Using a scanner instead of a camera....

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

LenKaltman

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
21
Location
Liberty Township OH
I'm a professional portrait photographer, and HATE doing any sort of product shots. So, when I started taking photos of a few pens I made, I was not having any fun.

I was sitting at my desk and wondered what it would look like if I just tossed my pens on my scanner. I was pleasantly surprised at the results! Of course the original was just a pen on a white background. But, I'm pretty handy with photoshop and some 3d programs, so I silhouetted the pen and put in an interesting background.
 

Attachments

  • GatsyOak800x500.jpg
    GatsyOak800x500.jpg
    55.4 KB · Views: 550
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

Rodnall

Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
443
Location
Miami, FL
I'm going to have to try that, but I wonder if I can just tape a picture on to the scanners cover. I'm not so good with any photo programs.
 

Kretzky

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
313
Location
BC Canada
It's a lot simpler than setting up a photo session. A jewelry appraiser friend has been scanning items for her catalogues for years. I was surprised at the results she got straight from the scanner.
 

OOPS

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
674
Location
Spokane, WA
This is a great idea and it reminds me of an artist my brother told me about after a trip to Hawaii. Apparently the artist takes items such as flowers, then suspends them over a scanner. It a completely blackened room, he scans the image on a flatbed scanner. Because the flowers (or other subject material) are suspended over the bed of the scanner, depth is built into the scan. The resulting artwork was amazing and it was selling well. No doubt there is more to it, such as Photoshop, but its a great concept. Thanks for posting.
 

bradh

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
Messages
688
Location
Aurora, Ontario, Canada.
I used a scanner for pen pictures with my old Umax scanner. It will not work on many scanners because the do not have enough depth-of-field to get the pen in focus.
I stopped when I could no longer get a driver to run my old scanner and our new scanner/printer does not have enough depth of field.

This scanner image is from 2005.
 

Attachments

  • 38oak-h.jpg
    38oak-h.jpg
    26 KB · Views: 303
Last edited:

BradG

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
1,733
Location
Blackpool -UK
just tried it... really bad! possibly my scanner isnt as good as yours, or because my pens are metal creating too much reflection. il stick to my camera, though yours does look good
 

bradh

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
Messages
688
Location
Aurora, Ontario, Canada.
just tried it... really bad! possibly my scanner isnt as good as yours, or because my pens are metal creating too much reflection. il stick to my camera, though yours does look good

To cut down on reflection, place the pens on a diagonal (45 degrees to the edges of the scanner) on the scanner bed. I can't remember why this helps, but it does.
There were a few good scanner tip files on the Yahoo Penturners group, likely still there.
 
Last edited:

plantman

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
3,437
Location
Green Bay, Wi
Len; That better be a shark in the water, or your shadow is going in the wrong direction from the sun. Great idea !! This realy adds a lot of interest to the photo. Jim S
 

LenKaltman

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
21
Location
Liberty Township OH
Len; That better be a shark in the water, or your shadow is going in the wrong direction from the sun. Great idea !! This realy adds a lot of interest to the photo. Jim S

Thanks Jim! I was trying to find a way to take some product photos that stand out from the norm, and enjoy playing around in Photoshop and various 3d programs (Bryce, Daz Studio, etc) Actually, the dark shark is a reflection of the pen on the water - not a shadow. :)
 

LenKaltman

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
21
Location
Liberty Township OH
This is a great idea and it reminds me of an artist my brother told me about after a trip to Hawaii. Apparently the artist takes items such as flowers, then suspends them over a scanner. It a completely blackened room, he scans the image on a flatbed scanner. Because the flowers (or other subject material) are suspended over the bed of the scanner, depth is built into the scan. The resulting artwork was amazing and it was selling well. No doubt there is more to it, such as Photoshop, but its a great concept. Thanks for posting.


Thanks - I've seen the work of several artists who use scanners, and I guess it's just another tool in the creative arsenal. I basically chose to scan because I was being lazy, (and don't like photographing inanimate objects) and rather than set up my lights and camera, figured I'd just sit at my desk and scan the pen. It actually turned out better than I thought it would.
 

Rodnall

Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
443
Location
Miami, FL
I tried the scanner but my pen looks terrible. The fit is good on the pen, but in the pic it looks like crap.
 

Attachments

  • Rosi's pen 3.jpg
    Rosi's pen 3.jpg
    11.4 KB · Views: 152

Rob73

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
749
Location
Chicago Heights
Well you made me curious so I had to try it... This is on an Epson workforce 545. I used crafting foam to change BG color. No luck with focus. This is a mid-level AIO printer though so I really wasn't expecting high quality scanning ;)
 

Attachments

  • scannedpen01.jpg
    scannedpen01.jpg
    14.3 KB · Views: 130
  • scannedpen02.jpg
    scannedpen02.jpg
    7.6 KB · Views: 122
  • scannedpen03.jpg
    scannedpen03.jpg
    10.9 KB · Views: 125
Last edited:
Top Bottom