- Standalone line scan camera hardware: <a href="https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-06-12-standalone-cnc-line-scan-camera/" rel="nofollow">https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-06-12-standalone-cnc-li...
- Line scan camera image processing 2: <a href="https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-08-02-line-scan-camera-image-processing-part-2/" rel="nofollow">https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-08-02-line-scan-camera-...
I never thought about it until seeing these, but line scans yield an orthographic projection in the scan direction. There was a little bit of uncanny valley being able to see parts of the front/back of the car that would have normally been compressed out occluded by perspective.
Yarp... Mr. Lu, please go to your nearest gigantic poster shop and immediately start selling these prints at art-gallery prices! There's a brief moment in time where you've a monopoly on "pictures that look like this" and you'd probably be able to make your money back (and more) on this highly distinctive photograph style. Do some back and forth chat with AI on "fine art photography pricing structure" and "signature style / visual voice" and you'll likely be pleasantly surprised.
...and I'll be surprised if I don't see these pictures hanging in a bank/startup lobby at some point!
Also, I don't have a monopoly on "pictures that look like this".
Adam Magyar and Jay Mark Johnson have line scan photos in fine arts as well, and they were in fact a big source of inspiration when I started out on my own line scan journey in 2017.
- <a href="https://elm-chan.org/works/lcam/report.html" rel="nofollow">https://elm-chan.org/works/lcam/report.html (be sure to scroll down and click on the train pics)
There are also Japanese rail fans:
- <a href="https://kr64.seesaa.net/" rel="nofollow">https://kr64.seesaa.net/ with a bewilderingly huge collection of trains all over Japan,
And faux-line scan cameras using regular video cameras, stitching together thin chunks rather than 1 px columns:
Line scan cameras are also commonly used for machine vision in the rail industry to inspect trains for damage and detect graffiti and stuff. And conversely, line scan cameras mounted on trains are used to inspect rails and tunnels.
Nuanced and humble responses... I'm happy for you and all the retro-futurist techies that'll end up with your photos on their walls!
My responses came from a place of emotion, because there's something about them that is so striking, the odd perspective (or lack), the solid "non-blur" of a background, the juxtaposition of subject and method... when you stack all that together it's something special, and "selling" (or more precisely: letting people buy/vote with their money) is one way to encourage more of what you're doing.
Seriously, do your one of three artists proofs for some of these and shop around a gallery showing with SFAC or SF City Hall, then sell your "works exhibited to the public with certificate of authenticity and 10% of sale price going to SF muni"
They're just too striking not to get more eyes on them! Even if you don't, hopefully you feel the little warm glow of having climbed this mountain!
dllu · · focus · HN ↗
- Line scan camera image processing: <a href="https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2025-09-21-line-scan-camera-image-processing/" rel="nofollow">https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2025-09-21-line-scan-camera-... Previous discussions:
- Standalone line scan camera hardware: <a href="https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-06-12-standalone-cnc-line-scan-camera/" rel="nofollow">https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-06-12-standalone-cnc-li...- Line scan camera image processing 2: <a href="https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-08-02-line-scan-camera-image-processing-part-2/" rel="nofollow">https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-08-02-line-scan-camera-...
0xfaded · · focus · HN ↗
I never thought about it until seeing these, but line scans yield an orthographic projection in the scan direction. There was a little bit of uncanny valley being able to see parts of the front/back of the car that would have normally been compressed out occluded by perspective.
ramses0 · · focus · HN ↗
...and I'll be surprised if I don't see these pictures hanging in a bank/startup lobby at some point!
dllu · · focus · HN ↗
Adam Magyar and Jay Mark Johnson have line scan photos in fine arts as well, and they were in fact a big source of inspiration when I started out on my own line scan journey in 2017.
- <a href="https://www.magyaradam.com/wp/?page_id=368" rel="nofollow">https://www.magyaradam.com/wp/?page_id=368
- <a href="https://www.jaymarkjohnson.com/works" rel="nofollow">https://www.jaymarkjohnson.com/works
Seth Itow, Philomena, and Elm-chan both also have hobbyist line scan camera setups:
- <a href="https://www.sethitow.com/posts/2026-linescan/" rel="nofollow">https://www.sethitow.com/posts/2026-linescan/
- <a href="https://philo.gay/linecam/" rel="nofollow">https://philo.gay/linecam/
- <a href="https://elm-chan.org/works/lcam/report.html" rel="nofollow">https://elm-chan.org/works/lcam/report.html (be sure to scroll down and click on the train pics)
There are also Japanese rail fans:
- <a href="https://kr64.seesaa.net/" rel="nofollow">https://kr64.seesaa.net/ with a bewilderingly huge collection of trains all over Japan,
And faux-line scan cameras using regular video cameras, stitching together thin chunks rather than 1 px columns:
- <a href="https://railfile.jp/" rel="nofollow">https://railfile.jp/
- <a href="https://x.com/yamakox/status/2089934720759144653" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/yamakox/status/2089934720759144653
- <a href="https://kakeyama.image.coocan.jp/index.htm" rel="nofollow">https://kakeyama.image.coocan.jp/index.htm
- <a href="https://trains.jo-m.ch/#/trains/list" rel="nofollow">https://trains.jo-m.ch/#/trains/list
Line scan cameras are also commonly used for machine vision in the rail industry to inspect trains for damage and detect graffiti and stuff. And conversely, line scan cameras mounted on trains are used to inspect rails and tunnels.
ramses0 · · focus · HN ↗
My responses came from a place of emotion, because there's something about them that is so striking, the odd perspective (or lack), the solid "non-blur" of a background, the juxtaposition of subject and method... when you stack all that together it's something special, and "selling" (or more precisely: letting people buy/vote with their money) is one way to encourage more of what you're doing.
Seriously, do your one of three artists proofs for some of these and shop around a gallery showing with SFAC or SF City Hall, then sell your "works exhibited to the public with certificate of authenticity and 10% of sale price going to SF muni"
They're just too striking not to get more eyes on them! Even if you don't, hopefully you feel the little warm glow of having climbed this mountain!