advices sought on glass plate negatives

[huw_sinclair1]

<p>As a scanning hobbyist (mostly 100’s of Kodachrome & Ektachrome family slides) I borrowed some half-a-dozen glass plate negatives (of Brookwood Cemetery graves, the cemetery with its own railway) taken around WWI, shot by famous local photographer Sydney Francis of Woking, Surrey, UK. I assume they were <em>memento mori</em>; a keepsake for those who wanted to remember the funeral or a photo for those who were unable to attend or possibly a catalogue for the cemetery owners. They were all half-plate negatives at some 12cms x 16cms. They are almost all characterised by having very dark shadows and overexposed skies. I guess aperture control was by means of manual rings and much a more skilled operation a hundred years ago.<br>

I spent ages searching on the internet for Tutorial 101 on scanning glass plate negatives. I gave up, I found nothing. I thought, if there are no Forums or posts on the subject I will ask professional image archivists in the UK what they do. With a bit of luck someone will have a procedure written down and it will save me hours of experimenting and correcting scanning errors with Photoshop.<br>

I asked five institutions and Harrow Photos to share their expertise with me over the Internet. Thank you JISC in Bristol, City of London Archives, The National Archives at Kew, the Surrey History Centre and English Heritage at Swindon. An especially large thank you to those who went above & beyond, Alasdair Kirk at Harrow Photos and Ian Savage at English Heritage.<br>

I am using an Epson 750 Pro with Epson’s own software V3.83US. I also have Silverfast Ai 8.01r7 installed. My efforts at scanning with Epson software produced better results than I was able to obtain with Silverfast Ai; that says more about me than the software. I use an old Formac Screen (1600x1200) that should have been calibrated but still produces much better results that its more modern rivals.<br>

I am transcribing this from my illegible notes – I would really welcome all corrections or amplifications. I take full responsibility for all errors and omissions.</p>

<p><strong>Mask.</strong> Make and use a thin cardboard mask (patten) to mask the area of the glass surface not being scanned. This also has the added advantage of stopping the glass plate coming into contact with the scanner’s glass surface. It also keeps the image plane at a uniform height.</p>

<p><strong>Emulsion face down</strong>. With many differing thicknesses of glass plates by placing the plate emulsion side down (not shiny side), you locate the image at a constant height from the glass surface as the cardboard patten acts as a constant shim.</p>

<p><strong>Adjustments & Filters OFF</strong>. I switched everything off that it was possible to switch off. Unsharp Mask (see later). Descreening. Color Restoration. Backlight Correction. Dust Removal. Digital ICE. Tone or Image Adjustments. ALL OFF.</p>

<p><strong>Size, dpi, bit level, file type, etc </strong>.</p>

<ol>

<li><strong>Size</strong>. Why are you scanning the image and what data is there available to capture? No one was creating files larger than 100MB. My initial efforts with SilverFast & Epson, from my Kodachrome background produced monstrous files, with no added benefit. The recommended average was 20Mb grayscale and 50Mb RGB.</li>

<li><strong>Dpi</strong>. After my untutored attempts to produce unfeasibly large files at high dpi’s; one institution scanned said they scanned at about 400dpi & another at about 800dpi. (In fact archivists did not scan to a dpi they scanned to a size! 20Mb at greyscale and 50Mb to RGB.) Point taken.</li>

<li><strong>Bit Level</strong>. Greyscale scans were done at 16bit and RGB color, if preferred, at 24bit. Reduction to 8-bit jpeg for web, email etc. was undertaken at the end.</li>

<li><strong>File Type</strong>. Both institutions produced an Archive Master File as a TIF uncompressed format. This was locked away, all editing was to a copy and/or non-destructive.</li>

</ol>

<p><strong>Positive</strong>. The film type was always set to ‘Positive’. This was to circumvent perceived changes in pixel manipulation from scanning as a ‘Negative’. ( so I was told)</p>

<p><strong>Post-Processing</strong>. All post-processing was undertaken in Photoshop (PS). It should be noted that two adjustments needed to be made to the image. The scan must be both inverted and reversed. As it was scanned as a Positive (CS3 = Image>Adjustments>Invert) changes it to a negative. The text will be in reverse (epitaphs on gravestones !) so the image needs reversing (CS3 = Image>Rotate Canvas>Flip Canvas Horizontal )</p>

<p><strong>Post-Processing PS Levels and Curves. </strong>Now onto the trickier bits. My initial problems stemmed from my perception that the shadows were too dark & lost detail and the sky was completely washed out, not a cloud to be seen, just overexposed glare. I’m sure all my adjustments can be done in Curves; but for some reason I still use both. Levels are so simple. Curves are not. A simple tutorial is here - <a href="http://youtu.be/hZeMqXxMG_8">http://youtu.be/hZeMqXxMG_8</a></p>

<ul>

<li>or here in more detail,</li>

</ul>

<p>for Levels <a href="http://youtu.be/5F51S5fCHKE">http://youtu.be/5F51S5fCHKE</a> and<br>

here for Curves <a href="http://youtu.be/3t18GgtPsjY">http://youtu.be/3t18GgtPsjY</a></p>

<p><strong> Levels. </strong>I use this move the white point and black point inwards and adjust the midtones to suit my eye.<br>

<strong> Curves. </strong>I cheat. I use the Custom pre-sets in the drop-down box. Whilst I can see that very fine adjustments can be made I have obtained acceptable results by choosing the contrast pre-set that gives the best visual results. The CS4 ‘dropper’ that I played with in Curves was a wonderful tool.</p>

<p><strong>Sharpening. </strong>This is an area that I am not up to speed with. However, its importance was explained. Two excellent introductory tutorials are here - <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-sharpening.htm">http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-sharpening.htm</a> and <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/unsharp-mask.htm">http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/unsharp-mask.htm</a><strong></strong><br>

My notes state that if printing (and the given file sizes should produce up to A3/A2 prints) it is essential to view at 100% and over sharpen slightly for printing. The optimal result will be arrived at by trial and error; there is no formula. Sharpening should only ever be done to an exported or virtual image – it alters the image properties and is not reversible.<br>

<strong> </strong><br>

<strong>Saving Output. </strong>Having made the appropriate non-destructive adjustments to the master image you can alter the saved output to 8bit lossy from 16bit lossless (CS3 Image>Mode) and save as a smaller jpeg with any adjustment to size (ppi) required. See tutorial at - <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-resize-for-web.htm">http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-resize-for-web.htm</a></p>

<p><strong>My Conclusions</strong><br>

I think my biggest challenge has been defining why I want a scanned image. What purpose(s) will the image put to? My initial 2400dpi (hangs head in shame) scans in SilverFast & Epson Software contain wealth of detail that is of no practical use to any potential user of the image. Some files approached 1Gb in size. So what ppi (and level of detail) is it practical to capture? What are the storage (and backup) implications of a large archive? My computer screen is under 100 ppi; my printers are 600 dpi, so why would I want an image that would be over-engineered for a 30” lcd or a 600dpi inkjet? These are not Walker Evans large format shots of the metropolis at the turn of the last century.</p>

<p><strong>Post Script</strong><br>

I would welcome all feedback. I am sure there are other do’s and dont’s and procedures that are radically different. If anyone has a tutorial, notes or guidance on the scanning of old glass plates can they please let me have a copy? If anyone has experience of this medium with PS I would love to hear his or her comments. The next challenge is to kick life into hardware rescued from eBay - an old A3 Heidelberg Linoscan 2400XL with its old mirror drive classic MAC (OS 9.2.2) and see what Linocolor Elite 6 & Photoshop 7 can do , we’ll scan my friends grandfather’s glass plates at an irritating A4+ - 10” x12” – I guess they were the largest contact prints then available.<br>

Thanking you in anticipation,</p>

<p>Huw</p><div></div>

[neil_rhodes]

<p>I used to do a paper round through the cemetery and get the train from the station four years running. Thast was 20 years ago now. Seems like you have been given some great advice. Another great photogenic place was the Brookwood hospital site, before it became a housing estate! <br>

<a href="http://www.thephotoretoucher.co.uk">The Photo Retoucher</a> or <a href="http://www.image-restore.co.uk">Photo restorations</a><br>

Neil Rhodes - Hampshire</p>

[huw_sinclair1]

<p>Golly. Yes... Brookwood Hospital. Now, I've got some interesting documents on that - it was a Victorian lunatic asylum but was famous for its gardens. It's design and layout won prizes and was the subject of much praise at the time it was constructed. There was recognition even 150 years ago that gardens had a therapeutic effect. </p>

<p>Before it became Tesco'd and another nail was driven in the coffin of our collective memories.</p>

<p>I went to the asylum in the early 1990s for an unrelated matter; I worked in the Library for quite some time......but they found out I was not bats and showed me the door.<br>

Next time you pass Brookwood Cemetery ( & it was or is the largest Cemetery in Europe); pop in with your camera. Some of the mausolea are larger than modern houses and it has wonderful trees in what remains of its 2000 acres.</p>

<p> </p>

[larrydressler]

<p>Here is something you might want to read before you post any of the pictures.<br>

http://www.flickr.com/groups/gtc/discuss/72157622720202497/</p>

[huw_sinclair1]

<p>Hi Larry<br>

They'll have one hell of a job. Half of the Cemetery is War Graves Commission who never attempt to restrict photography, over which Brookwood Estates Limited have no control. I've hundreds of photos taken long before the last set of owners attempted do a 'Heritage Centre ' number on what is in reality a public amenity. If you care to search Google for the terms 'Erkin Guney' and his late father 'Ramadan Guney' I think you will find it quite enlightening. You really couldn't make it up.<br>

Erkin Guney lost control of the Cemetery in the High Court last October 2011. He was ordered to divest his and all his families intretests in the Cemetery to his late father's (Ramadan Guney) mistress - Diane Holliday - with whom he had a child. The arguments and infighting carries on.<br>

I've not met the new owner but I don't think Ms Holliday is much concerned with photography or Heritage Centres where the attractions are mostly...dead. Hopefully she will not be demanding £20 or turfing errant tripod owners out on their ear.</p>

<p>But for those who are intetested here is the UK law as it stands for photographers - <br>

http://www.sirimo.co.uk/2009/05/14/uk-photographers-rights-v2/</p>

<p>Life's never dull</p>

<p>Huw</p>

[larrydressler]

<p>This is great. I will let the others know. Thank you.</p>

 

[huw_sinclair1]

<p>As an afterthought...the copyright in the photo is of course still valid. Its 70 years after the death of the photographer and can pass with the ownership of the plate within that period. As this plate is not an orphan copyright, I shall throw myself on the tender mercies of the plate owner.<br>

And I don't think the digital enhancments would get me off the hook - confirmed here<br>

http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/january-/digitally-altered-photographs-can-qualify-for-copyright-protection-uk-court-rules/</p>

[paulie_smith1]

<p>Why not make a normal contact print and scan it? Sure seems like a lot less work than what you are looking at.</p>

[dave_johns2]

<p>Thanks for the detailed technical explanation. My head is spinning now, but I know I just have to jump in and give this a go.</p>

[eleanor_priestman]

<p>Hey Huw,<br>

I am currently researching a BBC television series called <strong>Remembrance Week</strong>, a weeklong series of programmes broadcast to commemorate Remembrance Day. It’s not a political series, but a sensitive portrayal of all aspects of 20^th to 21^st century conflicts, including accounts from veterans who fought in WWII to the servicemen and women who are currently serving in Afghanistan. <br>

This year, we are including a story about Brookwood Military Cemetery and I’ve come across your amazing historical photo of Brookwood that we’ve love to use. Is there any chance you'd consider contributing it to our series?<br>

You can contact me via on the email address: eleanor.priestman@fevermedia.co.uk to find out more.<br>

With many thanks,<br>

Eleanor Priestman</p>

<p> </p>