Rollout photography, a type of peripheral photography, is a process used to create a two-dimensional photographic image of a three-dimensional object. This process is the photographic equivalent of a cylindrical

map projection In cartography, map projection is the term used to describe a broad set of transformations employed to represent the two-dimensional curved surface of a globe on a plane. In a map projection, coordinates, often expressed as latitude and longit ...

cartography Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an i ...

. It is used predominantly for the projection of images of cylindrical objects such as

vase A vase ( or ) is an open container. It can be made from a number of materials, such as ceramics, glass, non-rusting metals, such as aluminium, brass, bronze, or stainless steel. Even wood has been used to make vases, either by using tree species ...

s or

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

vessels. The objective of this process is to present to the observer a planar representation of the object's characteristics, most notably the illustrations or artwork extant on the outside surfaces of such vessels. This planar representation is captured using photographic imaging techniques.Kerr, Justin
"A Short History of Rollout Photography"
famsi.org. Retrieved 2011-04-16.

Technique

In the basic technique, using strip photography, a camera with a vertical slit aperture is positioned opposite a

turntable A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

on which an object is centered. Both the object and the camera are oriented as precisely as possible so as to eliminate aberrations due to the focusing mechanism of the camera, the aperture, and the characteristics of the object itself. As the object is rotated on the turntable, the film is exposed in small intervals corresponding to the dimensions of the aperture. Since the image is projected onto the film backwards and upside down, the turntable spins in the direction opposite of the direction of the film advance mechanism.

History

In 1972, Justin Kerr worked with author & anthropologist

Michael D. Coe Michael Douglas Coe (May 14, 1929 – September 25, 2019) was an American archaeologist, anthropologist, epigrapher, and author. He is known for his research on pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, particularly the Maya, and was among the foremost Mayan ...

to produce a book on ceramic vessels of the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () of the Mesoamerican people is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. Its Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is also noted for its art, a ...

. For this book Kerr had to photograph the ceramics section by section, and then have an artist combine the pictures into one. Since this was slow and did not accurately reproduce the images on the pottery, Kerr set out to find a technique that would make a single, fluid picture. However, at this time no cameras existed that were capable of making peripheral photographs. Therefore, from 1972 to 1978, Kerr created a new camera and essentially reinvented the art of rollout photography. Maya vase

The technique had existed for years, so by using the methods listed above Justin Kerr succeeded in making a camera that captured the first Maya pottery vessel using rollout photography. The rollout technique was perfected through the use of a record turntable, clamps, and various pieces of wood and belts. The result was a clear and accurate reproduction of a tin can. From there Kerr moved on to Maya vessels. Each vase takes about two minutes to photograph, and is done all in one session. Kerr spends on average 6 hours a day in his studio working on Maya rollouts. Subsequently, Kerr began archiving every container he photographed. To date more than 1400 rollouts have been created. His first successful print was of an

Olmec The Olmecs () were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization. Following a progressive development in Soconusco, they occupied the tropical lowlands of the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. It has been speculated that ...

bowl, lent to him from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

References

External links

*
Principles of Peripheral Photography

Andrew Davidhazy
*
Vase Rollout Photography Using Digital Reflex Cameras
, Ángel M. Felicísimo *

, Paul Krzyzanowski * http://www.mayavase.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Rollout Photography Photographic techniques Science of photography

Technique

History

See also

References

External links