Technology & Equipment

The Digital Imaging Unit at the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) utilizes a host of different types of technology and equipment in its digitization efforts: everything from scanners and scanning technology to digital SLR cameras and digital reprographic systems. The Unit also utilizes a variety of software solutions to not only drive the individual imaging systems and provide for post capture image editing but to also monitor and support our efforts to ensure quality control and compliance to Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) Standards.

Developing new techniques for digitizing objects or groups of objects is essential to our operation, especially with the variety of technologies and equipment we utilize to that end. Currently, we employ five different kinds of imaging systems to provide our services to the different departments within the CCP:

• Digital Transitions DT RCam Reprographic Camera / Instant Capture Reprographic Imaging System #1: This system employs a Phase One IQ180 digital camera back with an effective resolution of 80 Megapixels. Primarily utilized for the digitization of fine prints and film-based photographic archive originals, this system employs two 300 Watt North Light HID Copy Lights for reflective copy or the built-in light table for transparent materials. Film-based and transparent materials are digitized using the Digital Transitions Film Scanning Kit.

• Digital Transitions DT RCam Reprographic Camera / Instant Capture Reprographic Imaging System #2: This system employs a Phase One P40+ digital camera back with an effective resolution of 40 Megapixels. This system is primarily utilized for the digitization of a wide variety of non-film-based archive materials, and employs four 150 Watt Buhl Soft Cube Series SC – 150 Lights for reflective copy only.

• BetterLight Super 8K-HS 4X5 Scanning Back / Oversized Digital Imaging System: This system is primarily used for imaging all oversized 2D objects up to 60 inches. This system provides the digital imaging technician with a semi-efficient means to generate high resolution, first generation digital images and the capability to increase the resolution up to 150%, creating very robust file sizes with minimal interpolation over 100%. This system employs two 900 Watt North Light HID Copy Lights for reflective copy only.

• EPSON 11000XL – Photo Scanner / Flatbed Quick Scanning System: This piece of equipment is primarily used for quick one-off imaging requests that don’t require the features offered by our other more sophisticated systems. While the device has the capability to digitally image transparent materials (film-based originals), we primarily use it to digitize reflective fine print objects and reflective archive materials up to 12.2” x 17.2”.

• Canon EOS 6D Digital SLR Camera / Studio Imaging System: This 20.2 Megapixel camera is primarily used for studio setting purposes when photographing 3D objects under studio lighting. It is also our primary camera for documenting exhibitions in the CCP gallery.

• Capture and Processing Software: Our DT RCam Reprographic Phase One Cameras are driven by and tethered to computer workstations that employ Capture One Cultural Heritage Software for camera control, image editing, and enhanced functionality. The Unit uses the industry standard Adobe Suite of digital imaging products for the majority of our post-processing needs including Adobe Bridge, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Lightroom.

For Licensing inquiries please contact the Image Services & Copyright Management Department.