BullsEye Camera-Alignment Mirror

The BullsEye provides a quick way to avoid a keystoned image, when photographing flat artwork.

The typical approach for squaring the camera with the art work is time consuming, taking measurements, using a carpenter’s square, T-square, etc. Simply centering the object in the camera’s viewfinder does not guarantee a rectilinear image. With the BullsEye, it is not necessary to know any dimensions or the angle of the painting to photograph it as a rectangle.

The BullsEye is the shape of a hollow spool. A mirror is attached at one end, facing inward. A bent-wire handle loosely holds the device at its center of gravity. A strap attached to the wire handle, holds the BullsEye from above. The pressure against the artwork is a small fraction of the weight of the BullsEye. A felt backing on the mirror prevents damage to the painting.

Force = 3 oz. x (tan strap angle, from vertical)

Angle of cloth strap

1°

2°

4°

8°

10°

Force on painting

0.05 oz.

0.10 oz.

0.21 oz.

0.42 oz.

0.53 oz.

To photograph a hanging painting:

To photograph a propped-up painting:

Comments:

“This seems to be exactly what I need“, Christine Smith, Smithsonian Institution, Nov. 4, 2019
“In the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale toils a prolific inventor named Steve Hines. A recent invention is the BullsEye, which provides a quick and simple way of aligning a copy camera to flat artwork. The photographer places the Bulls Eye against a painting, looks through the camera’s viewfinder until he sees its reflection in the Bulls Eye mirror, and then knows he is facing the painting square and true. Click!”, Bob McKay, photo-industry consultant, June 15, 2004

For more information:

Photo Imaging News, Volume 21, No. 13, June 14, 2004

Hines’ lab notebook #1, p. 58

HinesLab is actively seeking licensees to commercialize this technology. This is not a product being offered for sale to end users. To discuss licensing, please contact Steve Hines at:

HinesLab

USA

email: [email protected]

ph. 818-507-5812