Rollout photography

Rollout photography, also known as peripheral photography, is the process by which cylindrical objects, usually vases/ceramic vessels, are photographed and transformed from the third demension into a two-dimensional form, namely a flat sheet of paper. “Rollout” is a specific term used only for ancient Mayan vessels, and are primarily created by photographer Justin Kerr. All other forms photographed fall under the term “peripheral photography”. However, the two terms are synonymous. This technique is most often used so that the images on the outside of a vessel may be viewed all at once, instead of having to rotate the actual object by hand, and subsequently not viewing the content in its entirety. Rollout photography requires three basic things: a camera with a fast shutter speed (one that is able to continuously take pictures), a slit-opening shutter, and a turntable on which the object is placed. The basic procedure for a rollout photograph requires that a continuous picture be taken through a small slit while the vessel spins in the opposite direction of the way the film is moving. This is necessary because the photograph is projected onto the film backwards and upside down. Another requirement is that both the shutter and the object move at an even pace. Otherwise, the picture will not be accurate. These speeds are calculated based on the size of the vessel, and vary piece by piece. Both may also be done electronically to eliminate human error. It is important that the vessel is placed directly on the center of the turntable, otherwise the rollout picture will fluctuate. To create a rollout photograph, a camera records the images that pass through the slit placed in front of the shutter as the object rotates 360 degrees. The film is then developed and what it creates is the 3-dimentional image transposed perfectly onto a piece of paper. In this way the image can be viewed essentially from all sides at once. Various types of cameras can be manipulated to create these forms, and digital cameras have even been made to duplicate this process. As mentioned before, this techinique is highly successful when used on ceramic vessels, and has been widely applied in the case of ancient mayan pottery by a photographer named Justin Kerr. In 1972, Justin Kerr worked with author Michael Coe to produce a book on Mayan vessels. For this book Kerr had to photograph the ceramics section by section and then have an artist combine the pictures into one. Since this was slow and did not accurately produce the images on the pottery, Justin Kerr set out to find a technique that would make one fluid picture. However, at this time no cameras still existed that were capable of making peripheral photographs. Therefore, from 1972-1978, Kerr created a new camera and essentially reinvented the art of rollout photography. The technique had been in existence for years, so by using the methods listed above (and also through trial and error), Justin Kerr succeeded in making a camera that captured the first Mayan pottery vessel using rollout photography. This was substantial because during the period leading up to Kerr’s camera creation, peripheral photography was a lost commodity. Most “homemade” peripheral cameras (like the one Kerr made) would produce fuzzy and/or crooked images. Through trial and error Justin Kerr eventually found a method that produced clear pictures. The rollout technique was perfected through the use of a record turntable, clamps, and various pieces of wood and belts. The end result was a clear and accurate reproduction of a tin can. From there Kerr moved on to Mayan vessels. Each vase takes about two minutes to photograph, and is done all in one session. Kerr spends on average 6 hours a day in his studio working on Mayan rollouts. Subsequently, Kerr began archiving every container he photographed. To date more than 1400 rollouts have been created. His first successful print was of an Olmec bowl, lent to him from Princeton University. This bowl was catalogued as K502. Every new vessel photographed gets an archival number created by Justin Kerr. They all begin with “K” and are followed by a number. For example, K511 is a rollout of the “Princeton Vessel”, and is another piece photographed early in Kerr’s career. It can be accessed through the following link: " class="external">http://www.wikipedia.org/upload/6/6d/0511.jpg

This rollout may be viewed on the web, along with numerous others through Kerr’s online database, called the Maya Vase Database and can be accessed through the website: http://www.mayavase.com. This website is a continuation of the prints published in Kerr’s books, The Maya Vase Books. To date six volumes of prints exist. The images in both the books and website come from all over the world. Kerr travels around the globe photographing vases from specific collections, and pieces are also brought to him in New York City where his studio is located so that he may photograph them. Vessels are also loaned from museums and Universities to be transformed into rollouts. Special to note about the Maya Vase Database is that students may use the images for educational purposes free of charge. While all the images are copyrighted, the Kerr Association allows for the publication of images as long as they have non-profit, educational intent, and proper credit is cited through the inclusion of the vases’ URL. This differs from most copyrighted material, in that permission must be granted, and often money must be paid for use of the item. Justin Kerr is content with the knowledge that his images further enhance the understanding of the Mayan world. He states his feelings in the appendix of the first book published with his rollout photographs, Lords of the Underworld: "putting the camera together, I have been encouraged by the opportunity it has given me to meet and collaborate with many wonderful people. I hope to have added a useful tool to the work of decipherment, one that will make it easier for us all to study and appreciate the achievement of these artists. There is personal satisfaction for me in the feeling that I have been able to reach back through the centuries and capture today on film something of the mind and spirit of the great Maya people." Along with the Maya Vase Database, Justin Kerr has also started A Pre-Columbian Portfolio, which is a similar database to the Mayan Vase site, in that it offers access to photographs of images from Kerr’s work in Mesoamerica and South America.