Scott Gomez wrote:
>The target is a tintype photo, dating from approximately 1890 (I'm
>guessing, based on the photo's history). It's fairly typical in that
>it's approx. 2.75x3.25 inches and has been enclosed in a (non-removable)
>ornate brass "case" having an oval aperture through which the tintype is
>displayed. Thankfully, there's no glass involved. It's in reasonably
>good shape, but has suffered some bending over the years and is
>therefore *not* flat.
>
>I've got a collection of OM bodies (1n, 2n, 4, 4t) and a fair selection
>of macro gear (bellows, various auto macro tubes, 50/3.5, 80/4 and 135/4
>macros lenses) and some flash gear to choose from. My primary goal here
>is to reproduce the *photo*, without concern for including the frame.
>I've got a lot of time to play with getting a good shot, as the tintype
>
I've done quite a lot of such copy work. The 50/3.5 should be perfect if
you can work vertically, which is far the easiest if you have a stand or
can rig a tripod to look straight down. I've done hundreds of copies in
that general size range and the 50/3.5 is just excellent. If you have to
work horizontally, the 135/4.5 may make the setup easier.
Working on a steady support, DOF shouldn't be a problem if the subject
is even reasonably flat. Optimum aperture for the 50/3.5 is f8-11.
The real problem you may encounter with a non-flat subject is
reflections. In my copy work, I did pretty much the standard as others
have suggested, lights at 45 degrees to the subject on both sides, but I
used a piece of flat, clear galss to hold the subjects flat. Glass
reflects, but only in one way, and 45 degree lights work great. With
significant rippling, folds, etc. you could run into problems. The two
possible solutions that come readily to mind are a soft ring flash like
the T8 (maybe even the T10 with cross-pol?) or a "lampshade" diffuser.
The lampshade diffuser involves using a plain white translucent cylinder
placed around the subject with at least two lights illuminating it from
the outside. The very diffuse, non directional light minimizes
reflections. An actual plain white lampshade and halogen lamps is fine.
These solutions would also make the brass surround look ok, I bet.
Moose
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