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FujiFilm Challenge Grant

PHOTARCH was awarded the Fujifilm Challenge Grant in 2022 to advance the method and test its scalability across multiple institutions.

The Fujifilm Challenge Grant is an international funding programme aimed at supporting ambitious visual projects that push the boundaries of photographic practice. In 2022, a regional grant was awarded to PHOTARCH to investigate how a unified photographic method could improve the documentation of archaeological artefacts in museums.Over the course of a year, more than 200 artefacts were photographed at three different museums: Lund University Historical Museum (LUHM), Moesgaard Museum (Denmark), and Kalmar County Museum.

Objectives

  • To test the applicability of the PHOTARCH method across different institutional settings
  • To develop a scalable workflow for heritage photography with minimal equipment
  • To assess the visual consistency and cross-site comparability of resulting images
  • To explore the potential for AI-driven classification based on standardised imagery

Methodology

The project used a GFX100 medium format camera from Fujifilm, paired with standardised lighting and colour profiling. All artefacts were documented using the PHOTARCH principles:

  • One primary light at a fixed 45° angle
  • Fill reflectors to preserve form and shadow
  • White background for consistency and clipping control
  • Use of scale and colour targets within frame
  • Custom ICC profiles created using the X-Rite Color Checker target

By repeating this setup in three locations, one could evaluate how well the method held up in real-world institutional environments. The results showed strong consistency in exposure, colour, and contrast across locations.

Results

The visual results were presented at several major venues:

  • Fujifilm Gallery in Tokyo
  • 2and3D Photography Conference at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (2024)
  • European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) conference in Belfast (2023)
  • PHOTARCH presentation at EAA in Rome (2024)

Feedback from researchers, photographers and curators confirmed that the method improved object legibility, colour integrity and cross-institutional comparability.

Impact and Legacy

The Fujifilm Challenge Grant enabled PHOTARCH to move from a local practice to a transnational methodology. More importantly, it revealed the potential for building a global database of artefacts photographed in a uniform, machine-readable way.This has paved the way for new collaborations with museums and opened up opportunities to promote the method through workshops and presentations.

References

  • Fujifilm (2022). Fujifilm Challenge Grant Overview. Tokyo: Fujifilm Global.
  • Rijksmuseum (2024). 2and3D Photography Conference Programme Book.
  • EAA (2023, 2024). Conference proceedings.

Updates on PHOTARCH

Live Demo of PHOTARCH in Oslo – Exploring Precision Photography with Fujifilm GFXII

Live Demo of PHOTARCH in Oslo – Exploring Precision Photography with Fujifilm GFXII

In February, I had the pleasure of hosting a live demonstration of the Photarch method…
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Presenting PHOTARCH at Scania Photo Day – Part of Sweden’s National Photo Days

Presenting PHOTARCH at Scania Photo Day – Part of Sweden’s National Photo Days

It was a treat to present PHOTARCH on my home turf at Scania Photo Day,…
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EAA Rome

EAA Rome

In 2024, I presented PHOTARCH at the annual meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists…
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Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Presented PHOTARCH at the 2and3D Photography Conference at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam – a key…
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Scandinavian Photo Stockholm

Scandinavian Photo Stockholm

I had the opportunity to present PHOTARCH at Scandinavian Photo’s flagship store in Stockholm, as…
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