Date: Monday 18 May, 2020
Time: 8:00 – 12:15 (4 hours)
Track: Advanced Imaging and Documentation
Level: Introductory
Instructors: Carla Schroer and Mark Mudge

Benefits: This course enables an attendee to:

• Gain a basic understanding of two widely used computational photographic imaging techniques: Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and photogrammetry for 3D applications.
• Learn about the Digital Lab Notebook (DLN), how archiving and reuse requirements are driving its adoption, and how to use it in an RTI or photogrammetry practice.
• Learn about the software tool chain for collecting and validating metadata about image sequences, computational processing and organization of data, metadata, and processed work products into internal standards-based, archival Submission Information Packets for archival deposit.
• Provide an opportunity for hands-on practice with the tools, using provided example data (participants can download the software from the CHI website prior to the course -the open-source software runs on both Mac and Windows PCs).

Course Description
Through lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on practice, this course gives participants an understanding of software tools called the Digital Lab Notebook (DLN). The DLN serves the same function as a written scientist’s lab notebook, enabling inspection, archiving, and reuse of digital representations.

We begin with an overview of RTI and photogrammetry, including image capture basics.

The DLN software is designed for RTI, photogrammetry, multi-spectral and documentary photo sequences. It records the capture context for photographic image sequences, validates the data, reports data processing workflows and provides archival preparation and packaging of the data, finished work products and associated metadata. The archived metadata is automatically translated into CIDOC/CRM Mapped Linked Data and other widely used metadata formats.

Intended Audience: Museum, library, historic site, archive and archaeology professionals with an interest in scientific computational photography and archival and metadata practices. There are no prerequisites. Anyone from novice to expert is welcome.

Carla Schroer is a co-founder and director of Cultural Heritage Imaging (CHI) a non-profit corporation that develops and implements imaging technologies for cultural heritage and scientific research. Schroer leads the training programs at CHI, along with working on field capture projects with Reflectance Transformation Imaging and photogrammetry. She also leads CHI’s software development activities. She spent 20 years in the commercial software industry, managing and directing a wide range of software development projects.

Mark Mudge is president and co-founder of Cultural Heritage Imaging. He has a BA in philosophy, worked as a professional bronze sculptor, and has worked in 3D imaging for 30 years. He is co-inventor, with Tom Malzbender, of the Highlight Reflectance Transformation Imaging technique. He serves on the International Council of Museums Documentation Committee’s CRMsig (CIDOC/CRM).