There’s a really good (ongoing) discussion on the Large Format Forum about scanning 4×5 and 5×7 negatives for HABS, HAER, or HALS. I use a DSLR (or Mirrorless) camera and a copy stand to photograph my negatives and create 30+ Megapixel digital photographs. Follow the discussion here: https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?157757-4×5-amp-5×7-Negatives-Camera-Scanning-with-Nikon-D800E&highlight=habs
Becoming a HABS/HAER Photographer
There’s a really good (ongoing) discussion on the Large Format Forum about doing 4×5 photography for a living as a HABS, HAER, or HALS Photographer. Not working for the National Park Service or Heritage Documentation Programs, as an in-house photographer, but rather doing freelance HABS/HAER photographs of historic places for Cultural Resource management firms, cities,…
HABS Photographer (new blog)
As one blog ends, another begins. Here in September 2025, my blogging platform since 2010 – Typepad – is going offline. So, I have migrated some of the old posts here to HABS-HAER-HALS.com at WordPress. I’m still not sure if that old Typepad blog will go away or be frozen as an archive. From 2025…
HABS Photographer Writes a HABS/HAER/HALS substack
HABS Photography exposed and explained on my new Substack.
HABS HAER Photography transmitted to the Library of Congress
Middle of May 2025 Four more records transmitted to the Library of Congress last week. Three Historic American Engineering Record projects and a Historic American Buildings Survey project. Presidio of San Francisco, Aircraft Hangar (HABS CA-2942) Natomas Ditch System, Rhoades' Branch Ditch (HAER CA-144-B) Southern Pacific Railroad Bayshore Cutoff, Tunnel No. 3 (HAER…
UNT Lecture on HABS April 23, 2025
I'm giving a webinar on HABS/HAER via zoom through the University of North Texas. April 23, 2025. https://library.unt.edu/news/2025/03-19-lecture-habs/ more info link: https://library.unt.edu/news/2025/03-19-lecture-habs/ If you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS photography take a look at our website. HABSPHOTO.com Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography, Ventura, California Ph: 805-652-1000 E: schaf@west.net
CPF webinar about Stephen Schafer, HABS Photographer
My Path to Preservation: Insights from a HABS Photographer INFO LINK Members Non-Members FREEDate: May 20, 2025Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Join the California Preservation Foundation for our My Path to Preservation series, a webinar program with the goal of sharing insights with students, interns, graduates, emerging professionals, and anyone interested in a…
Topanga Ranch Motel Lost to Fire HABS CA-3002
Today, I got an official HABS number from HDP, after looking through some files and finding the negatives. HABS CA-3002. This week the motel was lost in the Palisades Fire.
New HABS Photo Scans on the LoC Website
Just found two new sets of scanned records on the HABS site today. As the LoC slowly gets through the backlog of HABS/HAER/HALS photos waiting for scans from the last couple decades. It's nice to see some of my photos out in the public domain where they belong. These two examples of historic survey photography…
HABS HAER To Do List
HABS TO DO LIST, what Historic American Buildings Survey photo are next?