Getting shots straight on is going to be tricky with a camera because the notes tend to fall over when stood up and putting the camera above almost always results in unattractive shadows and reflections in my experience.

Color is its own, special hell. I've found it almost impossible to get consistent and accurate color, even with Photoshop adjustments, unless I'm doing all the shots at the same time because the light profile of most bulbs changes over time and varying amounts of and color profiles for sunlight in different times of year, weather and time of day can also impact your images if you have windows in the room. And that doesn't even get into the tints on different generations of holder. I gave up and just started scanning. The images are at least consistent across the set that way.

Scanning is absolutely the way to go, in my mind anyway. Who knows maybe in 5 - 10 years I'll revisit this and think about a camera set up but most likely copiers/scanners will have improved even more and I'll be scanning my notes into my registry sets. Again. 

3 hours ago, Fenntucky Mike said:

Scanning is absolutely the way to go, in my mind anyway. Who knows maybe in 5 - 10 years I'll revisit this and think about a camera set up but most likely copiers/scanners will have improved even more and I'll be scanning my notes into my registry sets. Again. 

For what its worth I actually find it far easier to scan them in than to take pictures. I can put 2 notes at a time on the scanner bed, scan, flip both over scan again. Get to the computer, copy all the files to make duplicates, open them in paint, select around the note I want and tap the crop button. Save and Done. FAR easier than with the camera.

1 hour ago, Revenant said:

For what its worth I actually find it far easier to scan them in than to take pictures. I can put 2 notes at a time on the scanner bed, scan, flip both over scan again. Get to the computer, copy all the files to make duplicates, open them in paint, select around the note I want and tap the crop button. Save and Done. FAR easier than with the camera.

If I was to go with a camera set up it would be with coins in mind as well. In fact that would be the main reason, notes would be a secondary operation but I would absolutely give it a try.

Nice before and after shots FM.  I need to make something to shoot better pictures.  Sometimes just improvising works.  Check out the anti-counterfeiting threads in this paper produced in the mid 1870s...  I held the camera and the note up to the window and my wife hit the button on the iPhone to take the image.  Took two tries as Franklin had his eyes closed on the first shot. Red arrows point to a horizontal thread running the length of the note on this series of 1875 $10 National.

8 hours ago, ddr70 said:

Nice before and after shots FM.

Thanks, 

8 hours ago, ddr70 said:

Check out the anti-counterfeiting threads in this paper produced in the mid 1870s...

That's neat. Always thought Ben was more of a mica guy. Why did mica flakes fall out of favor? So much more to learn.

8 hours ago, ddr70 said:

Franklin had his eyes closed on the first shot.

I told him not to touch that key.

Mica was used for anti-counterfeiting? Didn't Ben pioneer the use of a natural leaf as an anti-counterfeiting measure? I guess colored threads are more pliable and don't leave mica flakes in your pocket book.

I always wondered about the boy with the jug... just what's in the jug?

3 hours ago, ddr70 said:

Didn't Ben pioneer the use of a natural leaf as an anti-counterfeiting measure?

Yes, natural leaf but I thought he also used mica flakes. Can't remember which was first or if they were used at the same time. I'll have to read up on it tonight.

3 hours ago, ddr70 said:

I always wondered about the boy with the jug... just what's in the jug?

Couldn't have been anything good if Ben wasn't holding it. I'm pretty sure I could hold a kite in one hand and a jug in the other. Hmmm, I better make sure.......

On 12/6/2020 at 2:20 PM, Fenntucky Mike said:

Yes, natural leaf but I thought he also used mica flakes. Can't remember which was first or if they were used at the same time. I'll have to read up on it tonight.

Couldn't have been anything good if Ben wasn't holding it. I'm pretty sure I could hold a kite in one hand and a jug in the other. Hmmm, I better make sure.......

Here's an account of Franklin's experiment  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kite_experiment.  At the very bottom, you learn that from the 'electric fire' spirits may be kindled... so it was likely spirits to be used as part of the experiment.  

On 12/8/2020 at 5:12 PM, ddr70 said:

Here's an account of Franklin's experiment  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kite_experiment.  At the very bottom, you learn that from the 'electric fire' spirits may be kindled... so it was likely spirits to be used as part of the experiment.  

Did a little digging/remembering, I was probably thinking of mica flakes used in Continental Currency with the B.F. designs and printed by his former company Hall & Sellers ne Franklin & Hall. I wanted to find a more definitive source so I did some more digging and the LOC does credit Franklin with inventing the use of mica in paper and leaf imprints. And since his former company printed the Continental notes I'm going to make an assumption that they used the same paper supplier/type as when ole Ben was in charge, meaning they hade mica paper when they were printing the Penn, Del and NJ currencies.

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/franklin/franklin-printer.html 

Scroll down until you see Printed Currency, I'll see if I can find another reference later to back up my phony baloney story.

So B.F. was shooting lightning bolts and igniting jugs of alcohol....ahhh, good times.