Washington, D.C.—The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) has published the long-awaited second edition of the AIC Guide to Digital Photography and Conservation Documentation. This book is a comprehensive guide to digital photographic equipment, software, and processing tailored to the needs of conservation professionals. The book was created to further educate conservators in the use of digital photographic equipment for conservation documentation, while also addressing concerns about long-term accessibility and preservation of electronic records. It is an essential reference for all collecting institutions in the digital age.
Authors Franziska Frey, Dawn Heller, Dan Kushel, Timothy Vitale, Jeffrey Warda (editor), and Gawain Weaver have more than doubled the size of the first edition, which includes major extensions and updates to the text and is fully illustrated with over 120 color figures. This new edition also includes expanded information on new software, infrared and ultraviolet photography, and nearly 40 pages of detailed instructions that fully illustrate sample photography. Finally, this second edition has a wraparound internal spiral binding, allowing the book to lay flat—a request made by many readers of the first edition.
Michelle Dauberman of the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts was among the first to use the new edition as part of the Digital Imaging Workshop for Conservation and Museum Professionals run by The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC). Michelle said “the second edition of The AIC Guide to Digital Photography and Conservation Documentation is a must-have tool for anyone responsible for digital documentation. This new guide has been expanded and explores current equipment options from various perspectives. The technical information is clear, concise, and very thorough. It is an excellent guide for institutions of any size, and the content can be modified to adjust to budgets large and small. Well worth the investment! Thank you for putting together such a useful publication.
AIC is also pleased to announce the sale of AIC PhotoDocumentation Targets (AIC PhD Targets), designed by Dan Kushel, Jiuan-Jiuan Chen, and Luisa Casella, and produced by Robin Myers Imaging. The AIC PhD Targets provide an easy and efficient way to include photographic reference standards as well as image and artifact identification information. The design of the AIC PhD Targets has been carefully planned to minimize the space occupied by this important reference material in the image frame. Lightweight and of robust construction, each target is fully assembled and ready for use. Targets are provided with instructional information and with online resources, which include a printing template for slip-in labels for the medium and small targets.
The AIC Guide to Digital Photography and Conservation Documentation and the AIC PhotoDocumentation Targets (AIC PhD Targets) are both available through AIC’s website at www.conservation-us.org/store.