Use any single lens reflex camera (on a tripod) but select a telephoto lens
of 100 to 200mm focal length to give a relatively undistorted rendition. If
the lens does not photograph close enough add a close-up (+1 or +2) diopter
lens. Photograph either on a white (paper) or black (velvet is good)
background, depending on the bottle.  Or, for greater light control,bottles
can be photographed on a narrow glass shelf supported in front of the
backgound.
 
Tungsten light or studio type strobes, plus card reflectors and mirrors,
allow you to see the lighting effect before you take the picture. This is
especially useful when the bottle has moulded details, e.g. names, etc.
 
Almost any standard speed (100ISO) colour slide film is fine, but if you
are using tungsten light use Tungsten Light film, NOT daylight film and a
correcting filter (e.g. 80B) which will give distorted colour. If you are
planning to print your photographs in a darkroom use black & white film
(e.g. Kodak TmaxX, Ilford FP4, etc). This means either photographing the
bottles in sequence twice or using two camera bodies, loaded with the two
film types.
 
If darkroom access is a problem, an inexpensive possibility is to use
colour print film, processed at a local (1 hour!) facility. This should
give you an excellent set of colour prints. These can be scanned for
reproduction (colour or B&W) in due course. For lecturing, selected prints
can be copied on slide film. I doubt that the viewing audience will even
notice such slides not to be originals!
 
>>Mime-Version: 1.0
>>Date:         Fri, 14 Jun 1996 09:00:25 -1000
>>Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sender: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
>>From: Susan Lebo <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject:      photographing bottles
>>To: Multiple recipients of list HISTARCH <[log in to unmask]>
>>Status: RO
>>
>>Does anyone know an inexpensive and easy way to photograph bottles for a
>>pubication? We received a large donation of bottles ranging from small
>>Chinese medicine bottles to sodas, beers, wines, and carboys. I need to
>>photograph them. I would like to make color slides, as well as black and
>>white prints. Thank you in advance.
>>
>
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Patrick Baker
Photographic Services   Phone: 61(09) 431 8483  Fax: 61(09) 335 7224