>"Jim Halsey" <jehalsey@gmail.com> wrote > Hmm! Well, it would annoy me ! I get excellent photos without flash. In > fact, on those occasions when I have used flash to photograph documents in > normal or even poor light, I have found that I do better without flash. On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 11:01:26 +0100, Peter Amsden <amsden@btinternet.com> replied: >I agree Jim, >Flash is really outmoded for much of this work, but when I did the research >it was very interesting to see some of the comments from Archivists. I find these comments rather interesting because I have found just the opposite! If I use the ambient light in a Record Office to photograph documents with a hand held camera then: - the image is blurred by camera shake (I may not have steady hands, and my standards for sharpness may be higher than others) - the ambient illumination is invariably uneven and this shows up on the photograph - the image contrast is poor (I know that can be improved afterwards in software) I find that turning on the camera flash generally overcomes all these problems. Of course flash reflections off certain document surfaces create a new problem, and perhaps that is what Jim Halsey was referring to when he said he got better results without flash . . . As I have said in my earlier message, I find that angling the camera so that the flash is not reflected directly back to the camera lens often solves this problem. Depending on the nature and proximity of surrounding surfaces there is usually sufficient indirect (bounced back) flash to provide enough illumination - and an automatic camera should adjust exposure to suit. If the 'document' is both shiny and has a curved surface then a diffused ambient light source may be the only answer as any point light source will be reflected back into the lens from some part of the object's surface. I have found such problems trying to photograph old 'curved' prints in an album and a miniature painted portrait under a convex glass cover. The nuisance factor when using flash in a Record Office is affected by many factors: - the intensity of the flash and its reflected light - the distance way of the other people and the light paths to them So while in a crowded small office flash can be a nuisance, in a large office with high ceilings and most people sitting behind shielding bookcases the flash from a small pocket digital camera is hardly noticeable. In fact I know I have used flash (sometimes inadvertently and sometimes not) in some situations where the staff were unaware of it. Of course if all Record Offices had suitable camera stands and bright but even diffused light sources such problems would be academic . . . Cheers, John John Addis-Smith Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England