Scanning a Irregular Picture

The picture below is of Joseph and Matilda Jensen, circa 1890. This is the classic picture, hand colored in a large format and mounted in a large oval frame. The inside diameter of the frame was 19 x 13 with bubble glass over the picture.

I was not able to remove the picture from the frame and the picture was pushed up in the center to touch the glass. The portion of the picture that shows Miltda’s face was not touching the glass and since the scanner's focal length is approximately 1/4", the scan here is not as sharp as it could be.

This took 16 scans, holding the scanner securely against the glass and moving it around the inside of the frame and across the top of the glass. As you can see I missed a couple of scans. All scans were done at 600 dpi.



I have only stitched the picture and reduced it so I could post this copy. The original stitched picture is 150 dpi. I still need to touch it up in Photoshop and rotate it.

Not a bad rendition of the original.We have a similar picture of the same couple and had it removed and scanned by a professional. It was well over $100.

The next time I am in Milton, Utah, I will do it again and get the rest of the picture.

Flip-Pal -more-

In a tweet last week I noted that I scanned a Vietnam era platoon picture that was 14 x 24 using the Flip-Pal. Well, after taking another look at it, the original was probably closer to 14 x 20.


It took 16 scanned images to create the stitched image. Each image was scanned at 600dpi, after the stitching software was finished, the new complete image was 150dpi.

This was saved as a web image using Adobe Photo Elements at 50%, I have not yet attempted to clean up the image in any way.

I am still working on almost 300 pictures I scanned on Sunday afternoon using the Flip-Pal. More on them in future posts. 

Flip-Pal

Used the Flip-Pal mobile scanner last night to scan a Vietnam era Platoon picture. Orginal was approximately 14x24. Stitching the software was as easy as selecting all the photos, it took 12 scans for this particular picture, and selecting stitch.

It was that easy. The scanned jpg (@600dpi) was cleaner and clearer than the original.

Found out today that the orientation of the scan is not important, the stitching software still recognizes it and puts it back together.

Great product.

Have to leave Rootstech early today so I can scan an old family album in Milton, Ut. I understand that all the pictures are behind plastic. Should not be a problem.

New iPad and iPhone app

If you have an iPad or iPhone there is a great new app for you. Now you can see and navigate your Ancestry.com family tree on your iPad or iPhone. You can even view the Census and other records.

 

Check it out here.