Chapter 2: The Kölner Dome

In addition to the [Highlight Method (H-RTI)](chapter 01), you can also use a specially designed dome. Let's call it the Dome method (D-RTI). There are commercial domes you can buy, or free instructions you can make yourself online. I myself chose the free option and built domes myself. Since I did this during my time as an assistant in Cologne, I called it the Kölner Dome (get it?).

The functionality of the domes is quite simple, but using them can be a challenge if you are not trained. In this chapter I will give an overview of how they work and how to use them. Once this is understood, working with the domes can be a lot of fun and can produce amazing results.

The gear

As with H-RTI, you need a bit of equipment. You still need a camera, the spheres, the colour chart and the scales. You don't need a tripod, no weights, no lights and no remote triggers. Everything is more or less built into the dome, so you just set it up and start shooting. As for the equipment you need, just go to Chapter One and read about the camera, the spheres, the colour chart and the scales. What is important here are the domes. In Cologne we have two types: a smaller 50cm dome that can be used more or less straight out of the box, and a large 100cm dome that needs to be assembled.

The small Kölner Dome

So the little dome is pretty easy to set up. Basically, you open the box and put the lid away. You then need to unscrew two security bolts that hold the dome to the base of the box. There are two bolts on each side of the dome. Simply unscrew them by hand and put them aside for later. You can now take the dome out of the box and place it on a table. You can easily grip the metal bars of the dome as they are quite stable. Once the dome is securely placed on a table, you can remove the last security bolt at the front of the dome, which simply holds the top of the dome in place. Once you have removed this, you should be able to open the dome from the front. Sometimes the top sticks to the base, so a simple trick is to put your hand into the dome from the top (where the camera will later go) and push against the base while your other hand opens the top.

The final step is to set up the camera mounting system. To do this, remove the H-shaped metal bars from the top and store the white plastic holders with the security bolts. You should be able to insert the H-shaped metal bars into the metal holders on the metal frame. If not, there should be a small imbus tool in one of the grey side boxes that you will need to loosen and tighten the small screws of the metal bar system. Make sure that the H-shaped metal bars are properly inserted into the metal holders and tightened with the screws. The horizontal bar should be... well, horizontal. When everything is secure, you can unscrew the camera arm from the side and attach it to the horizontal bar from the H-shaped metal bars. We will be adjusting this a little later, for now just tighten the grip on the camera arm. You can also remove the electronics box from the back of the dome, we will connect it later.

The large Kölner Dome

The large dome is a little more complicated. First you need to unscrew the safety bolts at the bottom ends of the dome quarters. Once unscrewed, you can take them out and store them for later use. To remove the dome quarters, first remove the wooden support block. They are stacked on top of each other, so the best way is to hold the one underneath the one you want to take out with one hand and pull on the top one to remove it. Do this on both sides and you should be able to remove the first quarter. Repeat this until you have removed all the quarters from the dome. The next step is to remove the safety pin from the ring quarters at the bottom of the box. Simply unscrew it and you can remove each quarter one at a time. You can also loosen the safety strap on the grey boxes and find the one marked 'screws'. Inside you will find a small imbus tool and lots of screws.

Two halfs of the dome and the ring assembled.

Now you need to assemble the ring and the dome. The dome is quite simple. Just find two matching pieces by looking at the network connections on the outside. They should match. So if there is a black connector on one quarter, fit the other quarter which also has a black connector. If there are two, find the one with two. Use five screws and nuts and carefully screw them into the pre-drilled holes on the outside. Start by screwing them in very loosely and when all five are in place you can tighten them, but not too much, just hand-tight. The other two halves and finally the whole dome can be joined together. Never use force. If something doesn't fit, there's probably something wrong.

The ring is a bit trickier. Look for numbered stickers so you know which end connects to which other end. Make sure the silver connector with the arrow points to the screw on the other side. Put two parts together and use the imbus tool to tighten them. Sometimes this doesn't work, so make sure both parts are connected properly. When you have done the first half, do the other half and finally connect both halves together. The system works very well, so you will need a bit of patience and practice. When you are finished, you can unscrew the feet from the box and connect them to the ring. The black side of the ring is the bottom, the white side is the top. There are four holes in the ring where you can attach the feet.

Now we need to attach the dome to the ring. First, carefully place the dome on the ring without covering the holes we will be using in a minute. In one of the grey boxes you should find some wooden blocks and screws. Use these to attach the dome to the ring. The wooden blocks have small cavities in them, which are needed to allow the plastic of the ring to fit underneath. You'll get the hang of it. First position all the blocks with the screws around the dome and when everything fits, you can tighten the screws. Now find another grey box containing cables. You'll find two long cables and several short ones. Use the short cables to connect the dome quarter electrically. Again, black cables go into black sockets and red cables go into red sockets. Finally, attach the two long cables to the two remaining connectors and connect them to the RTI Control Box.

The last steps are the camera mount system and the curtain. Both should be in the box. The camera mount system needs to be unscrewed and placed on top of the dome into the appropriate holes. There should be three nuts left in the grey box of screws. Use these to secure the camera mount system to the dome. Finally, attach the curtain to the Velcro outside the ring. You are done! The dome is now complete!

The setup

will follow soon...

The procedure