kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

I will be taking pictures if many family photos etc.
With a emd 10, 12-35mm lens, tripod, etc.
I believe this will be quicker than scanning.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Lights at about 45° on each side of the photos.
You might have to adjust the color balance...

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

Do I need to use a CPL?

I do have white 5500 light bulbs.

BebuLamar

Polarizer helps.

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

Thank you Longshadow and BebuLamar.

I could not see to scan hundreds of pictures.
I'll give a go.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Especially if they are glossy photos?

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

Calibrate you copy setup with Color Checking Target such as X-Rite ColorChecker

I do have white 5500 light bulbs. I would rethink that kenArchi
Speedlights (speedlites) are very cost effective and assure that neither subject or camera motion/movement are a variable in the equation... Experience is a brutal teacher

btw you would be amazed at the broad spectrum of "White" continuous lighting has and worst yet it varies during your session as the bulb temperature rises...

Just a thought... I've seen this mission brought up numerous times in the past several decades and rarely if ever is it carried through to completion. Why? The naive have no clue as how arduous this task can be (and typically is). Those who have the best result do so after abandoning their camera for a flat bed scanner.

Why? It is virtually impossible to assure that your sensor is precisely parallel to the photograph you are copying and if you're trying this with continuous lighting you'll likely be hating life stopping down to an ideal aperture such as f/11 for copy work. But hey go for it, you will discover for yourself what this herculean task involves.

Also be certain you use a "flat field" lens with minimum vignetting ESPECIALLY if you are shooting at or near wide open. Time is money, and you'll likely figure out why folks pony up for a cost effective scanner for the aforementioned mission. Note: Most printers now are combo printer/scanner... look into this while your at it.

Wishing you all the best on this photographic journey...
Cheers! Thomas

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

That's why I don't strive for 120% perfection.....

Square it up, aim, and shoot.

MJPerini

Buy some flat black mat board and cut apertures for the pictures, it will help them lay flat and eliminate most reflections. Your sensor really needs to be coplanar with the photograph, an easy way to do it is to place a small flat mirror in the center of your copy board, then look through the camera. Use a lens shade.
If you shoot RAW with full spectrum 5500k lamps, you will be able to correct color in post You can balance color by photographing a digital gray card for reference. Then you can use that as a base, and tweak any fded colors as needed.

M1911 Loc: DFW Metromess

One thing you can do is use window light. Cover a window with a white sheet to make a softlight.
If you don't have a copy stand, a tripod will work. Presuming your camera to photo is vertical, you can use a couple strait edges to for a 90 degree corner to slide the photos up to. Sort and group your work by size so you don't have to raise the camera up and down. Once you have the straight edge corner set for a size, it is easy to just slide the next photo into the corner and you shouldn't have to reframe your composition until your artwork size changes.

BebuLamar

120% isn't perfect!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Nothing ever is.......
Perfect is asymptotic.

and perception.

srt101fan

It is for some people….

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

bobfitz Loc: Kendall-Miami, Florida

You should use 2 lights at 45 degrees elevation. The quality of light you use must be matched to the camera's settings. A pc filter may be helpful but not always necessary.