ARCHIVAL IMAGING CAPTURES

HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS, MAPS, PAINTINGS & ARTIFACTS

Archival photographic and scanning-based capture of historically significant documents and artifacts, including fragile and irreplaceable materials.

  • Title page of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Title page of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Title page of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Title page of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Single page of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Single page of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Open map, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Open map, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Gatefold illustation, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Gatefold illustation, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Technical drawing, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Technical drawing, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Magnetic deviation charts, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Magnetic deviation charts, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Gatefold illustration, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Gatefold illustration, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Illustation, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Illustation, in situ, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Marbled endpapers, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Marbled endpapers, first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Be Your Own Kannon, 1992, Mayumi Oda, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan

    Be Your Own Kannon, 1992, Mayumi Oda, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan

  • Heart Sutra with Lotus, Mayumi Oda, 2014, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan

    Heart Sutra with Lotus, Mayumi Oda, 2014, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan

  • Folding screens, Amaterasu the Sun Goddess, 2012, Mayumi Oda, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

    Folding screens, Amaterasu the Sun Goddess, 2012, Mayumi Oda, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

  • Folding screens, Wrath of Tizu, 2003, Mayumi Oda, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

    Folding screens, Wrath of Tizu, 2003, Mayumi Oda, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

  • Example of image capture challenges when working with strong impasto & glossy, darkened varnish, D. Howard Hitchcock, Halemaumau with Full Moon, c. 1863, private collection

    Example of image capture challenges when working with strong impasto & glossy, darkened varnish, D. Howard Hitchcock, Halemaumau with Full Moon, c. 1863, private collection

  • Final image, D. Howard Hitchcock, Halemaumau with Full Moon, c. 1863, private collection

    Final image, D. Howard Hitchcock, Halemaumau with Full Moon, c. 1863, private collection

  • Crashing Waves Along the Hamakua Coast, Charles W. Bartlett, 1913, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

    Crashing Waves Along the Hamakua Coast, Charles W. Bartlett, 1913, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

  • Example of image capture challenges when working framed, textured and glossy artwork on location, Lampfires, Lionel Walden, 1932, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

    Example of image capture challenges when working framed, textured and glossy artwork on location, Lampfires, Lionel Walden, 1932, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

  • Final image, Lampfires, Lionel Walden, 1932, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

    Final image, Lampfires, Lionel Walden, 1932, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

  • Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, 1949, Kona Historical Society

    Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, 1949, Kona Historical Society

  • French paper memorabilia, artist unkown, c. 1880, private collection

    French paper memorabilia, artist unkown, c. 1880, private collection

  • Stamped kapa design, artist unknown, c. 1840, Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Stamped kapa design, artist unknown, c. 1840, Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Primo Beer advertisement, c. 1949, private collection

    Primo Beer advertisement, c. 1949, private collection

  • Coca-Cola advertisement, c. 1940, private collection

    Coca-Cola advertisement, c. 1940, private collection

  • Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, c. 1880, Kona Historical Society

    Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, c. 1880, Kona Historical Society

  • Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, c. 1895, Kona Historical Society

    Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, c. 1895, Kona Historical Society

  • French Map, 1845, private collection

    French Map, 1845, private collection

  • Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, c. 1910, Kona Historical Society

    Vintage photograph, photographer unknown, c. 1910, Kona Historical Society

  • Severely creased & cracked photo (not digitally restored), photographer unknown, c. 1956, private collection

    Severely creased & cracked photo (not digitally restored), photographer unknown, c. 1956, private collection

  • Digitally restored image, discretely preserving the original character, photographer unknown, c. 1956, private collection

    Digitally restored image, discretely preserving the original character, photographer unknown, c. 1956, private collection

THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

Documentation of three-dimensional objects with varied materials, textures and reflective qualities, captured to accurately record form and surface condition.

  • Spines of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

    Spines of first-edition Captain Cook copperplate engraved journal set from 1783 for Bishop Museum, Honolulu

  • Mahiole helmet, 'ie'ie and feathers, c. 1860. Four Seasons Hualalai collection

    Mahiole helmet, 'ie'ie and feathers, c. 1860. Four Seasons Hualalai collection

  • Mahiole helmet, 'ie'ie and feathers, c. 1860. Four Seasons Hualalai collection

    Mahiole helmet, 'ie'ie and feathers, c. 1860. Four Seasons Hualalai collection

  • Koa wood goblets, c. 1800, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

    Koa wood goblets, c. 1800, Four Seasons Hualalai collection

  • Reproductions of kapa making & stamping tools, wood, shell & gourd, Gary Eoff, 2012, private collection

    Reproductions of kapa making & stamping tools, wood, shell & gourd, Gary Eoff, 2012, private collection

  • Astrolabe, maker & date unknown, private collection

    Astrolabe, maker & date unknown, private collection

  • Mahiole helmet reproductions, 'ie'ie, Gary Eoff, 2005, private collection

    Mahiole helmet reproductions, 'ie'ie, Gary Eoff, 2005, private collection

  • Reproduction of storage vessel, ipu & hau, Gary Eoff, 1999, private collection

    Reproduction of storage vessel, ipu & hau, Gary Eoff, 1999, private collection

Selected examples of archival imaging and documentation work involving rare photographs, documents, maps, paintings and historical artifacts. This work emphasizes careful handling, accurate visual representation, and consistency suitable for long-term reference, access and preservation.

The first, and often most critical step in reproducing art or object, is a well crafted digital capture. It's not merely a push button process. The best results come from individually adjusted lighting, a color managed workflow, and custom color correction done by an experienced professional (to compensate for the variances in how different pigments reproduce).

A great capture has more than just high resolution that captures fine detail, gesture and impasto. It should also not have extraneous things like specular reflections or imperfections that may be a part of the character of the original, but look distracting when reproduced.

There is a great deal of subjectivity involved in accurately capturing an original work of art, and the expertise of a skilled artist/technician can mean the difference between pedestrian and spectacular results.