The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography by Peres Michael R.; Peres Michael R ;

Author:Peres, Michael R.; Peres, Michael R ;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2014-06-16T16:00:00+00:00

Creative Applications of Digital Photography, the Scan-O-Gram

Patti Russotti

Rochester Institute of Technology

Introduction

Many teachers, artists, and practitioners of imaging technologies are fascinated by the multitude of possibilities for creative expression made possible by the digital revolution. Today’s technologies can unlock the magic of imaging in ways that could never have been considered just a few short years ago with conventional photography.

Initially, I did not find photography to be a magical experience until I watched my first black and white print develop in the darkroom. The process of picture taking and the image I imagined while pressing the shutter were not always synonymous. I experimented with different papers and fabric, homemade emulsions, toning, hand-coloring, drawing, and marking on images to achieve images that were more what I was looking for. Often, though, there was still something missing. The lack of control in achieving my “mind’s eye’s” compositions and the experience of serendipitous joy in watching the image appear in the developer tray were, for a period, elusive outcomes for me. The tediousness of the darkroom and the guaranteed cleanup afterward were also less than thrilling for me.

As digital imaging began to emerge, image-makers like me immediately saw the creative potential and possibilities. However, there were not a lot of options in the early days. Software and computers were still very limited. Scanning film (the only input option at that time) was time consuming, laborious, and unpredictable. And then there was the problem of finding a quality photographic “output.” There was virtually nothing available except for dot-matrix printers, dye sublimation, or going back to analog materials. But one could see that the technology was coming and exciting things were on the horizon.

The late 80s and very early 90s utilized still video cameras as the direct camera capture technology, which was the forerunner of today’s digital cameras. Suddenly (and with great excitement I might add!) the world of image making was changed by the immediacy of the new process. The limitations of film and processing were gone and experimentation was wide open. It was possible to photograph objects—opaque and transparent on a light table using this single fluorescent light source for illumination. The ability to evaluate the image immediately after capture allowed for instant composition and lighting modifications. The resolution of the first cameras was disappointingly low and so was the image quality. At the time, the only accessible output technologies did not allow for marking and drawing onto the substrates. Not long after these experiments, flatbed scanners became more accessible and produced better images. The first subject I worked with on a scanner was a milkweed pod from the garden. I placed it on the glass of the flatbed and tried a scan. The scanner generated so much heat that the pod burst open and I was completely smitten while watching the image appear on my screen. From that experience grew my love of the digital scan-o-gram and using the scanner as a camera.

For many, scan-o-grams are about the relationship of the object to the device.

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