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Bronze memorial plaques have text in raised lettering, which the human eye can capture, but which do not show well in most photographs. I will be photographing a new bronze plaque (celebrating a family member). What can/should I do to get a clear, readable image of that text on the plaque?

This will be done in September afternoon daylight, unknown shade conditions, near Albany NY, so a discussion of principles will be helpful. I have a good DSLR and two zoom lenses, medium and tele-zoom, and expect to be able to spend half an hour or so with a tripod.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Old plaques can be easier to photograph because the surface is more polished than the deep parts. Even new this may be true to some extent \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 5 at 10:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ You might want to consider, if you know, the direction the plaque will be facing compared to the sunlight. If it's in sun (even with a bit of cloud) that will be your dominant light source and you'll need to work with it. Of course that's only possible if you know exactly where it's going (e.g. which face of a building) . photoephemeris.com would help if you did \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 5 at 10:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ In addition to the excellent answers below, an alternate option would be to do a brass rubbing. Similar to this stone rubbing. A nice photograph of the site with the plaque matted in the same frame as with a well-done rubbing of the plaque itself might be a very attractive and unique option. \$\endgroup\$
    – LightBender
    Commented 2 days ago
  • \$\begingroup\$ I won't know the direction or the weather until I get there. The rubbing probably isn't an option. \$\endgroup\$
    – user1468178
    Commented 2 days ago
  • \$\begingroup\$ It might be worth trying a polarizing filter, it'll only take a few seconds to see if it helps. \$\endgroup\$
    – Andrew Morton
    Commented 2 days ago

4 Answers 4

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Which the human eye can capture

Because, normally a human is moving, so the variations in light and shadow, form in our brain a more complete idea of what is going on.

Bronze memorial plaques have text in raised lettering

You have 2 variables. The raised text, which, as the other answers said, could be lighted from a side, producing shadows. But you have another problem.

Reflectiveness. If you have shadows because of a side light (ok), but you have a dark reflection, you will not have any contrast.

My advice is to carry a white cardboard, let's say a bit larger than the plaque itself. When taking the picture hold the cardboard in front of the plaque, so it reflects light in different ways. Then choose the one that has enough contrast.

If you have a tripod with you, take different versions, and you could even composite them in post.

A more complete setup could be having also a black cardboard or cloth, to increase contrast on different zones of the plaque if you need it.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I definitely expect to use a tripod and controlled lighting for the "definitive" shots. And I do plan to experiment in advance, and do math on light paths and shadow depths. My present Bright Idea is to use a reflector like an umbrella with the center blocked, to create a ring of light which will (?) create weak a weak shadow all around each raised letter. I welcome--solicit--thoughts on this even before I start experimenting. \$\endgroup\$
    – user1468178
    Commented Jul 5 at 5:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ One useful tool is a multi-reflector kit (my pop-up one has black, white, silver and gold). But a white plastic shower curtain is also good as a diffuse reflecting/transmitting surface. Combined with side-lighting to get the shadows, this should give you bright letters (you might get away with one light source, or you might need 2 \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 5 at 10:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ @user1468178, a ring light does not create a shadow all the way around a detail; it does the opposite... it fills in the shadows all the way around. Any on-axis light is going to fill in the shadows seen from that position (by the camera)... that is why it is called "fill light." What you want is off-axis light (side light) to illuminate the raised portions and create darker shadows to the sides of them. \$\endgroup\$
    – Steven Kersting
    Commented Jul 5 at 12:51
  • \$\begingroup\$ Why would there be a dark reflection? By necessity the raised details will be illuminated (lighter) when lit off-axis to create detail shadows. If you are so far off-axis as to not illuminate the details themselves they would also not create shadows; you would be back-lighting the object instead. \$\endgroup\$
    – Steven Kersting
    Commented Jul 5 at 12:55
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    \$\begingroup\$ @user1468178 it doesn't matter the size of the ring, the physics of how the light travels/falls doesn't change (only the area of coverage and falloff due to size/distance). Also, a diffused light source does not have an angle of incidence perse. I.e. the light is scattering out in a fan from every point on the diffused surface. That is why it has the characteristic called "wrap" which is what makes it "soft"; it illuminates around corners. You can move the diffused light source far enough away so that it cannot light around the corners; but then there is no point to using the diffusion. \$\endgroup\$
    – Steven Kersting
    Commented 2 days ago
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Details require contrast to show...and for monotone details that requires shadows and highlights. Generally the best way to bring out a texture (monotone detail) is by lighting it from the side at an angle.

What the light source is doesn't particularly matter; only that it is primarily directional/hard and not diffused/soft.

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2nd Stephen's answer. Depending on natural lighting, try side lighting from a couple of directions for different effect. Also shoot from a few angles and see if polarizing filter makes a difference.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ With side lighting the shadows may get heavy and deep enough to obscure the text. I'll try it in the next few days. Lighting may get tricky. I haven't learned my way around fill/side with cameras that like dedicated flashes. \$\endgroup\$
    – user1468178
    Commented Jul 4 at 21:59
  • \$\begingroup\$ (Sorry, this web page takes a blank line as the end of the comment, not a paragraph break!) I wonder if several light sources close to the lens axis might work? \$\endgroup\$
    – user1468178
    Commented Jul 4 at 22:02
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    \$\begingroup\$ Lights close to the lens axis are going to kill all shadows, therefore eliminating any perception of relief. I would expect lateral lighting to yield better results. \$\endgroup\$
    – Pere
    Commented 2 days ago
  • \$\begingroup\$ If your only goal is to get shadows, then light far off-axis is best. But one-sided deep shadows don't make the plaque readable, nor do they make it look like what a human viewer sees. The ideal would be thin, uniform shadows around the raised lettering. That requires something like a line source far enough off axis to create the shadowing, but close enough to keep the (partial) shadows thin. ... I need more info on the planned particulars of the plaque. \$\endgroup\$
    – user1468178
    Commented yesterday
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If there is genuinely poor contrast, you can improve contrast by dusting with chalk.

Chalk dust is available in climbing or weightlifting shops.

I wouldn't use talc or cornflour because they're harder to clean off.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ That's probably not an option. \$\endgroup\$
    – user1468178
    Commented Jul 6 at 11:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ As I think about the geometry and optics, I see an important question: Is the lettering flat-topped with squared sides, or rounded, with sloped sided? If it is slope-sided, then illuminating it from the sides, roughly perpendicular to the slope, will probably do the best job of bringing the letters out, assuming the reflection is mostly diffuse and only slightly specular. But if it is flat-topped and square-sided, with the burnished upper surface of a new bronze plaque, then lighting it closer off-axis may give the best contrast. Any thoughts? \$\endgroup\$
    – user1468178
    Commented Jul 6 at 11:20

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