detail below was produced. 

   Richmond, Indiana.

Would certainly prefer to be out and about photographing but for now this is the new normal.

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