Artist's Statement
I am fascinated by the scanner as a substitute for a camera.
Over the years I have scanned small 3D objects by placing them directly onto the flatbed– nothing unusual about that (see my Flush Series). However, I have also positioned the scanner vertically on a stand and scanned people’s portraits up to 50–120 cm away, using scan-times of 1 to 9 minutes.
When using a scanner in this way, the subject needs to be lit independently using studio lights. If it’s people I am scanning they have to be seated comfortably so they move as little as possible during the long scan. I have also found that it is quite difficult to get a consistent white balance from scan to scan.
Not all scanner models are capable of producing acceptable images when used in this way. Some scanners have extremely limited depth of field only working with objects placed directly on the scanning flatbed. Others, such as the Agfa Snapscan e50, which I use, have remarkable depth of field for such class of equipment. The e50’s approximate scan times at various resolutions I have tried are shown below.
072 dpi 00:28s
150 dpi 00:44s
300 dpi 01:25s
600 dpi 05:25s
1200dpi 08:58s
If you have an old Agfa Snapscan e50 in working order sitting in the attic gathering dust I’d be happy to take it off your hands!
For me this process recalls the beginnings of photography when around 1826, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce is said to have made the first photograph from nature with an 8 hour exposure from his upper storey work room window “View from the Window at le Gras”. The search and restoration of the original “heliograph” by photographic historian Helmut Gernsheim is a fascinating story in itself.
MC, 2005–2009
Aborigines, Advertising, Aeroplane Jelly, All Australian, All Australian Graffiti, Ampol, ANZ Bank, Arnotts Biscuits, Arnotts Famous Biscuits, Aspro, Aussie, Aussie language, Australian Advertising, Australian Commercial Art, Australian Commercial Artists, Australian Graphic Design, Australian History, Australian icons, Australian identity, Australian language, Australian logos, Australian Made, Australian Map, Australian Nationalism, Australian packaging, Australian Trade marks, Australian erford, Gazeka, Geoff Cook, Geoffrey Blainey, Golden Fleece, Graphic Design, Griffiths Tea, Guest?s Teddy Bears, Gum Tree, History, Hutton?s, Huttons, Icon, Intellectual Property, IP, ISBN 0-646-40309-5, Italian migrants, Jaffas, Kangaroo, Kinkara, Kiwi Boot Polish, Koala, Kookaburra, Kool Mints, Laxettes, Leggo?s, Life. Be in it., Logo, Logos, Macrobertson, Made in Australia, Magpie, Magpie Cigarettes, Map of Australia, Marmite, Matchbox labels, Migrants, Mimmo, Mimmo Cozzolino, Mine Tinkit They Fit, Minties, Mortein, Mulga Wood, Nationalism, Neptune, Niggerboys, Norco, Nugget, Orlando, Patents & Trade marks, Patents and Trade Marks, Pelaco, Penguin Books, Peters Ice Cream, Phillip Adams, Pie, Platypus, Possum, Prickly Pear, Puns, Qantas, Rabbit plague, Racism, Redhead, Redheads, Rosella, Rutherford, Sherrin, Skipping Girl Vinegar, Slang, Southern Cross, Steam Rollers, Stencil Roller Flour, Stockman, Swagman, Swallow & Ariell, Symbols of Australia, TAA, Tarax, Tarzan?s Grip, Teddy Bears, Throaties, Tom Piper, Trade Mark History, Trade mark law, Trade marks, Trade Marks of Australia, Trademark History, Trademarks, Trademarks of Australia, Tucker Box, Vegemite, Velvet Soap, Vincents, Waratah, Wattle Cigarettes, White Australia Policy, Wombat, XXXX Beer, Zig and ZagTrademarks, Australiana, Ballarat Bertie, Beer Labels, Bex, Billy Tea, Boomerang, Bosisto?s, Brands, Bushells Tea, Carlton Ale, Chesty Bond, CIS Educational, Colonies, Commercial Art History, Commonwealth Bank, Cooee, Coo-ee, COR, Corporate Design, Corporate History, Corporate Identity, Corporate Image, Cozzolino, Cozzolino Ellett, CUB, Defender, Design Education, Design History, Digger, Dingo, Dinkum, Don?t Argue, Drover, Early Kooka, Eta, Fair Dinkum, Fantales, Federation, Flour Sacks, Freddo Frogs, Fysh, Fysh Ruth
