Make & keep
Photograph a glossy strip without a band of glare
An original setup experiment for a phone and a stable support.
A bright reflection can cover a face while the rest of a strip looks perfectly clear. Moving the camera closer usually changes the reflection without solving the arrangement. Begin by changing the relationship between print, camera and light.
Set up a replaceable test
Use a modern expendable print to test the arrangement before handling an old original. Place the camera on a stable support, keep the print’s plane parallel to it and move the light away from the direction in which the camera sees its reflection. Make one image after each change.
Inspect the whole surface
Check the dark frames as well as the white border. A reflection can hide detail without looking bright at the edges. Do not press a curled print flat with glass or tape merely to improve the picture; the National Archives identifies damaged or stuck originals as a reason to seek conservation advice.
Evidence: Preservation guidance
Keep a full copy and a reading copy
Save an image containing all edges before cropping a convenient version. If some glare remains, describe the limitation rather than filling the obscured face with invented detail. This setup is a practical copying exercise; it does not promise archival imaging quality from every phone or every damaged surface.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- US National Archives — repairing damaged family archivesPreservation guidance