Photogrammetry at the Carlos Museum
C
urator Melinda Hartwig along with museum staff hosted a group of photogrammetry professionals from the University of Indiana-Bloomington, led by Dr. Stephen Vinson. From the end of July through early August 2021, they photographed and recorded 31 objects from all curatorial areas. Photogrammetry is a popular method used to record museum objects as 3D 3D models for websites, online publications, and research using standard photo equipment and photogrammetry software. Objects are recorded by high-resolution, overlapping digital photographs taken from different angles that are uniformly lit (Figure A). The photographs are then “stitched” together using photogrammetry software that extracts accurate 3D measurements and descriptive object information. Since photogrammetry does not create models with a known scale, scaling is done by placing markers and measuring the distance between them with a ruler (Figure B). RTI, or reflectance transformation imaging, is a technique that captures a subject’s surface shape and color and enables the interactive re-lighting of the subject from any direction. RTI can also enhance the object’s surface shape and color attributes, revealing information that would otherwise not be captured by photography or direct examination of the physical object. The completed 3D models will be uploaded to Sketchfab to showcase selections from the Carlos Museum’s collection that will be available for future exhibition publications. Z top, figure a: Objects are recorded by high-resolution, overlapping digital photographs taken from different angles that are uniformly lit. bottom, figure b: Photogrammetry does not create models with a known scale, so scaling is done by placing markers and measuring the distance between them with a ruler. MCCM | 13
