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03 December, 2011

Archaeological Photography - Eric Houlder

On 26th January 2008, three members of UWHG attended a day’s seminar hosted by the York Archaeologist Trust where the speaker was the experienced photographer Eric Houlder.

Eric’s presentation on “Photography in Archaeology” was a tour de force of a lifetime in archaeological photography

He began with a brief look at the early development of archaeological photography, and moved on to relate some tales of his flying exploits for aerial photography, followed by practical advice for on-site photography such as conventions on the use of measurement scales; the benefits of using wide angle lenses; and preparing the site in terms of cleaning, eliminating visual distractions, and setting up good compositions.

Eric’s advice on photographing small finds off-site was equally valuable with ideas on the appropriate use of lighting, shadows and backgrounds. This was followed by a practical demonstration of studio equipment, including some useful tips on home-made alternatives to expensive standard pieces of kit.

Throughout the seminar, Eric emphasized the importance of attention to detail, and a professional approach. Photography, he reminded us, is a vital part of the recording process and an essential part of any site record.

Some of the most useful tips included the following:

On-site photography:
  • Your photographer’s kit should contain – clean scales, scissors (to cut clean sharp edges to the sides of the trenches), pastry brushes (to clean surfaces)
  • The measurement scale and ranging pole should always be parallel to the sides of the photo frame. Use a colour patch to check for a colour cast
  • Use early morning light for soft diffused tone
  • On digital cameras, use Film simulation mode, if available, for heightened contrast
    Always prepare the site by cleaning up all surfaces and edges within the frame. Use the trowel to score and clarify edges and corners of trenches
  • Watch out for visual distractions which need to be removed from the shot – such as blu-tack, footprints, shadows of people (including the photographer’s), buckets, planning nails, scruffy scales, etc.
  • Always include measurement scales, north pointing arrow and a form of identifier (such as a small blackboard on which is chalked the context number and date)
  • Use wide angle lens for sharper detail and depth in both foreground and background
  • Use people for scale – try to photograph them working, and with faces turning into the frame

Studio photography (small finds):
  1. The usual convention is to light the object from the top left
  • Bounce light off the inside of a white brolly or shine it through a translucent material to soften the light and deaden shadows
  • Place the object on a gently curved background or on a raised glass platform against dark background to emphasise the object and reduce shadows
  • To increase shadow for a 3-D effect (eg. To highlight a shallow inscription or carving) use a deflecting, angled light to “graze” the object or bounce the light off a shiny surface
  • When photographing pots, the convention is to have the handle on the right, and to shoot at an angle that shows the rim as an ellipse
  • For micro-closeups, use a close-up lens with telephoto lens attached
     

 

For more information:

Eric Houlder – “Archaeological photography” and “Origins and philosophy of site photography” (Handouts from the workshop, 2008) - Available from the UWHG Library

Eric Houlder – “Recording the past ; a photographer’s handbook“ (1988)

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