Rare Trek Photos for December 2008

[ALF]

I love the Enterprise one where they are all holding modern technology with such serious looks.

 

[LeadHead]

Are you sure that Picture of Kirk in the TWOK-TUC uniform is from Generations? Looks to me like it could be from the Computer Game: Starfleet Academy.

 

[Mr. B]

Great stuff as always... that joystick looks a lot more ridiculous than I remembered it.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I know exactly what this is. The regular cast members of ENT were put into full makeup and costume, and taken off to be computer body-scanned, to create the prototypes of the Art Asylum action figure range. There were media articles at the time detailing this event; it was said to be unique that body-scanning was used instead of traditional sculpting by an artist.

Mind you, when the figures came out, people still complained about the likenesses, and T'Pol's figure was said to have very skinny arms, but her figure was uncannily like this shot.

If only this where the case. No, I'm afraid the computer body scanning is done with special cameras hooked up to computers, and in an entirely different process. I believe one of the Nemesis DVD special features showed Patrick Stewart and Tom Hardy both in costume being scanned in this manner. It's not something they use traditional photography for, or 2-d photography for either.

Body scanning is only the beginning of that process. Once a model comes out of the rapid prototyper, it's handed off to a sculptor for detailing. One who would need photo-reference. This could be a reference photo sent to Art Asylum, or it could just be a rejected publicity photo. Afterall, it wasn't our father's Star Trek.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Nice photos. I really like the ST VI cast shot.

Yeah that photo also shows up on Kirk's trophy mantle in GEN.

 

[Frontier]

I'd say that "A Private Little War" is the more likely candidate of the two. As the magazine in the picture is the December '67 issue and "Friday's Child" aired on December 1 of that year, they would have had to be on an extremely tight production schedule for that even to have been possible. "A Private Little War" aired on February 2, '68, making it the best bet.

I don't know, I do remember something about how close to air time they would sometimes be working on an episode. I recall reading stories and seeing interviews where they've said, they'd finish filming an episode and it would be on the air soon after - days or weeks, not sure. Maybe I'm incorrect. Just saying, it could be either-or. Likewise if MAD sent them an advance copy...

Great work and much appreciated, as always, Frontier!

One little remark, though:
When you scan previously printed material, you often end up with a somewhat anoying overlay of moiré, as is evidenced in some of these pictures.

This can be very efficiently removed with a little of "Selective Gaussian Blur" (if that is the correct English translation). I don't know but this feature in Photoshop, Gimp etc. may have actually been included for that very purpose.

It takes a little experimenting to remove the moiré without losing too much details e.g. in the hair but then it gives very satisfactory results.

I propose you try it out yourself or tell me where to send the cleaned-up pictures to.

I'll give it a whirl. Usually, I go with grain over blurred details, simply because of preference. I'd rather have the grain than be looking at it blurry, lol. Hehe. I'll look into it, though.

Are you sure that Picture of Kirk in the TWOK-TUC uniform is from Generations? Looks to me like it could be from the Computer Game: Starfleet Academy.

It's possible. That particular photo was a toss up, in my book. The collar matches up more with the Academy game, but the look of Shatner seems more Generations. I also recall a photo set, I think for TIME magazine, that this photo may have been from (for GEN). I have another Shatner photo upcoming that is CLEARLY Academy, so I went with GEN on this and Academy on the other, as I couldn't be definative. That one's a 51/49%-er, IMHO.

Nice photos. I really like the ST VI cast shot.

Yeah that photo also shows up on Kirk's trophy mantle in GEN.

It's a spectacular photo, perhaps the best cast photo ever done, IMHO, of all of Star Trek. I've included it at least once, if not twice before, in prior editions, but I keep obtaining higher quality. That one is the final one I'll likely ever do of it, though. I obtained the actual 35MM publicity slide from ST:VI, and scanned that, so... I doubt much higher quality exists than direct from the original slide, lol.

 

[Samurai8472]

Denny Crane

 

[WillsBabe]

^They should probably have asked the Shat to come in for a couple of fitting before they got him to wear that for a photo!

 

[TheSeeker]

Great stuff as always... that joystick looks a lot more ridiculous than I remembered it.

That's saying something because it already looked pretty ridiculous onscreen!

 

[Frontier]

^They should probably have asked the Shat to come in for a couple of fitting before they got him to wear that for a photo!

*Shrug*

The Shat Got Fat. LOL.

 

[WillsBabe]

Surely you can be fat and have a suit that fits! Surely!

 

[Frontier]

Surely you can be fat and have a suit that fits! Surely!

I remember something about Shatner and a girdle during the later movies, or some such? Looks like they forgot that portion of his wardrobe when this photo came around, lol.

 

[WillsBabe]

Bless. I love The Shat. So I poke only gentle fun. He still looks great.

 

[Borjis]

Great work and much appreciated, as always, Frontier!

One little remark, though:
When you scan previously printed material, you often end up with a somewhat anoying overlay of moiré, as is evidenced in some of these pictures.

This can be very efficiently removed with a little of "Selective Gaussian Blur" (if that is the correct English translation). I don't know but this feature in Photoshop, Gimp etc. may have actually been included for that very purpose.

It takes a little experimenting to remove the moiré without losing too much details e.g. in the hair but then it gives very satisfactory results.

I propose you try it out yourself or tell me where to send the cleaned-up pictures to.

Most scanners these days have an option called "Descreen"

this will scan a smooth sharp picture without moire or the need to blur it post.

 

[Rulius]

Who is the alien De kelly is standing beside? Just curious heh.

 

[voyagerfan]

Thanks for the ace piccies

 

[Frontier]

Most scanners these days have an option called "Descreen"

this will scan a smooth sharp picture without moire or the need to blur it post.

I'll have to check into that. Most of my content that's been scanned was done using my old scanner, hence the grain. My newer stuff doesn't tend to have it as much, if at all. But I had recently discovered a cache of older scans I'd never 'developed' so to speak, hence the grain.

If I ever re-locate the sources (I have STACKS of magazines and books most of the scanned stuff was found in) I'll re-scan and include sporadically in later editions, or, perhaps someday when I've run out of stuff for regular monthly editions (likely to occur Spring of 2009, lol) I'll do some editions of updates with fresh scans of older, lower quality material, using the new equipment.

Who is the alien De kelly is standing beside? Just curious heh.

Just a background alien who got a snap-shot with De on the set.




Oh, here's a question for you guys...

I've been experimenting with colorization of black and white photos. It's a little hobby right now. But I've done some good stuff. I'm a photo manipulator originally, so I'm keenly aware of coloring issues, and the stuff I've done so far, I've showed to some folks and they've been clueless of the process unless they, themselves, where 'artist' types. So wondering if there would be any interest (in the future, when I've run out of material enough for monthly editions) in having some of the B&W stuff colorized? Sort of a "Rare Photos, Take Two" thing?

 

[Dayton Ward]

It's possible. That particular photo was a toss up, in my book. The collar matches up more with the Academy game, but the look of Shatner seems more Generations. I also recall a photo set, I think for TIME magazine, that this photo may have been from (for GEN). I have another Shatner photo upcoming that is CLEARLY Academy, so I went with GEN on this and Academy on the other, as I couldn't be definative. That one's a 51/49%-er, IMHO.

I think it may be from a photoshoot Shatner did for TVGuide as part of the 30th anniversary (when they did the "Four covers/four captains" thing). He was featured in a quickie article where he posed with various "ladies of Star Trek" or something. I remember thinking the collar looked nothing like it did in any of the movies:

Click me.

I have the issue somewhere, but maybe someone with faster recall can check the issue and the other photos it contained.

 

[M'Sharak]

It's possible. That particular photo was a toss up, in my book. The collar matches up more with the Academy game, but the look of Shatner seems more Generations. I also recall a photo set, I think for TIME magazine, that this photo may have been from (for GEN). I have another Shatner photo upcoming that is CLEARLY Academy, so I went with GEN on this and Academy on the other, as I couldn't be definative. That one's a 51/49%-er, IMHO.

I think it may be from a photoshoot Shatner did for TVGuide as part of the 30th anniversary (when they did the "Four covers/four captains" thing). He was featured in a quickie article where he posed with various "ladies of Star Trek" or something. I remember thinking the collar looked nothing like it did in any of the movies:

Click me.

I have the issue somewhere, but maybe someone with faster recall can check the issue and the other photos it contained.

The hair looks like a match. The Shatner photo upthread does seem like more a magazine-shoot sort of thing than an in-house or official promo pic.

Oh, here's a question for you guys...

I've been experimenting with colorization of black and white photos. It's a little hobby right now. But I've done some good stuff. I'm a photo manipulator originally, so I'm keenly aware of coloring issues, and the stuff I've done so far, I've showed to some folks and they've been clueless of the process unless they, themselves, where 'artist' types. So wondering if there would be any interest (in the future, when I've run out of material enough for monthly editions) in having some of the B&W stuff colorized? Sort of a "Rare Photos, Take Two" thing?

I'd take a look, sure.

 

[Apogeal Alpha01]

Yep. Great Sisko pic. Thanks for finding it, Frontier!