The Museum Photographer

What is the Barrow Kipper?

2011-08-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Really good series of short videos leading up to the opening of the New Walk Museum's Dinosaur Gallery this weekend. Even better, there are preshistoric marine reptiles and fossils as well. Having seen the "Barrow Kipper" on the traffic island, I'm looking forward to seeing the real thing!

http://www.youtube.com/leicestermuseums

"Disappearing acts"

2011-07-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

Nice series of photo slideshows from The Guardian about heritage crafts:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/series/disappearing-acts

Hacking work

2011-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

"Benevolent hackers see the future and pull us toward it."

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0670919500/

NYT Museums Special; Arduino

2011-03-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

New York Times has a Museums Special section online today. Amongst the articles there is one covering the use of Arduino in museums.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/arts/artsspecial/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/arts/design/arduinos-provide-interactive-exhibits-for-about-30.html?_r=4

Focus 2011

2011-03-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

Returned earlier this evening from my annual visit to Focus on Imaging, which fortunately for me is held in Birmingham, so is easy to get to.

Just a few notes for now, perhaps more to come in a future post:

My general feeling is that the industry is settling down again now after the turbulent times of the last few years - the film/digital war is over, and the megapixel-race is now a steady climb.
There seemed to be more interest this year in continuous lighting kits based on CFL (continuous fluorescent light) technologies, both for beginning users and high end pro work.
Kits and accessories for modifying the light from compact flash-guns (e.g. "Speedlites") were also popular, as people look to improve the results they can get with their existing flashguns. This might also be called the "Strobist-effect"
There are now plenty of services who will take your digital files, and take them right through to a printed book output. Or, you can print your own in-house using any one of a number of inkjet printers
Conservation storage for both new and old photographs was also covered, courtesy of Timecare.
A service called "Lab Direct" from Ilford that offers digital prints on "proper" black-and-white paper. A good example of old meets new. My sample print even had that wonderful smell of hypo (sodium thiosulphate)....
Some truly superb cameras from Linhof and Cambo utilising the newest digital backs and large format lenses. Unfortunately, impressive resolution also brings with it an impressive price.

Sitting on the .DOC of the bay....

2011-02-15T04:51:00.000-08:00

Seems I have a lot of files in various word processor formats (doc, docx, wp, etc) which I would like to turn into one unified format, and since editing will not be required in the future, I choose PDF.

Now it would be perfectly possible to 'print-to-PDF' using Mac OS X, and for a small number of files that would be fine. Alternatively I could use OpenOffice's PDF export function. However I got to wondering if there was a solution that could be used by people who have no access to any PDF functionality in their operating system.

Turns out there are plenty of "PDF servers" available, which would make sense for larger organisations. However it is also possible to use OpenOffice from the command line to do the same thing. Here's how:

I already have a version of OS X Snow Leopard, which will give me the Terminal access I need. Java is also installed and up-to-date, as is the latest version of OpenOffice
First we start OpenOffice in "headless" mode using Terminal:

iMac:~ simon$ /Applications/OpenOffice.org.app/Contents/MacOS/soffice.bin -headless -nofirststartwizard -accept="socket,host=localhost,port=8100;urp;StarOffice.Service" &

Don't forget the ampersand at the end - it returns control of the terminal to the user after the service has started.

Use grep and netstat to check it is running

iMac:~ simon$ ps aux | grep soffice

simon 1810 42.4 1.2 515704 49620 s000 S 1:14pm 2:27.21 /Applications/OpenOffice.org.app/Contents/MacOS/soffice.bin -headless -nofirststartwizard -accept=socket,host=localhost,port=8100;urp;StarOffice.Service simon 1789 0.0 1.1 514160 47400 ?? S 1:13pm 0:01.07 /Applications/OpenOffice.org.app/Contents/MacOS/soffice.bin -headless -nofirststartwizard -

accept=socket,host=localhost,port=8100;urp;StarOffice.Service simon 45573 0.0 0.0 252104 88 s000 R 1:20pm 0:00.00 (soffice.bin) simon 45571 0.0 0.0 2435116 524 s000 S+ 1:20pm 0:00.00 grep soffice

iMac:~ simon$ netstat -an | grep 8100

tcp4 0 0 127.0.0.1.8100 *.* LISTEN

Now it is necessary to find something that will allow us to interact with the service. I found JODConverter, which can be downloaded from http://www.artofsolving.com/opensource/jodconverter. A version is available which includes a bundled version of Apache Tomcat server.
I had to change the default port from 8080 to 1234, as I had something already running on 8080, but there are clear instructions within the package on how to do this.
Now we simply run the startup.sh script in the /bin directory:

iMac:bin simon$ ./startup.sh

Using CATALINA_BASE: /Users/simon/Downloads/jodconverter-tomcat-2.2.2

Using CATALINA_HOME: /Users/simon/Downloads/jodconverter-tomcat-2.2.2

Using CATALINA_TMPDIR: /Users/simon/Downloads/jodconverter-tomcat-2.2.2/temp

Using JRE_HOME: /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/CurrentJDK/Home

Now we can find the web application at http://localhost:1234/

Simple - a web based PDF conversion that anyone can use! For the more terminally-minded amongst us, there is also a JODConverter Java application which can convert a whole load of files at once, in one go.

Open Source Organiser

2011-01-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

Just found this - it's an open source planner for paper-based people!

http://www.diyplanner.com/templates/official/beginner

Quote for later

2010-10-17T03:16:00.000-07:00

'The data storage model is clean, simple, and easy to learn, as is the programming model. SimpleDB excels at storing semi-structured data where the items (rows) are similar but not necessarily identical to each other."

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0980576830

Computer rental - £0.20 per day!

2010-10-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Another novel solution to running Windows applications when you are primarily Mac based - simply borrow someone else's computer. Only this computer was located in America, and I was in the UK.

The solution lies in using Amazon's suite of web services, appropriately enough called "Amazon Web Services". By loosely following this guide, I was able to boot a Windows 2008 server, remotely connect to it using CoRD, carry out the work I needed to do and then return the server resources to the cloud, for others to make use of.

A quick calculation suggests that typical running costs could be as low as 20p a day, or one pound a week, and I have no extra hardware to look after. A very cost effective solution for small jobs, or one-off tasks.

DIY easel

2010-09-21T12:08:00.001-07:00

Just found this - no time or space or tools to make one at the moment, but worth a try I think.

http://bengrosser.com/easel/index.html

ISO standards for Museum Imaging

2010-09-21T12:06:00.001-07:00

http://www.cdiny.com/ArticlesWhitePapers/ISO%20Standards%20for%20Museum%20Imaging_cdi_v1.0.pdf

Still to read this in full, so will comment on it more later.....

Photographic scales

2010-09-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

Quite often, I need to use a scale in an image. I have a few that I have designed myself, but I always like to know what is out there, so here are my "notes to self" on the subject:

I found the best results were to be had on archaeological suppliers websites, and also, which shouldn't really have come as a surprise, forensic scene of crime websites.

I particularly like these engraved plastic scales
And there are also some self-adhesive scales available too
These scales are mostly for archaeological use
Here is a blog post to some simple scales
And here is another post to a nice scale, complete with instructions for perspective correction

Museum disambiguation

2010-05-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

A rolling post about word confusion on museum databases:

Valence: a term describing the number of chemical bonds that an atom can form.

not to be confused with

Valance: a "skirt" which is fitted around a bed frame or curtain rail, in order to conceal or decorate it.

Caster: a small wheel fixed to the bottom of a piece of furniture

not to be confused with

Castor: The twin of Pollux

Lever : To use a rigid object together with an appropriate fulcrum to increase the mechanical advantage of a device.

not to be confused with

Leaver: One who is going elsewhere

Border: The edge of an enclosed area

not to be confused with

Boarder: A school pupil who lives at the school during term time

Photographing bugs.....

2010-05-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2010/05/lighting-bugs-with-layers-of-genius.html

Strobis carries an article today about Charles Krebs and his microphotography - nice to see incredible results coming from modest equipment. Note the use of focus stacking software in the later part of the clip.

Also, his own website is at:

http://www.krebsmicro.com/

with loads of information.

And here's my bug photos:

Fimomouldensis goggleyeyedun

Calymene blumenbachii - taken with focus stacking software - not bad for a first attempt!

A big photography job!

2010-04-06T16:53:00.001-07:00

Smithsonian Secretary plans to make massive collection available to all (SmartPlanet)

http://m.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/smithsonian-secretary-plans-to-make-massive-collection-available-to-all/3126/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Really nice website

2010-03-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

One of the privileged parts of my work is being allowed to mark accession numbers or inventory numbers onto historic objects. The actual process is not really a part of this post,but the process is carefully designed to cause minimal disruption to the object, and in any sizeable collection is virtually essential to know exactly which axehead, fossil shell or teacup you are looking at.

For all but the tiniest object, I prefer to use a traditional "dip" or "stylus" pen for the ink layer. They're easy to get hold of, inexpensive, and the nibs, being removable are easy to clean (the ink contains a shellac binder which tends to clog if allowed to dry).

I have a bit of a thing for nice pens, pencils and paper, so thought I would share this little website with you. It does everthing that you could ask of a website - tells me about the products, what they are for, how they are used and where I can get hold of them.

http://www.calligraphy.co.uk/

A well thought out, simple and informative web site. I've just bought some of their nibs, so I will try to do a sequence of photos demonstrating how I use them the next chance I have.

Update: The DP6H nib is winning for inventory marking at the moment. I'm also finding that Methanol is a good solvent for the ink at the end of the session, and it's not quite so unpleasant to handle as the acetone either....

Mac to Windows, and back

2010-03-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has worked with me for more than a few hours will know that I am very much a dyed-in-the-wool Mac user. Suffice to say that I've been using Macs since before they were trendy, and I still remember when the trademark Apple logo was filled with multicoloured stripes.

Since then a lot has changed, and there are now many more Mac users than there used to be, but it is still a fact of life that much of the world still runs Windows. Until now I have managed to get along fine, either using Mac equivalents of particular pieces of software, or by borrowing a PC here and there. This time however, it was much easier to have access to my own copy of Windows where I could call the shots on what software was running. I needed to go computer shopping....

What PC to buy? Well, there are lots of makes out there, and of course, Macs now run on Intel processors as well - which means that they can run Windows. And for those that don't follow the world of computers as closely as I do, there is no hacking, cracking or patching involved - it's an Apple supported modification, and is really thoroughly documented on their website.

Eventually I had narrowed it down to two options. Either buy a cheap, kronky second hand PC and deal with all the problems that would come with it, or spend more money and get a Mac which I would then install Windows on as well. To cut a long story short, the iMac arrived this morning.

I needed a brand new copy of Windows so I popped out to get this, downloaded the documentation and set to work with the Bootcamp software. All in all a very painless process and a couple of hours later I had a fully functioning dual-boot machine which lets me select which OS I want to use with just the press of a key at startup.

So I now have the best of both worlds - I can run pretty much any software that I need, and I can choose the working platform that is most comfortable and effective. If I'm doing any training work, then the client can choose the one they feel most comfortable with. I'm not going to say anything about the merits of either system, except that I won't be giving up MacOS just yet....

Stereophotographs - no special goggles needed

2010-03-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

Neat little tutorial shows taking stereoimages of small specimens
with simple equipment.

http://fossilprep.org/Stereo.html

Stereo-postcards, anyone?

Heads up.... Or down?

2010-03-16T06:04:00.001-07:00

A quick heads up to promote this year's fossil festival at Lyme Regis
- have a look at their website at

Http://www.fossilfestival.com

Eype

2010-03-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Aperture

2009-10-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Spent the last couple of weeks converting my workflow over to Aperture. As per usual I've not read any instruction manuals or the like, so this is purely what I've found so far.

Most of my work is shot in RAW on the camera - in my mind there is little point in shooting JPEG, and if there is ever the need, then there is also RAW+JPEG modes and plenty of batch converters as well. Until now, I have found iPhoto to be excellent for my purposes, and of course it has the useful attribute of being free on every new Mac.

Using an external piece of software, iPhoto Buddy, enabled me to manage different libraries for each job, and for the basic levels, straighten and crop adjustments that might be needed on each photo, then iPhoto was just fine.

However I was feeling the need to move up to the next level, and Aperture, for me at least, does just that.

It's reasonably priced - especially when I recall the conversation I had with a friend a couple of weeks ago regarding how much we used to spend on lab processing on an almost weekly basis!
It looks professional - it's made by Apple of course
File handling capabilities are top-notch. Once files are imported, backup is simply a matter of pressing one button. Changes made to photos are backed-up incrementally so edits can be backed-up very quickly. There are clever features for moving photos in and out of the library, which means they are easily archived. I think that best results would be achieved on a diet of large, fast hard discs.
One more point on the backup - I've not tried yet, but it should be possible to replicate the external back-up disc onto Amazon S3 for complete redundancy given a suitable internet connection.
I can now shoot tethered, which I've not tried yet, but will be useful for copy work
Extensible via Plug-ins, again more to come on this

Mostly, it just seems to work, which is surely a good thing.

I'll still need to use one or two of my custom renaming scripts at times, but this is more a result of the way I work at the moment than any failing with the software.

All in all, iPhoto is good, and for most people (and small organisations) would be an ideal image manager. If the need and the operator skills are there, then Aperture improves further on this base.

Thermal Label Printer

2009-06-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

I've just taken delivery of a Dymo LabelWriter 400 printer - mostly to help me make sense of the mountains of "stuff" that I seem to own and carry around with me.

Installation is very easy, and the printer functions like any other MacOS printer, albeit with very small paper sizes!

My thoughts are already beginning to turn to investigating the some of the possible applications that the printer might have for photography and collections management.

Here is what I've come up with so far:

Temporary (?) labelling - label output is quick, easy and cheap. I can already think of one job I will be doing next month where the ability to spew out the numbers of the last batch of photos onto a batch of labels would probably make for less confusion later on in the process. The technology is thermal printing, and whilst we know that the labels won't be archival, I feel that they would make a very good stop-gap measure until there is time to do a proper marking exercise.
Machine readable labels - a little pet favourite of mine - bridging the interface between objects and computers. I've already been able to successfully output Code 128 barcodes onto the labels, using an open-source barcode generator outputting data from a PHP/MySQL database. And my twenty-quid barcode reader reads them perfectly as well.
I've run-off a few sample labels and will be using them to label up some of my own geological specimens, and as time passes, I'll report more on how it all pans out.

Lights, Camera, Action! at Chedworth Roman Villa

2009-03-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a day spent at Chedworth Roman Villa, near Cheltenham, filming a news article about the inventory work there. As the site includes a small museum, where much of the collection was built up during the Victorian era, the archaeological items in the museum all had to be photographed.

A group of us carried out the photography in November last year, and perhaps the one item I should add to my toolkit is a thermometer - I'm pretty sure that the temperature inside never got into double figures all day! There were a lot of objects there to be photographed, and the total number is well over 1000.

Between us, we chose some artefacts for the film crews to look at. I felt it was important to choose something of a reasonable size to show to the cameras, so we had on hand some carved pieces of stone, and a couple of floor tiles with animal footprints in them. Also we had a box of Roman Snail shells (Helix pomatia if you're interested) which can still be found on site (and in fact as far afield as Cirencester).

You can read one of the stories in the press here:

Changing times at Chedworth

and you can see the BBC article here:

Roman artefacts go online

I think it all went off very well, and shows nicely how to make an interesting story out of the seemingly mundane backroom task of cataloguing.

Just as I finished packing up the equipment, it absolutely tipped it down with rain - perhaps if I'd hung around, the moisture might have tempted some of the snails out of hiding!

Crafty concordances, clever computer....

2009-01-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

A reasonably common museum problem. Several hundred museum objects to be photographed, one set of old museum numbers, one set of new ones, and then after generating a set of camera numbers, we were to rename the camera files to some name relating to the new museum numbers.

How to make a concordance between the four sets of numbers - ordinarily I do this by hand as I photograph, but as soon as I renumbered the images, the original concordance we made on site became useless.

The solution required that we maintain a record of the original filename against the new renumbered file. I could have used paper, or even a spreadsheet, but that would have been quite time consuming and probably error prone.

I felt it could be done using IPTC data mixed in with my workflow, so here's how:

I used a piece of software called Exiftool
First, copy the original camera assigned file name into the caption field:

exiftool "-iptc:caption-abstract<filename" *.jpg

Bring the photos into iPhoto. It reads the caption field into it's description field
Tweak photos as required, changing the title of the photo to the new museum number, and setting the old museum number as one of the keywords.

Incidentally, at this point everything suddenly started to organise itself, as disconnected photos taken all around the museum began to re-arrange themselves by their museum numbers....

Export new versions of the photos, using your preferred settings. Ensure that you also export title and keywords, and use the title to generate the filename:

Finally head back to Exiftool and run the following command which gives you the concordance list that you were after

exiftool -T -filename -keywords -objectname -iptc:caption-abstract *jpg

which looks like

73606.jpg 23.3 73606 _DSC4876.jpg

73607.jpg 23.4 73607 _DSC4880.jpg

73608.jpg 23.5 73608 _DSC4882.jpg

73609.jpg 23.6 73609 _DSC4878.jpg

73610.jpg 23.7 73610 _DSC4881.jpg etc

Open the file in a spreadsheet of your choice, sort as required and carry on!