Introduction
Today, photography, as the process of capturing durable images, is an art form readily available to many people. Contemporary imagery capture options vary from professional-grade photographic equipment and digital cameras to phone cameras and even scanners (Andrews, 2015). Scanner-based photography is particularly interesting as, unlike other devices for recording visual images, its primary function is to take pictures of two-dimensional documents. Nevertheless, despite its size-related limitations, scanners can be employed to create fascinating photographic images.
Scanner Art: Definition and Use
Scanner art can be defined as the process of generating visually appealing pictures by arranging different objects on the scanner document table and scanning the resulting arrangement. It can be argued that this approach to photography works best with small or two-dimensional objects, as larger items can damage the scanner. For example, Figure 1 shows how a scanner can be utilized to take stunning pictures of flowers, plants, and herbs.
Thus, scanners can be used to create still-life images of different items. In addition, Figure 2 illustrates how objects can be turned during the scanning process to create movement effects. Furthermore, scanner art can be enhanced via digital processing and modern programs and applications, such as Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom (Andrews, 2015). As scanned images are saved directly to the connected computer, picture transfer is performed simultaneously with the process of taking the picture. However, other manipulations for picture enhancement can be carried out, including layering several scanned images to create a composite image.
Conclusion
In summary, modern devices allow for experimentation in making innovative images. Even instruments that were not intended as tools for photography can be utilized to create interesting pictures. One such instrument is a scanner, which can be employed to make scanner art. Although scanners are limited as photographic tools due to their size, they allow artists to experiment with layering and object movement and ensure quick transfer of pictures to the computer.
References
Andrews, P. (2015). Langford’s starting photography: The guide to creating great images. CRC Press.
Nelson, S. (2020). [Scanner photograph of a leaf]. Web.
Peel, S. (2020). [Scanner photograph of a moving green leaf]. Web.