How to take X-ray Photos

Most people often find it difficult to take X-ray photos by themselves because they get loads of reflections that can mess with their images. However, we are not talking about a chest X-ray, dental X-rays or those taken by an X-ray technician here. We are talking about fashionable X-ray photography.

And you certainly don’t have to be an X-ray technician to take this kind of X-ray pictures. All you need to do is familiarize with old fashioned equipment. X-rays work in similar way to some visible light rays and both have wave-like forms involving electromagnetic energy.

Human eyes cannot see X-rays because the eyes are only sensitive to wave forms of visible lights. X-ray machines work by directing its rays through soft tissues such as the skin and these rays bounce back when they meet thicker tissues inside the body, thus creating images of internal structure of the body.

X-rays are useful for so many things and, fortunately, you can do it by yourself. Most people will think that X-rays are only good for science and medical purposes only, especially in detecting diseases, fractures, and deformities. Those who are fashion-conscious, however, know that X-rays can be great in photography.

When used as X-ray photography, the photographer can make use of different forms of light in exposing what the ordinary light cannot see; hence, an everyday object can take on another dimension when X-ray photography is used. When you become creative with X-ray photography, you can perform many wonders. For instance, you can turn a beautiful doll into a scary zombie.

How to take X-ray photos by yourself

There are affordable X-ray machines you can find online and if you don’t have a budget to get new one, you can simply go for the refurbished on e-commerce websites like Amazon and eBay.

Make sure the product you are purchasing online are tested. You may also consider picking up a used or refurbished dental or medical X-ray machine.

If you want to be more adventurous, there are resources where you can learn how to make your own X-ray machine for less than $50. You may want to get advice from a doctor before you make your own X-ray machine or purchase one, as X-rays in the wrong hands can be harmful to the human body.

You can also make use of Sunprints, which are much safer and they work just like X-rays. Sunprints were created by a group of scientists at the University of Berkley. Sunprints are a collection of coated papers that makes use of sunlight exposure and then make use of water to develop the prints. These are excellently simple and they don’t expose the human body to the risk of cancer or other health hazards associated with prolong exposure to X-ray machines.

You can simply buy a Sunprints’ kit and then gather some objects, such as paper, dry bones, or bike sprockets of bikes and place them on a piece of paper.

Make sure they are exposed to the sun for about 5 minutes before rinsing the Sunprints in water and then hanging them flat to dry. You may want to get something neater; thus, you should look out for high contrast black and white film during photography.

Here are some steps you can follow to take X-ray pictures but keep in mind that you may need to have the actual final X-ray images scanned by a competent operator or make use of an ideal scanner. If you want to produce the X-ray images by yourself, then you will need to make use of the daylight sunshine except your camera has some sophisticated lightning system. You need to create a matt finish for your X-rays.

You should choose an overcast yet bright day while taping the X-ray to your window. Likewise, you must ensure that the pictures are taken on a tripod for maximum stability and make sure that you don’t use flash with daylight exposures.

Step #1: Make sure you position the camera level in such a way that the lens is centered precisely and in a parallel position with the X-ray device.

Step #2: Just in case the window is exposed to a scene that may interfere with your shots, simply place a taped sheet of paper to the window, in order to diffuse the light.

Step #3: Take a sheet of opaque black paper that is large enough to cover your X-rays and then make use of 6-8 inches of black paper on all sides. Make sure you cut a small opening on the black paper (exactly the same size as that of the X-ray), then simply tape this mask on your window to create a blockage against any other light.

Step #4: Tighten your X-ray close enough in such a way that the black matt creates a blockage against all other lights and images around the edges of your view. As a precaution, you can take some preliminary shots and check your images. You can also move the camera inwards just in case the viewfinder does not provide an accurate edge.

Step #5: Take several test shots and make sure you work with the white point on your camera, in order to achieve the best reproduction you can hope for.

Once the shots have been taken, make use of the “levels” command on your camera to neutralize the range of grays and try as much as possible to ensure that there are white and black dots. You can make your initial prints and experiment with different X-ray prints until you get the desired results.

When it comes to taking good X-ray shots, your initial shots may be difficult to get. However, once you are able to get it right, your subsequent X-ray photos should look so much better.

You need to ensure that you make use of the right equipment and create the best features (including lightning) and take note of the positions of your camera (distance and arrangement) in order to achieve the best possible results. Make sure you invest a decent amount in good quality camera and optimize the effects of your environment when taking X-ray pictures.