Rob B
Favorite Answer
If you're talking about prints on something like glass, use a fine powder and gently blow away any extra. Then, using a macro lens, take the photo. If you're talking about the fingerprints themselves, still on the finger, use light from about 45 degrees to get good contrast between the ridges and valleys and use the same macro lens to take the photo.
Anonymous
Your best option is to scan the photos and find a friend or someone that knows Photoshop. Using the "clone" and "airbrush" tool, any photoshopper worth their weight in salt should be able to do this no problem. If this is not available, you can try one other option, but depending on how badly the fingerprints damaged the pictures, this can be risky. Assuming the photo is a traditional print through a dark room or chemical process, you can try soaking it in warm water and wiping the fingerprints away. This process will not work for photos printed with a PC printer or digital source using ink cartridges and what not. Water wont' damage it - it actually spent several minutes under water and other chemicals to produce the image. If it is an old photo, antique or is printed on a cotton paper (not a slick plastic feeling glossy) than be extremely careful with it, and I would suggest soaking it in bottled water or distilled water slightly warmer than room temperature. When soaking it, allow the photograph to soak for several minutes, then lightly smooth off the fingerprints. Do not rub hard. Once they're off, remove the photograph from the water paying close attention to not touching any part of the image, try handling the photo from the edges or on the back of the photo and placing it on a flat surface to dry completely. The edges may curl depending on the type of paper, don't panic, simply wait until the picture is completely dry and press it in a heavy book for a couple of days. Also important, try to let the picture dry in a location where dust will not settle on it, in a closet or cabinet. Any fingerprints, dust, or grime that touches the photograph will dry into it, and it will have to be re-soaked and wiped clean under water to remove the debris. This process done too many times may damage old photo. I would consider this your last option as it may just further damage the photo if the oil from the fingerprints actually soaked into the paper. Several people and places offer photo restoration; I could actually do it the photoshopping if you had access to a scanner. You could later get them re-printed at any place that offers digital printing services. Good luck.
JC
Hey Eve,
Well all the other answers are good. However glass can be rather difficult to shoot when you consider the light from yor strobe reflecting back into your lens.
Here's what you could try. Find a black ink pad, then take your thumb and roll it gently from one side to the other so that the entire surface of the thumb is inked.
Then take a piece of plain white paper or card-stock and in the same fashion that you inked the thumb, gently roll it from one side to the other. You want to apply enough pressure to transfer the ridges of the latent-print onto the paper, but not so much as to smudge it.
Then you want to set the paper on a flat surface and use a tripod to that your camera is steady and directly over the subject. Use an external light source, not the built-in flash.
You can light it from one side and use a white card on the other side as a fill in, or you can use two regular lamps one on each side if you don't have strobes and shoot.
You want to make sure that you get as close as possible, a macro lens would be best and if your camera is able, shoot it in RAW so you can fix/enhance in post.
I would bracket your exposures and shoot several shots until you get the desired effect.
Well hope this helps and feel free to drop me a line if you need additional help.
Good luck,
JC
bonera
here is an easy way.......just press ur hand lightly on on a clean glass slab...and take a picture of it...then u want black and whits pic of that hand and clear...just do a photo copy.....well this is .......what u are expecting....i hope i helped u..
Blue ladies
scanners are used nowadays
a