How to Take a Picture of Pictures

Adjust your camera settings to take a quality photo of a photo.

Taking a photo of a photo is a way to convert your old print pictures into digital pictures. Some people find this task difficult and the quality of the photos diminished. For that reason, some prefer to use a scanner instead of a camera to avoid the unnatural glow and brightness that photographing pictures sometimes creates. However, it is possible to take quality photos of pictures; archivists and museum workers do it all the time. You just have to know how to use the right lighting, background and camera settings to make it work.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Pick out an area in the room close to a window and natural light. Be prepared to take the pictures during the time of day when plenty of natural light streams in.

2. Chose a flat surface that you can lean over comfortably. If the photo is framed and on a wall, take it down and remove the frame. You may be able to keep it in the frame if there is not a glass cover over it. The glass will cause a reflective glare that you don't want in the photo.

3. Use a dark piece of paper or fabric as the background for the photo. A dark background prevents some of the light from reflecting on the picture. Lay the paper or fabric on the flat surface. Then place the picture on top of the background material.

4. Turn off the flash on your camera. Focus on the picture laying on the flat surface. Zoom in so that the photo takes up the whole screen.

5. Snap the picture. Then check the LCD monitor to see how it looks. You may want to take the picture a couple of times to make sure it turns out right.

References

• "The Digital Photography Book"; Scott Kelby; 2006