Basic Photography Course

becomes difficult to get the entire subject in sharp focus.

In some cases, the copyboard of the camera is a bed with
a hinged glass cover. `The original to be copied is placed
on the bed and the glass cover is closed When the cover
is closed, the bed squeezes the original against the glass
cover to flatten and hold it in place.

Reference lines are generally marked on the felt or

rubber surface of the copyboard to aid in centering and

aligning the cow. When the copyboard does not have

these lines, draw your own on the copyboard or on a
piece of paper and fasten it to the copyboard.

Some copyboards have a vacuum pump that

provides suction to hold the copy flat to the copyboard.
This eliminates the need for a glass cover. After the copy
is placed on the copyboard, the pump is turned on and
the vacuum holds the original in place.

When the copyboard does not have a vacuum pump

or glass cover, originals can be held in place with
pushpins. When it is not permissible to put holes in the
edges of the original, then double-sided tape may be an

alternative. When the copyboard is made of steel, the
original can be held in place with bar magnets.

When a camera is not equipped with a copyboard

and for occasional work, a copyboard can be made from
a sheet of softwood or cork. The surface should be
painted flat black, never white. A white, or even
light-colored copyboard, reflects too much light into the
camera lens, causing flare and troublesome reflections.

Flare causes a loss in contrast and extra compression of
the shadows. A black copyboard minimizes flare.

Always keep the glass of a copyboard clean. Dust it

with a clean camel-hair brush and clean it with a soft

cloth and glass cleaner. Never use dirty rags or razor
blades to clean the glass. They may scratch it. When you
have to scrape the glass, use your fingernail or an orange
stick.

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

Almost any type of light can be used for copy work,

provided the intensity of the light is enough to prevent
excessively long exposures. Another principle
requirement of the light source is to produce a light with
a color temperature suitable for the type of film being
used.

Tungsten Lamps

Tungsten lamps 3200 K and 3400 K are suitable for

normal black-and-white copy work When a reflector
type of bulb is used, the need for external reflectors is

eliminated. A lens shade should be used with a reflector
type of bulb because the built-in reflector does not
extend the full length of the bulb, and stray light may
reach the lens and cause flare.

Lamps such as 3400 K are not as economical to use

as 3200 K lamps because of their short life (4 to 6 hours).

Fluorescent Lights

When fluorescent tubes are used to light an original,

they should be arranged to form a square-the sides of
which are parallel to the edges of the copyboard. The
size of the tubes and their distance from the copyboard
are governed by the size of the original to be copied.
Because this type of lighting setup is not easy to adjust,
it is best used when the size of the originals to be copied
does not vary much from one to another. Because of its
diffused nature, fluorescent lighting is suitable for
copying originals with a textured surface that must be
eliminated in the finished print. Regular fluorescent
lights should not be used when shooting color film
because it is difficult to color correct them accurately.

Special fluorescent lamps with a high color-rendering
index (CRI) should be used whenever possible. When
ordinary fluorescent lamps are used, consult the
Photo-Lab-Index to determine what filter should be
used as a starting point for the type of film you are using.

Electronic Flash

When used properly, electronic flash units are an

excellent light source for copy photography. An
electronic flash unit allows for extremely short
exposures that can be helpful for shipboard photolabs
when the ship is underway. The flash unit is balanced
for daylight color film and does not produce the heat
associated with tungsten or quartz bulbs.

Unless specifically designed for copy work and

attached to the copyboard, electronic flash lamps may

be difficult to position for proper illumination of the
original. The task can be made easier if you use studio
electronic flash units with built-in tungsten modeling
lights. With this type of lighting unit, the modeling light
can be used to position the lights accurately for even
illumination of the original. Even with this, the light may
have to be heavily diffused to prevent "hot spots." A hot

spot is a surface area that receives too much light,
causing an unwanted reflection that is noticeable in the
final copy product.

8-9

contents

Basic Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> becomes difficult to get the entire subject in sharp focus. In some cases, the copyboard of the camera is a bed with a hinged glass cover. `The original to be copied is placed on the bed and the glass cover is closed When the cover is closed, the bed squeezes the original against the glass cover to flatten and hold it in place. Reference lines are generally marked on the felt or rubber surface of the copyboard to aid in centering and aligning the cow. When the copyboard does not have these lines, draw your own on the copyboard or on a piece of paper and fasten it to the copyboard. Some copyboards have a vacuum pump that provides suction to hold the copy flat to the copyboard. This eliminates the need for a glass cover. After the copy is placed on the copyboard, the pump is turned on and the vacuum holds the original in place. When the copyboard does not have a vacuum pump or glass cover, originals can be held in place with pushpins. When it is not permissible to put holes in the edges of the original, then double-sided tape may be an alternative. When the copyboard is made of steel, the original can be held in place with bar magnets. When a camera is not equipped with a copyboard and for occasional work, a copyboard can be made from a sheet of softwood or cork. The surface should be painted flat black, never white. A white, or even light-colored copyboard, reflects too much light into the camera lens, causing flare and troublesome reflections. Flare causes a loss in contrast and extra compression of the shadows. A black copyboard minimizes flare. Always keep the glass of a copyboard clean. Dust it with a clean camel-hair brush and clean it with a soft cloth and glass cleaner. Never use dirty rags or razor blades to clean the glass. They may scratch it. When you have to scrape the glass, use your fingernail or an orange stick. LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Almost any type of light can be used for copy work, provided the intensity of the light is enough to prevent excessively long exposures. Another principle requirement of the light source is to produce a light with a color temperature suitable for the type of film being used. Tungsten Lamps Tungsten lamps 3200 K and 3400 K are suitable for normal black-and-white copy work When a reflector type of bulb is used, the need for external reflectors is eliminated. A lens shade should be used with a reflector type of bulb because the built-in reflector does not extend the full length of the bulb, and stray light may reach the lens and cause flare. Lamps such as 3400 K are not as economical to use as 3200 K lamps because of their short life (4 to 6 hours). Fluorescent Lights When fluorescent tubes are used to light an original, they should be arranged to form a square-the sides of which are parallel to the edges of the copyboard. The size of the tubes and their distance from the copyboard are governed by the size of the original to be copied. Because this type of lighting setup is not easy to adjust, it is best used when the size of the originals to be copied does not vary much from one to another. Because of its diffused nature, fluorescent lighting is suitable for copying originals with a textured surface that must be eliminated in the finished print. Regular fluorescent lights should not be used when shooting color film because it is difficult to color correct them accurately. Special fluorescent lamps with a high color-rendering index (CRI) should be used whenever possible. When ordinary fluorescent lamps are used, consult the Photo-Lab-Index to determine what filter should be used as a starting point for the type of film you are using. Electronic Flash When used properly, electronic flash units are an excellent light source for copy photography. An electronic flash unit allows for extremely short exposures that can be helpful for shipboard photolabs when the ship is underway. The flash unit is balanced for daylight color film and does not produce the heat associated with tungsten or quartz bulbs. Unless specifically designed for copy work and attached to the copyboard, electronic flash lamps may be difficult to position for proper illumination of the original. The task can be made easier if you use studio electronic flash units with built-in tungsten modeling lights. With this type of lighting unit, the modeling light can be used to position the lights accurately for even illumination of the original. Even with this, the light may have to be heavily diffused to prevent "hot spots." A hot spot is a surface area that receives too much light, causing an unwanted reflection that is noticeable in the final copy product. 8-9 contents Basic Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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