c`t: Magazin für Computertechnik

08/2018, p.184

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Artful scanning

There is nothing but black around the subject, the eye is drawn to the center of the picture - to an arrangement of fruits, vegetables and other plants. What at first glance looks like a Dutch still life from the 17th century is actually a work of art from a scanner. "Scanography" is the name of the process by which amazingly vivid macro photos can be taken with a standard office scanner. The device should use CCD sensor technology - this is how the enormous depth of field is achieved. Even very small, filigree structures come out big. For example, scanner artists like to work with natural materials such as flowers, leaves or feathers.

A long list of scanner artists from English-speaking countries can be found on scannography.org. The German photographer and artist Almut Ilsen is also involved with scannography. Some of her works are currently on display at the Berlin women's center EWA in Prenzlauer Allee until May 4. On digitpps.ch there are instructions for your own experiments with the scanner, such as the tip to put a cardboard box painted black on the inside over the motif.

translated with DeepL

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