Digital pictures from a print?

[Boyd]

How do you take pictures of an old print? I would have to dig and dig to find the negative to my new avator of my 79 Mustang Indy Pace Car which was my first car. I put the print in a picture frame and took a picture of it with my Canon Powershot SD1300IS. It was hard to keep reflections and lights from ending up in the picture.

[littletractorguy]

The "professional" way would be a copy stand... Basically a post you can mount your camera on using the tripod mount, two lights mounted on either side at 45 degrees, your work flat on the bottom, covered with a piece of matte glass if it has a tendency to curl or if its a shiny print....

Here's an example of one...



There's simpler ways to do it, involving things like (for example) a music stand, two gooseneck lamps and a tripod... The important thing is to make sure that your camera is bang-on aligned with your copy, so that its squared up properly. Small pieces of matte glass can probably still be purchased from photographic places or glass suppliers.

I'm sure some of the creative minds on here can come up with other ways to build something like this, probably involving MAPP torches and/or welding something to something else...

[RTG53]

How about a flatbed scanner? Worked for me.

[APinNY]

I've also used a scanner to digitize several old photos. You can then run them through a Photoshop type program to touch them up. It works very well.

[littletractorguy]

Okay, ya, I SUPPOSE you could use a flatbed scanner...

Copy stand looks cooler tho....

Probably NOT cheaper than buying a $99 FBS

[Boyd]

No $$ for a flatbed scanner right now.

[littletractorguy]

Tripod and music stand and gooseneck lamps it is, then... I could keep an eye out for a flatbed scanner for ya, if you want, Boyd... every once in a while a free one passes my way... Although shipping it would probably cost more than buying a new one....

[Canawler]

Take your picture and a flash drive for the digital file to Office Max or Staples and have them scan it for you.

[Boyd]

That sounds like a great idea. I have a small collection of pictures of that 79 Mustang Indy Pace car. It was my first car. I often hand washed it on sundays then would go to take pictures of it at different locations. There were a few monday mornings in the winter time that the doors would be frozen shut from washing it but the hatch would always open. I'm sure it looked odd to the neighbors to see me open the hatch and crawl in that way to go to work. The car warmed up enough for full blast hot air about 1-1/2 miles from home. That 302 sure would put out a lot of heat in the winter and run a bit too hot in the summer.

[WNYTractorTinkerer]

I bought an HP Photosmart printer that also has a scanner and have scanned/digitized tons of pictures with it.. Save the gas on the trips to the store & buy one like it.. So your first car was in '79.. Hmmm showin yer age! 49 huh?

BTW- What engine was in the 'stang?

[Boyd]

Originally Posted by WNYTractorTinkerer

I bought an HP Photosmart printer that also has a scanner and have scanned/digitized tons of pictures with it.. Save the gas on the trips to the store & buy one like it.. So your first car was in '79.. Hmmm showin yer age! 49 huh?

BTW- What engine was in the 'stang?

I'm 45. Mustang was from the factory 302 + 4 speed. I think there were only about 3500 with the 302 in them, less of them were 4 speed. Total production was 10,478. For its time it was quite a quick car. It was a bit much for me for my first car & buying it at the age of 19=trouble. The only options on it beyond the Pace Car edition was HD battery and rear defrost. I bought it Aug of 87 with 62,000 and sold it Mar of 90 with 79,500 miles. That car sure got a lot of attention. The first owner raced it in the SCCA Showroom Stock series in MN and WI in 80 & 81. It once had a 4 point roll cage. I was the 3rd owner. It went to a family in Omaha Nebraska that already had six 79 Mustand Indy Pace cars. About a year after I sold it I bought another one just like it that needed work. I didn't have the $$ to fix it up so I sold it too.

[Boyd]

The local Cub Foods grocery store has a big Kodac scanner/printer system so that I can put my old prints on to a CD. I will see if I can do that monday and then post a better version of the same pictures.

[WNYTractorTinkerer]

Originally Posted by Boyd

The local Cub Foods grocery store has a big Kodac scanner/printer system so that I can put my old prints on to a CD. I will see if I can do that monday and then post a better version of the same pictures.

This is like the one I have:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6361401&SRCCODE=WEBGOOPA&cm_mmc_ o=mH4CjC7BBTkwCjCV1-CjCE&gclid=CN6IydDEla8CFYsntAodoHk9Uw

You can take an SD memory card or just about any other type of card and scan it on the flatbed to there. (you can increase the scanning density as well so you have a higher quality print) Also you can just save it to your computer and use an editing program (such as photoshop if you have it or Windows Live photo gallery if you have Windows 7) will let you tweek brightness or color temperature... Then you can save it and print it anywhere you would like once it's digitized. Once you understand computer storage file systems and picture formats you can handle it easily! I'll bet you wish you still had that stang!!

[Michael]

I am in the process of converting all the pictures to digital that my wife and I have taken over the last 38 plus years and 350 slides that my father had taken going back to the early 1950's. I ended up buying a Epson Perfection V500 Photo Flatbed scanner. In this picture I have was taken at Christmas 1960 and it was from a slide that my father had taken at Christmas in Bettendorf, Iowa. By the way that is my mother that is standing next to the christmas decoration.

A dedicated flatbed scanner was the only affordable way for me to get these pictures digital. I have just over 6,000 pictures that I have scanned and I still have a couple more medium sized boxes to still do. I would estimate at least 10,000 pictures. This scanner only cost slightly more then a regular scanner. One thing is if really want to save some money and keep your eyes open on Craigslist for a all in one scanner-printer as it will do also. These can be had for around $20-30.00. Just make sure that the CD is included or you can go to the device makers website and download the drivers there.

[Kbeitz]

You wont find one cheaper than this....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Model-V...item2ebb9ccb31