Photographing old Photos

[Treehugga]

Would appreciate some advice on how best to digitize around 200 old photos from the 70's and 80's 

I have a good scanner but it would take days to do those so is it possible to get a good result by photographing them? If so how? I don't have any studio equipment and don't want to spend a dime  so what would be the best setup? I have a home-made lightbox (cardboard box cutout with baking paper attached to sides to diffuse light source - yes seriously, but it does a half decent job!). If I put it in a window sill and setup a tripod could I just snap away and get a good result?

I know it sounds basic but if you have any suggestions that would be great. I guess someone must have done it before? They are only for preservation of family shots so will not need to be awesome quality. I have a D50 to shoot with.

Cheers

[Jonathan]

Classic way is 2 lights at 45 degrees with softboxes or similar and camera back absolutely parallel to the pic (you can use a copy stand).

I'd use a scanner.  Or pay somebody to use one.  My cheap and ansty all in one scanner/printer/fax has an automatic sheet feeder.

[SimonW]

Setting up a camera totally central and square, and then lighting with no reflections, is very difficult - I've tried umpteen times (with pictures too large for the scanner). Use your scanner. If the photos are all similar size and exposure, once it's set up you can just put successive pix in the same position and scan, no need to preview, and it can be much quicker than you expect.  Good luck.

[Oly Paul]

Would appreciate some advice on how best to digitize around 200 old photos from the 70's and 80's 

I have a good scanner but it would take days to do those I know it sounds basic but if you have any suggestions that would be great. I guess someone must have done it before? They are only for preservation of family shots so will not need to be awesome quality. I have a D50 to shoot with.

Cheers

If your talking prints it should only take a couple of hours on a flatbed scanner (especialy if you place muliple prints on the scanner at a time) if you do not scan at to high a resolution and would be the best way to do it. 

[Treehugga]

Thanks folks. As they are old photos from different sources they will be different shapes and exposures etc. My scanner cost a grand 7 years ago - do you think it will produce better results than photographing?

[Al Birmingham]

It almost cetainly will give better quality than trying to photograph them. Have you tried it? A top tip is to ensure both scanner platter and photo are as dust free as possible.  Check you have the latest drivers etc for the scanner.

Do you have photoshop CS or later? If so it will automatically crop, straighten and separate multiple photos when they are all scanned together.

[Treehugga]

Hi Al

Yes I have PS CS3. So if I get them scanned in, then open the file in PS how does it sort a multiple scan out? I've never heard of this before and it would save a lot of time!

[Al Birmingham]

It's under the File menu, either a script or under automate or something like that. try seacging help for auto crop or auto rotate. Sorry not much help but I'm at work and can't get to a computer with PS to check what it is exactly.

[Treehugga]

Crop and Straighten Photos - found it thanks! And it works really well so will be very handy indeed