Use a scanner to make creative images

Is there a camera in your home you didn’t know you had? Simeon Meinema shows how the scanner you bought to digitise paperwork can be put to more creative uses

As we all know from pinhole photography, there are alternatives to using conventional cameras to produce images. And you may just have one of them in your house. Likely to be lurking in a corner of your office or study, or even packed away in your loft, is a piece of equipment that can produce distinctive digital images. Your flatbed scanner would have been purchased for digitising photographs and documents, but did you know that it will also make a great camera?

The unique feature of a scanner is its minuscule depth of field: it is literally designed to have a focal length that’s the width of a piece of paper. Used creatively, though, a scanner will produce good results from many types of composition.

What a scanner is very good at is capturing fine details, similar to that of a macro lens, so give yourself time to search for objects around the house that can be used for this project. I would suggest using objects that have a unique tactile element to them, such as the examples of a soft cuddly bear or the contours of a pineapple (pictured, opposite). If you’re unsure of what to use, try a mixture of different types of objects and experiment with the outcomes. I will also show you how you can achieve a more abstract finish by using coloured backdrops to create gradients and artistic finishes.

For the best results, it is important to do the scanning in a fully darkened room so that the background stays black. If this is not possible in your home, get a black sheet and drape it over the scanner.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Flatbed scanner

Computer or laptop

A dark room

Black sheet (if a dark room is not available) Props or tactile household objects Image editing software (such as Photoshop) Time: One hour