Scanner Photography

When most of us think of "digital photography" we think of a digital camera. Duh. Yes, you can buy a compact point & shoot digital camera that fits in your pocket or purse, or spend more for a digital SLR. But there are other ways to do digital photography. There are alternative digital methods akin to toy cameras like the Holga and the Diana,, pinhole photography, even camera-less film processes. Likewise there are digital alternative photography processes too.

You can modify and existing digital camera, you can use different software in conjunction with a digital camera, or you can make your own digital camera.

Why? For the same reason photographers and tinkerers have been doing art photography since photography was invented. Yes, sometimes you want a vacation snapshot or a picture of a family event. Other times you want something more subjective and creative. You don't need film to do that.

Do you want to capture an image digitally? Try using aflatbed scanner as a camera. Hey, they do the same thing. A flatbed scanner can be thought of as a digital camera. Both create JPGs of physical items. A scanner isn't as inflexible a camera as you might think.

This website is a good place to learn how to do scanner photography. Some go pretty far to make a scanner into a psudeo-camera.

Ellen Hoverkamp and Kurt Novak both use scanners to do fine art photography. As you'd expect, there's a scanner Flickr group too.

First things first, if you want to play with this (and Lord knows scanners are give-aways with new computers just like cheap printers) you should take some time to learn from those who've gone before you. Here's a DIY scanner photography site.

Of course, counter to all this some strive to make a digital camera act like a scanner. To each their own...