If you go searching on the Internet about digitizing daguerreotypes, there is a fair amount of opinion and information, although you have to dig some to find any real detail about how to do it.\u00a0 I gather some people have a way to use a scanner and others use cameras.\u00a0 I decided to try combining what I discovered about using my cellphone to photograph things like business cards and documents with the cell phone (or iPad).\u00a0 It is an ingenious concept that works very well for many documents and pictures.<\/p>\n
Some time ago I ran across a genealogy blog<\/a> (perhaps reported on a Facebook group) that posted a simple technique that seemed like even I could use it.\u00a0 If you\u2019re interested in what I think is the first report of using this method, it is here<\/a>.\u00a0 The basics involve a wire mesh locker shelf which has holes about an inch across and which stands about a foot high.\u00a0 You simply place your cell phone or iPad with its camera directly over an opening and put the item to be photographed or scanned below it.\u00a0 Both blogs I just mentioned show clear pictures of the set-up.\u00a0 I particularly like the genealogist\u2019s refinement of using the voice command to take the picture, so you don\u2019t have to touch the camera possibly creating movement.<\/p>\n There are some limitations to using this particular method over a standard copy-stand.\u00a0 You cannot use a camera (unless it doesn\u2019t have an extending lens) so you are restricted to what your phone or tablet can do.\u00a0 Likewise, the height above what you are copying is fixed, so you have to use the camera\u2019s zoom to focus on smaller objects and you can\u2019t copy oversize books, pages or pictures.\u00a0 I have a much shorter rack that is similar, sitting about 3 inches above the surface which is good for small images (business cards for example).<\/p>\n Having at least temporarily figured out a way to digitize the collection as it is, I plan to eventually contact the Northeast Document Conservation Center<\/a> which is conveniently located not too far from me about whether they can advise me about cleaning, preserving, more professionally digitizing, etc. this collection.\u00a0 I have also joined the Facebook group for The Daguerreian Society<\/a> and am enjoying learning and seeing many different images.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know that I will join those who collect them as objects but I do love having my collection of family images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Since I don\u2019t have any research at a point that I can write about it, I thought I would put together what I have learned about using my cellphone camera to digitize a picture or document and my trying the …<\/p>\n![\"copystand](\"http:\/\/genealogygals.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/copystand-work-around-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>When I started to test this set-up with my daguerreotypes, I found that even in daylight with no flash I was getting reflections because of the glass coverings.\u00a0 So then I remembered the advice to use a piece of cardboard covered with black velvet and a hole for the lens, so I dug out a couple of scraps of black velvet (I have lots of scraps because I usually don\u2019t throw pieces away when I have made something).\u00a0 And voila!\u00a0 This seems to work well and now all I have to do is figure out which to use the short stand for and which to use the taller one for.\u00a0 This is what my set-up looks like with the taller stand.<\/p>\n