Wednesday, August 12, 2009

New From Clickthing Industries: The Handoscan (Mark 1)

I'm getting closer: my hand-scanning technique just got an upgrade with the lunchtime creation of the Handoscan (Mark 1), aka, a homemade light-table. I've been using my digital camera to "scan" the negatives I've been making, since I don't have a film scanner or ready access to one that can handle transparencies. For just posting pictures on the web, my camera's resolution is Plenty Good Enough, but taking a picture of a highly reflective surface held up to a bright light is what you might call a challenge. Inspiration struck when I took a quick inventory of the clutter useful materials I have around my office.

Behold!

Handoscan Mark 1, Disassembled
Cardboard box, tape, old flexible cutting board, binder clips.

Handoscan Mark 1, Demonstrated
White plastic acts as diffuser, spreading the daylight evenly.

And a couple of shots that I was unable to get before, due to the horrible reflections from the camera:

Flowers Soccer

I'm still shooting through the plastic negative sleeves, and the sleeve is not being held perfectly flat yet -- I tried some magnets from the crafts store as a means to "pin" it down, but they're too weak to pass though the layers of cardboard. I'll see if I can locate some stronger magnets and try doing a negative strip held directly onto the white plastic.

Update:

I've got a lead on some dead hard-drive magnets, thanks for the tip, Olivander. Also, a couple more pics to enjoy...

Fronds
From the Olympus Pen

3-D Boat
From the Nishika N8000

12 comments:

Mike Speegle said...

You, sir, are the McGuyver of photography. Kudos.

Hunter Bond said...

Very nice man, D.I.Y. and pretty effective.

James Watterson said...

Totally McGuyver! Totally Genious!

Olivander said...

You have a window office! No fair!

Here's a tip: magnets from dead hard drives are very, very strong.

Word ver: rehop: that time a few hours later when your International House of Pancakes breakfast comes back to haunt you.

Strikethru said...

You're definitely in the DIY lead in the typosphere. If we were Gilligan's Island, you'd be the professor. (Now, we probably don't want to get in to who everyone else would be.)

Word verification: feckosi

An elite group of the feckless

Strikethru said...

OK, I totally just laughed at Rehop. Nicely played, Olivander. That is right up there with Duffy Moon's digiboo.

speculator said...

thanks for the words!

Where do you live- where you cannot find a stationer?
Do you have to get everything by mail?

mpclemens said...

Thanks for the comments, all. I neither have the mullet-prowess of MacGyver (though I do cayy a Swiss army knife) nor the abilty to fashion a transistor radio out of coconuts.

@speculator: I'm exaggerating a bit. I'm close to San Francisco, which offers a wealth of stationers and /other shops but I've since traded my commute in to the City for a full-time job nearer to my family and kids. We're smack in the middle of the suburbs, where chain stores rule the day and independent pen and paper shops are just a pipe dream.

Mike Speegle said...

It's bad here, too. The only place to buy Rhodia in town, that I know of, is the college store.

speculator said...

Well, I suppose the suburban challenge has only enhanced your creativity!
(You might like this: before my archivist days, I worked 14 years in custom photo labs- and for the latter 9 of those years, taught college photography. This was my living, breathing, etc. That background gives me an appreciation for your work!)

Speegle- it won't be long now- soon you'll be in Maine, right? (wink wink)
Moxie and lobster!

Mike Speegle said...

You had me at "Moxie."

Monda said...

If he's the Professor, who's Gilligan? I'm sticking with the Mullet-McGuyver analogy. This post almost has it's own theme song.

Word verification: sitigna

Naw. Sounds like an insurance company.