Line Scan Photos from MUNI Heritage Weekend in San Francisco

(daniel.lawrence.lu)

82 points | by plun9 1 day ago

8 comments

  • dllu 20 hours ago
    OP here, ask me anything! I've also written about the process previously:

    - Line scan camera image processing: https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2025-09-21-line-scan-camera-... Previous discussions:

      - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44996938
    
      - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46383593
    
      - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46388084
    
    - Standalone line scan camera hardware: https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-06-12-standalone-cnc-li...

    - Line scan camera image processing 2: https://daniel.lawrence.lu/blog/2026-08-02-line-scan-camera-...

    • big_toast 13 minutes ago
      Your other photos are always very pleasant to look at too. Thank you for sharing them.

      Are there other photo types you've thought about taking? (I don't know very much about the topic. Rocket launches? Cruise ships? 360/Cylindrical line scan sweeps?)

    • 0xfaded 1 hour ago
      Very cool.

      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 57 minutes ago
        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!

        • dole 43 minutes ago
          Hell, I'd shop them around to transit authorities. Gorgeous photos, awesome hardware and processing techniques that went into them.
          • ramses0 25 minutes ago
            Donate copies to sfmuni (no matter what!), or front them as "distribution partner", ie: they sell those posters for $999.99 or whatever and cut checks to Mr. Lu for $99 each (or something).
    • plun9 20 hours ago
      oh ok
  • matja 1 hour ago
    I like the photos, they look like architectural diagrams.

    I suppose the subjects moved past the camera perpendicular to the lens direction, so you only see one side.

    Are there any examples of what it looks like with a line scan camera when a subject goes past at an angle?

    Also, for anyone setting up a tripod with a tripping hazard in public, do consider public liability insurance :)

  • abeppu 1 hour ago
    Ok the photos are cool and it's nice to see the vintage street cars. But Muni has a budget shortfall and is planning on cutting a bunch of bus lines and reducing frequency on lines across the system. Meanwhile, it has an internal supply chain to custom build replacement parts for vintage vehicles that no other city will operate, and teams of specialist restorers. Viewed in isolation, they look cool! Viewed in context, is this ... irresponsible?
  • phgn 1 hour ago
    Woww so cool, thanks for sharing!
  • landonalder 55 minutes ago
    Incredible shots
  • Goatsgiats 19 hours ago
    These are really lovely.
  • muststopmyths 1 hour ago
    beautiful !
  • gerikson 1 hour ago
    Very cool images!

    What lens are you using? Does it have to cover 135 format?