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 Replies: 20 / Views: 7,080 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
723 Posts |
Dave, I actually have an awesome axial lighting setup. I put that together a couple years ago, but I was never impressed with the results. Direct lighting has been the ticket.
If you think it would be indicated in this example, I can dig it out and throw it back together in just a few minutes.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
If you think it would be indicated in this example, I can dig it out and throw it back together in just a few minutes.
Awesome! Axial lighting is the go-to solution for toning. It's tough for other aspects of coin imaging, but definitely worth a shot in this case. |
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Here's my tough-to-photograph Civil War token. You initially asked how to cut through to the coin itself, and here's how sunlight picks up more of the color of the coin and not the luster.  This is NOT expert photography in any sense, I know it is crude and it does not really show what the coin looks like when held, so it's really a false image. In real life it is very dark and has subtle deep blue toning, but what makes it look good is the way it flashes when held and manipulated so the light picks up the flash and color changes, and that doesn't seem to translate well in a still photo. -Duncan Oh, I should've mentioned, the token is 135/441a. And it's below zero outside, this was taken with sunlight coming in the window. Edited by Duncan_Doenitz
01/28/2014 5:30 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
898 Posts |
Awesome token! And nice to know there is another new member named Duncan! Nice to meet you!
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Ditto, Duncan.
I just figured out I'm DD, which seems like appropriate initials for a coin forum.
-DD
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
898 Posts |
I'm well familiar with the nickname donuts. Not even kidding you, our credit union branch manager when I started working for her this summer wrote memos and emails as "Dunkin Bishop". I was used to it though haha.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
I am having trouble getting enough light on it through the axial setup. All the light that I have, still not enough.
I can open the aperture wide open, but all the detail is washed out.
If I choke it down, say to f-8, I am looking at long exposure and still it is dark. Six second exposure.
So far nothing is working, which if I remember right is why I never got very far with the axial rig in the first place.
I need more light.
Am I doing something wrong?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
I am having trouble getting enough light on it through the axial setup. All the light that I have, still not enough.
I can open the aperture wide open, but all the detail is washed out.
If I choke it down, say to f-8, I am looking at long exposure and still it is dark. Six second exposure.
So far nothing is working, which if I remember right is why I never got very far with the axial rig in the first place.
I need more light.
Am I doing something wrong?
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Pillar of the Community
2087 Posts |
Quote:
I am having trouble getting enough light on it through the axial setup. All the light that I have, still not enough.
I can open the aperture wide open, but all the detail is washed out. It may well be your set up. With axial lighting the beam splitting glass( or perspex) is the best. Here are two photos of my axial set up. IMHO plain glass is a waste of time. Actually to take the photographs I now wonder if it might be better to put the light where I usually mount the camera and put the camera where the light usually is...and photograph the reflection of the coin. BTW janscos are inadequate for axial lighting   For those interested photo was taken with a manual focus 24mm wide angle |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4594 Posts |
I'd love to see a separate thread on how you built THAT!
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
Looks like the light from "Close Encounters".
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
Plain glass is what I am trying to use on my axial setup. And a couple of florescent desk lamps. Nice white light from those desk lamps, but not enough to bounce off the glass with anything left over. Until I can rebuild my axial setup with some proper components, I went back to direct lighting. Lit it from the left only, got this. Better, but still not happy, I will keep working on it. Got plenty of time, nobody is going to buy it . . . . Reverse looks a bit better. Still have not had any sunlight.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
This quarter looks a lot like the toned 57-D Cents that I've published images of over the last couple years. Best method I found to bring out the deep color in them was using my RSD (Ray's Super Directors) or Smile Directors attached to Jansjos. I also have good luck with the fixed Smilies that Captain Fwiffo uses. They do essentially the same thing as the Smile Directors but are not actually attached to the Jansjos. The principle is to simulate two arcs of a ringlight, with the direct reflection from the arcs just slightly outside the radius of the coin so you don't get any glare over the coin. This puts the lights as close to axial as possible without glare. It's extremely effective and brings out the deep toning colors nicely.
Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9795 Posts |
Right now CostCo is having a sale on LED Duracell flashlights that have an adjustable focus, they throw out an amazing amount of light that is very even, you might try to use something like that. I have been using them in lieu of flash units for Polaroid photography, they put out way more light much farther than a standard flash bulb will. Plus they evenness of light with little to no hotspots make it a great light painting too in my photo bag. I imagine hitting a coin with one of them would produce enough alight to cut through the dark patina on your coin.
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Replies: 20 / Views: 7,080 |
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Posted 01/28/2014 3:04 pm
