Scanner as camera?

I'm trying to get practical tips for using a computer scanner as a

camera. I've come across a couple of websites which have such

photography of flowers:

 

<http://www.edge.org/documents/twelve_flowers/twelve_intro.html> ,

<http://www.manntaylor.com/scan.html>

 

but no tips or tricks. I'm sure to get experience through

experimentation, but I'd appreciate any ideas or recommendations (or

URLs) from anyone who's done this already.

Put some flowers or other objects on the scanner and play with it a bit. If you have light images you can also use the transparency adaptor to light them This image was made on a flatbed scanner with transparency adaptor scanned at 1200 dpi.<div></div>

That's lovely, Jonathan. Thanks. I remember reading somewhere (photo.net?) from someone who painted a shoebox flat-black and placed it over whatever he scanned. Given his scanner's limited DOF, he was able to get pitch black backgrounds to nice effect. I wish I'd saved that URL ....

A follow-up to my own question: I spent some time doing a search on the internet for the terms "cameraless" and "scanner photography" and "scanner art" and I came across these sites that I thought I'd share for those who might be interested in the topic -- although they contained precious few tips/tricks:

 

Flower shots

 

http://www.katinkamatson.com/exhibits.html

 

http://www.katinkamatson.com/documents/forty_flowers/50/flowers_50.html

 

http://www.katinkamatson.com/documents/twelve_flowers/twelve_index.html

 

Someone commenting on the last set of images:

 

http://www.electricedge.com/greymatter/archives/00001113.htm

 

That person scan-shoots as well:

 

http://www.electricedge.com/greymatter/archives/00001137.htm

 

http://www.electricedge.com/gordon.coale/photography/insects/index.htm

 

http://www.electricedge.com/gordon.coale/photography/hummingbird/index.h

tm

 

Flower shots

 

http://www.synecdochestudio.com/html_files/florilegium_thumbnails.html

 

Controversial scan-your-kitty (humor?) site. Photos temporarily offline:

 

http://www.cat-scan.com/

 

Another scanner photography site

 

http://www.usd253.org/~techsupp/ScanArt/ScanArt.html

 

Portraits: stick your face over the scanner!

 

http://inkybrown.stormhosts.com/women/scans.html

 

Scanner photography by a teenager, inspired by musician Tori Amos (?!?!)

 

http://members.tripod.com/ecanaan/flores/

 

Her portrait scan tips:

 

http://members.tripod.com/~ecanaan/become.html

 

Scanner photos at museum: multi-page intro, gallery of scanner photos, some amazing, lovely shots:

 

http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/site/exhibitions/scanner2/

 

Same museum site: kids & families make scanner photos at the museum:

 

http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/site/exhibitions/scanner/intro.html

 

Oh, those wacky art students

 

http://www.svsu.edu/reverbmarks/JohnHale/Art/scanfun2.html

 

http://www.svsu.edu/reverbmarks/JohnHale/Art/scanfun3.html

 

Leaves and beads. Beautiful.

 

http://www.inthescene.com/digitexp/Archive/scbax/leaveswater.htm

 

His other stuff:

 

http://www.inthescene.com/digitexp/Archive/scbax/scottstuff.htm

You can also be really creative, and actually use the scanner as a camera, if a slightly odd one. <a href="http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/tech/scanner.html">Matthias Wandel demostrates.</a>

Most flat bed scanners can be used like fixed focus point 'n shoots. Just pick the thing up, point it at what you are interested in, and turn it loose. Oh, yes, remove the cover, just like removing the lens cap. Watch out for "camera shake" and subject motion artifacts - it is a scanner after all and "exposure" takes awhile.

 

This isn't the most convienient way to make a camera - it is tethered to a computer and an electrical supply. But, it'll work. Depends on what you are after I suppose.

 

BTW, this is pretty much what a view camera digital scanning back does. The current leader is Better Light:

 

http://www.betterlight.com/pages/why_betterlight.html

 

So, think "off the glass" and see what you can create.

Holy moly! 122Megapixels

 

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~szwang/Research/ScanCam/scancam.html

Here is another example. Notice that it really doesn't looked scanned. Epson 1200U, taken about 3 years ago.<div></div>