Any special plate glass that can shoot without or less reflections?

[Dream Merchant]

It's been so long that I'm not sure what's on the market now ... :sweat:

Has anyone heard of any kind of HEAVY plate glass that has lesser reflections but still allows me to photograph printed materials faithfully? Don't think that normal frosted glass used for display will cut it.

I need to shoot badly curled up posters, and need very heavy glass to flatten the posters.

I was wondering if such glass exist, and where to get it locally.

 

[Yoricko]

Theres is filter called the polarizing filter, it cuts down reflections and darkens the sky, also acts as a very light ND filter.

Circular-Polarizers works with dSLRS with no problem, you'll have to "turn" the filter to get more or less reflections.
Linear-Polarizers on the other hand, will not work with dSLRs autofocus and metering (if I recall correctly), unable to "turn" the filter to get more or less reflections.

A glass plate that limits reflections, never heard of it.
You can always shoot the posters at an angle.

 

[Dream Merchant]

Thanks Yoriko.

Got much bigger problems than reflection now ... like safety and handling since I might have to look at really heavy glass that could be potentially lethal or incapacitating if it's mis-handled and shatters.

SIgh.

 

[GavinTing]

Thanks Yoriko.

Got much bigger problems than reflection now ... like safety and handling since I might have to look at really heavy glass that could be potentially lethal or incapacitating if it's mis-handled and shatters.

SIgh.

Why not get a not so heavy piece of normal glass, and use a CPL?

 

[Dream Merchant]

Thanks Gavin, but the weight is something that we probably can't avoid as it serves a specific purpose - to flatten severly curled-up material that's been stored that way for waaaaay too long, and cannot be mounted in the usual manner.

 

[zac08]

Have to check if local guys can bring in this type of glass...

http://www.cami-nv.com/eng/producten-glas.htm

 

[roygoh]

Here's my suggestion.

Use long metal bars to hold down the poster. If the curling is too bad then photograph the poster in sections (so that you can place the bars closer to each other to hold a partucular section of the poster flat) and then stitch them later.

My son attends drawing classes and each week the painting is rolled up for him to bring it home. I photographed his paintings while using sections of my aluminum crossbar (for hanging studio background) placed on both ends of the painting to hold the painting flat againt the floor.

http://roygoh.clubsnap.org/gallery/album196

 

[roygoh]

Why not get a not so heavy piece of normal glass, and use a CPL?

Polarizers are only effective in removing reflections when you are shooting at an angle of around 45 degrees to the surface of the glass. To shoot the poster under the glass you would have to shoot at 90 degrees, which the polarizer cannot do much.

 

[roygoh]

If the surface of the poster is glossy then you have to position the illumination at 45 degrees to the surface to minimze glare.

 

[catchlights]

DM, the old school ways of doing copyworks dealing with this is using polarizer gel on lights itself, remember?

if you have lots of posters need to be secure and flatten during a copyworks, can make a vacuum easel, saw Bernard of Spectra Color Lab DIY one.

no matter how thin the glass it is, it might still create double images.

hope this help.

 

[Yoricko]

Polarizers are only effective in removing reflections when you are shooting at an angle of around 45 degrees to the surface of the glass. To shoot the poster under the glass you would have to shoot at 90 degrees, which the polarizer cannot do much.

Ah, didn't know that.

Curled up posters ... drum roll scanner?

 

[ortega]

if the printed materials are not bigger than A3 why not just use a flatbed scanner?

 

[zac08]

if the printed materials are not bigger than A3 why not just use a flatbed scanner?

It's about A2 to A1 size... so scanning it is not a simple option.

 

[catchlights]

if the printed materials are not bigger than A3 why not just use a flatbed scanner?

It's about A2 to A1 size... so scanning it is not a simple option.

can scan and stitch, all you need is patient and software.

 

[zac08]

can scan and stitch, all you need is patient and software.

I dun think he have enough time to do so... the deadline is pretty tight.

 

[ortega]

Here's my suggestion.

Use long metal bars to hold down the poster. If the curling is too bad then photograph the poster in sections (so that you can place the bars closer to each other to hold a partucular section of the poster flat) and then stitch them later.

My son attends drawing classes and each week the painting is rolled up for him to bring it home. I photographed his paintings while using sections of my aluminum crossbar (for hanging studio background) placed on both ends of the painting to hold the painting flat againt the floor.

http://roygoh.clubsnap.org/gallery/album196

can also let gravity to do it's stuff
and mount it like a scroll

 

[ortega]

It's about A2 to A1 size... so scanning it is not a simple option.

so it is you or DM that has the problem?

 

[zac08]

so it is you or DM that has the problem?

Him... but I saw those posters too.. so I have a rough idea on the problem. :bsmilie:

 

[Dream Merchant]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

The heavy plate glass was at the suggestion of the client's restorer.

Ahhh catchlights, polarised light source! Man, I think it's AGES since anyone used that!

Yeah, Zac was assisting me when I viewed the posters.

We're talking very serious curling and cracking. I don't think a vacuum easel can cut it, unless it's suction strength is very very high over a very large surface area. Also, because of the thickness of the materials involved, and how the curling has almost permanently set, great surface area force will be required to flatten it and keep it flat.

After speaking to the glass manufacturers/suppliers, the plate glass we're looking at is estimated to be around 60kg so you can imagine the kg/sq inch required to flatten the posters.

Ben, what did you mean by double images? We're already looking at plate glass that's 1 cm thick minimum. :sweat: Were you referring to reflection of the LIGHT, or the reflection of the artwork itself on the top of the inner surface of the glass? If it's the latter, man, I have bigger problems than I thought!

If it's any help, I will likely have no choice but to use a tilt and shift lens to re-po this since I don't know of any studio using view cameras with digital backs (and will rent me studio and equipment time with that digital view cam).


Roy, I'm not sure what you mean by long metal bars. I get the image in my mind or bars going across the material. I donlt think this approach would work in this instance.

 

[Dream Merchant]

can scan and stitch, all you need is patient and software.

Besides time, cannot take the risk of further damage to the posters.