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The Joy of Scanography - 30 Beautiful Instagram Posts To Keep You Inspired
Scanography doesn’t get enough love! It is the art of producing images using digital flatbed scanners. I am in the process of writing an essay on why it is a distinct art form from photography, but in the meantime here are some great posts that I’ve found on instagram to keep you inspired. For now keep in mind that these images were captured by the scanning element slowly making its way across the scanner surface. More like a long exposure photograph where everything is captured bit by bit, starting from one end and ending at the other. In addition the flat plane of the scanner surface provides very limited depth of field, and anything beyond what is immediately touching it is out of focus. The combination of these factors allows for a variety of visual effects and techniques that are unique to scanography.
Scanography doesn’t get enough love! It is the art of producing images using digital flatbed scanners. I am in the process of writing an essay on why it is a distinct art form from photography, but in the meantime here are some great posts that I’ve found on instagram to keep you inspired. For now keep in mind that these images were captured by the scanning element slowly making its way across the scanner surface. More like a long exposure photograph where everything is captured bit by bit, starting from one end and ending at the other. In addition the flat plane of the scanner surface provides very limited depth of field, and anything beyond what is immediately touching it is out of focus. The combination of these factors allows for a variety of visual effects and techniques that are unique to scanography.
Scanography is also quite accessible as any old scanner will work and old models can be had for cheap. The work below was created with a $10 one that I found at the Hobart tip shop. It’s no longer supported on Windows 10 but this can be bypassed by using an XP virtual machine. I was able to achieve the illusion of water by scanning bubble wrap and moving it rapidly from side to side while the image was captured.
Water | Bubblewrap scanned with digital flatbed scanner | (2017)
More examples from my body of work can be seen in my digital art portfolio.
Now that you have a basic idea of what scanography is, here are some absolutely beautiful works from around Instagram. If you like their work please do show them some love. To make this list I looked at fresh rather than popular work, so many of the artists featured in this post currently have extremely small followings.
01. outdoorscanography
I wanted to start off with this artist as they actually go the extra lengths to take their bulky scanner outdoors. That’s what you call dedication! It makes these images extra special as they’re really pushing the boundaries of this art form.
The Dhivehi Art Drop vol. 1
Interesting and inspiring content by Dhivehi / Maldivian artists.
Interesting and inspiring content by Dhivehi / Maldivian artists.
Few of my favorite clicks from early morning stroll around Villingili. pic.twitter.com/zdRYxtx70b
— zayaahmed (@zayana_ahmed) July 4, 2019
Sharing a few illustrated portraits. pic.twitter.com/GIiQHD4VEw
— zayaahmed (@zayana_ahmed) July 2, 2019
So guys. My song Heavens and Sins just made it to the semi-finals in the International Unsigned Only Song Competition, chosen out of around 6000 songs submitted worldwide. Uhh... so ya I'm happy af pic.twitter.com/dY33hlKdcV
— Karam (@karamibrahimali) July 9, 2019
Dhivehi Artists worth following on Instagram
This is a list of exceptional Maldivian / Dhivehi artists to follow on instagram. I've limited the list to artists with public accounts. Each artist chosen adds something unique to the landscape of Maldivian art. Some are professional artists, others are the kind of people who occasionally produce work that is so incredible that it makes you wish they were. I have tried to pick a piece that represents each ones style; although in the case of some artists this is more difficult than the others as they are so versatile. They are presented in no particular order.
This is a list of exceptional Maldivian / Dhivehi artists to follow on instagram. I've limited the list to artists with public accounts. Each artist chosen adds something unique to the landscape of Maldivian art. Some are professional artists, others are the kind of people who occasionally produce work that is so incredible that it makes you wish they were. I have tried to pick a piece that represents each ones style; although in the case of some artists this is more difficult than the others as they are so versatile. They are presented in no particular order.
Syd Sujuaan (@annihilatereality)
Mush (@monkeyseemonkeydoom)
Afazil (@afaziill)
Ramy (@ramyink)
Shaari (@shaari_)
Abloo Amir (@abllo)
ShimhaqMV (@shimhaq98)
Afu Hasan (@afumeeha)
ARAAKAA (@araakaa)
Ashwa Faheem (@avvamiles)
N.R (@n_r_achey)
Aznym Adam (@azuneemu)
Fazail Lutfi (@fazaillutfi)
Shareehan (@bulhaaa)
Amina Fathina (@amina.of.the.sea)
Funkographic (@funkographic)
Munshid (@dyingregime)
Iman Rasheed (@imanrshd)
Zara Aznil (@aznilphotography)
Nash'ath (@nasathm)
Navid Saeed (@navinsaeed)
Obofili (@obofili)
Nazaal Shiyam (@nazaaal)
Eman Shareef (@almawt666)
Hussain Sinan (@buggee)
Refty (@refty)
Hamza Hassan (@hammi)
twodeadfish (@twodeadfish)
Huzeimath Abdullah (@hoksla)
Afey (@afeyx)
Toxi_Crew (@toxi_crew)
Ajmal Shaheed (@ajmals)
Maiz (@maiz.i.am)
Shifaz Huthee (@sotti.maldives)
Bucky Hussain (@buckyhussain)
Vishal (@ekkayvishal)
Coffee & Type (@CoffeeandType)
Shifaan Thowfeequ (@cuynchips)
Sarah Haleem (@sarahhaleemphoto)
Razzan (@_razzan_)
Ibrahim Arafath (@iarafath)
Mohamed Shuraih (@mohamedshuraih)
Nattu Adnan (@reallynattu)
Moses (@gasmoofensaa)
Autonomotor (@autonomotor)
Maahy (@maahyart)
Mahin Fayaz (@mahinfayaz)
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25 photographs from 25 Maldivian artists who inspire me
These are all photographers who have taken photographs that have haunted my subconsciousness. Photographs that I'd recognize instantly as being from the mind of these creators, photographs that make your mind gasp and your heart think; and of these they have many. As such choosing a photograph for each artist that truly encapsulates the spirit of their work was a difficult task to say the least.
I went through each of their portfolios, searching for that one shot that truly speaks for itself, an image that would stand the test of time, the crystallization of a moment so imbued with their personal style that they could only have been taken by the unique consciousness of that photographer; an image that hundreds of years from now humans or other sentient beings will look back with wonder at the seeming impossibility of the such a synchronistic event even occurring. For some people it took almost an hour, for others it was as easy as finding a particular image that I remembered seeing earlier and seeing if it held up to the memory. Either way I'm glad I'm doing this now instead of a few years down the road when I'm sure these people will have so many great photographs that picking just one would be insanity inducing.
So in no particular order, here are 25 photographs from 25 Maldivian artists who inspire me.
