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 Replies: 39 / Views: 3,732 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10048 Posts |
Very cool pahoehoe nickel!
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
62064 Posts |
Earle: I bet if you took a wire clothes hanger, bent out square and taped a plastic grocery bag on it to make a curtain. You would probably remove the glare that gets to to your coin? You might be surprised at the results. If not enough try two layers. Still not enough, try adding a sheet of white paper. Just don't let it touch the bulbs.
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Moderator
 United States
54284 Posts |
With Paint it is easy to crop and rotate images.
Drawback with Paint is that there is no control over the quality of the image, thus images tend to take up more total bytes.
I also use Paint.Net (free from getpaint.net), where cropping and rotating images is also very easy.
When saving, you are allowed to specify the quality of the image, thus have some control over the resulting image size. Just a small decrease in quality results in significant size decreases, with no visual difference.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
What I didn't like was the inability to rotate images and to layer to combine several images into one. Also what you mentioned as well.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4846 Posts |
I've found LED's inside bulbs to be sufficient enough to diffuse light. These two photos were taken freehand with an iphone 6S from about a foot away. I usually try playing with different distances and different zooms as well. I hold the phone about a foot up perpendicular to the coin, and keep the light at around the same angle, sometimes I need to play with it to eliminate glare.   Edited by Adam_E
07/04/2018 10:08 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
75270 Posts |
Definitely a good thread. Thank you sharing this!
Errers and Varietys.
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Pillar of the Community
2224 Posts |
Jasper - where did you get those awesome Jeffersons? I've found some neat errors over the years CRH but not that great!  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
I figured rather than going into a huge project that would involve a lot of work to prepare a lot of images, I would see how much would be needed and make it a sharing thread. I hope others will continue to add as time goes by.
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Valued Member
United States
420 Posts |
Here's a copy-n-paste that's part of a convo from a few days ago I was having with Coop in another thread.. Just so happens to be the setup I'm using at the moment: ---begin paste: Yup.. No onboard lighting on the above, nor most of the time.. There are times I need to turn it on just enough to open up a shadow, but using it at all really flattens depth.. At the moment I'm using one of those Wally-World don't-stock-'em-in-store $5.87 gooseneck clip-on LED with diffusion disk jobbies that's like 3.5W and insanely too bright cos I have it clipped on to one side of the base-back n goosed over to the other, which keeps everything pretty much in balance.. Have a piece of white T-shirt gumbanded snug over top of but not touching the diffusion disk. I then aim that through two to four layers of Bounty that's halfway between light and subject and am using a white envelope opposite side to reflect back onto subject, which creates my secondary lighting source without the use of any additional lights.. Works well for opening up the shadow areas most of the time.. Even with all that I still get hot spots, but pretty exclusive to unc / shiny copper.. No problems (usually) with coppers that're "broke in.." --end paste. Something of note in the above is I'm using the identical light source as Earle42 has pictured, except it's their clip-on model.. At this price I did purchase a half-dozen of 'em (3 ea. base model and clip-on version,) both as back-up and on the chance I ever end up shooting silver -- which depending on what you're wanting to highlight, or actually better put needing to more uniformly light, requires (up to) five sources for this type of lighting pattern in order to do it right.. fortcollins said: Quote:
...Decent USB digital microscopes can be bought for under $100. My $79 Celestron has a 5 Megapixel camera and adjustable focal length... In another convo with Coop I'd said: Quote:
...I knew from jump street I should have purchased a Celestron.. But I didn't, because I was really hoping quality had trickled down along with technology.. I now know that isn't the case... Y'all better believe what my real-soon next purchase is going to be.. As a kinda funny wrap-up here, Earle42 said: Quote:
My graphics program of choice is a little known but powerful program called Photo Impact by Ulead Company. Up to version 10 or so it is very intuitive. The Corel bought it and as I got versions 11, 12, and 13, I needed the actually open the manual to find where they had hidden some of the formerly easily accessed features so the program would be "easier to use..." The reason I find this humorous is because I also use PhotoImpact.. However, my version is just slightlyyy older than the one Earle's using -- PhotoImpact 7.0, build 7011, Copyright 1992-2001.. So yeah, I've been using it for a year or two now.. Might be missing a modern feature or two tho..  Swamp |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10048 Posts |
Quote:
Earle: I bet if you took a wire clothes hanger, bent out square and taped a plastic grocery bag on it to make a curtain. You would probably remove the glare that gets to to your coin? You might be surprised at the results. If not enough try two layers. Still not enough, try adding a sheet of white paper. Just don't let it touch the bulbs. Thanks Coop, I will definitely try this. How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2Edited by Earle42
07/05/2018 3:05 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10048 Posts |
@Swamp There are two programs titled Photo Impact. The one from Ulead is the one I use. I forget who makes the other. The text manipulation is what I use a lot. Its amazing how simple it is to draw any curved shape and then type text right along the curve I just made. Seeing as upgrades to later versions were always 20.00 or less when buying used on ebay, I went all the way up through V13. I think Corel has now quit making this program - which may be good as theirs are the programmers who "simplified" things by making four and five more do the same task that used to take two or three. Since 2003, I have had 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13. - somehow I missed yours! And until V10, I do not think I paid more than 10.00 for any of them. I know I got version 4 for 4.00 total! |
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Valued Member
United States
420 Posts |
@Earle42 Quote:
There are two programs titled Photo Impact. ...The one from Ulead is the one I use...
The text manipulation is what I use a lot... Yes, this is Ulead's.. This ver has really decent text manipulation capabilities also, especially considering how long ago it first hit the shelves.. Probably haven't used that feature in ten years or so, yet at one time it really earned its keep.. Priorities change.. Been using the program a good long time now almost exclusively for various image editing tweaks.. With ebay wanting a minimum of 1600 pixels on the larger sides of photos (for phonograph records at least, don't know about other items though, like, say -- Disney pins,) it's nice having a no-hassle tool that can knock approx. 1.6Mb down to mid-200k with next-to-no image deterioration at the click of a mouse.. Swamp |
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Valued Member
United States
420 Posts |
Speaking of poor quality photos, when a new member is first approved for posting and goes to:
"Coin Community Rules - Please Read Before Posting
Last Update 2/16/2014
Please take a few minutes to review the rules before posting or when they are updated,"
assuming they even bother to do so to look at the Forum Rules, nowhere is there even a mention of photographs, much less what they should look like, other than this:
Images in Posts (5/16/2010)
"Images are permitted in posts within reason. Obviously photos of coins involved in the topic are always allowed and encouraged. Extraneous images other than the occasional smiley, happy birthday image, or similar are frowned upon and subject to removal. The staff reserves the right to remove any image, at any time, for any reason, with no explanation required..."
And that's it..! Is it any wonder we're bombarded with sideways and upside-down shot from a mile away blurry photos which may or may not give a clue as to where we should be looking for what, much less a close-up of that/those areas..?
Ok, I've identified a problem.. But I personally can't do anything to help correct it beyond making suggestions as to what might help..
For starters I would make an addition to the Forum Rules..
Next, and last, since very few first-timers wanting confirmation and $$s-evaluation of their amazing find bother to read Forum Rules in their rush to wealth I'd put a 'spec-sheet' as the very first / only item seen the first time entering a forum, one that'll disappear forever after having been "signed off" with a checkmark in a clickable box or whatever..
It doesn't matter how y'all do it, as long as something is done.. My preference is to make it impossible to post, even though they are cleared to do so, without the powers-who-be having the knowledge these folks at least had the opportunity to know what is expected of them as far as posting "help me" photos go.. If they deceide to just scroll to the bottom n check the box, when they post unacceptable photos they now deserve to have their azzez biched out.. No need for us to have to continue being polite while fighting our rising bile n chomping Acid-B-Gone as we (re)explain to them what they need to do..
As Doug said more-or-less, and I heartily agree: I only have so many words and posts left in me, and I don't plan on wasting them telling people how and why they need to post good photos..
Swamp
Edited by da Swampster
07/06/2018 10:14 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3656 Posts |
Wow Jasper those are some great coins! This is pretty harsh Swamp - don't you think? Quote:
t doesn't matter how y'all do it, as long as something is done.. My preference is to make it impossible to post, even though they are cleared to do so, without the powers-who-be having the knowledge these folks at least had the opportunity to know what is expected of them as far as posting "help me" photos go.. If they decide to just scroll to the bottom n check the box, when they post unacceptable photos they now deserve to have their azzez biched out.. No need for us to have to continue being polite while fighting our rising bile n chomping Acid-B-Gone as we (re)explain to them what they need to do.. Here is my 2 cents. I feel it is important to see the other side of the bad photo people (including myself). When I first started I was given a bag of wheaties around 5000 I think. I knew absolutely nothing about coins other than spending them. So I started out completely ignorant with no equipment or knowledge of photo taking. I used an eye loupe to search for stuff, which of course I had no idea what I was searching for except for the 1909-S VDB and the big 1955 DDO basically. I did a lot of reading and looking & learning before I even signed up on a forum. This was the 2nd one I joined, the first one was to me a very uninviting a lot of swearing and meanness. CCF was very friendly, kind and incredibility patient with me and you all still put up with my horrible pictures (Thank You). I don't make money from coins - I am just totally thrilled to have been thrown (pretty much was it was) into this wonderful hobby of coins. My initial plan was to get through all these old pennies and get on with my life, little did I know I would learn to love this so much. Before I knew it I was buying boxes of pennies from the bank. Checking the coins on every visitor I had and on and on. So I think there are many of us that I have started out the same way (maybe by inheritances & such) then grew to love coin collecting. So when I signed up I was using my hand held digital camera and photo program and even scanner to try and get pictures to post. Not every knows photo taking skills with lighting angles and all or have a large enough space for a setup not to mention the money to buy it (plus you have to know what to buy so you don't waste your money). I have limitations with both. If you guys were to do what you are saying about Newbies then I would have been gone as I wouldn't have had a way to meet your requirements. It took me a month or so to be able to afford my cheap USB scope 25.00 (which I still use to this day). On the other hand I am just a minor contributor so most of postings from Newbies fall on your shoulders and I really do understand that. I am sincere in my coins but I swear it took me at least a half a year to actually be able to recognize the Doubled Dies under my scope and that was after a member here sent me some to learn from. It was so frustrating for me trying to figure these out was and it wasn't from the lack of trying. I have learned a lot from all of you but, no where near what most of you members know. I absolutely love being a part of CCF and have many coin friends now. I unfortunately (even after almost 3 years) will never be a pro at coins or photos like a lot of you so isn't there room for both? People like me who just enjoy coins and are considered a novice collector/searcher with not so good pictures and the pros? Oh well, I guess a little more than my 2 cents (maybe 5 cents worth?) Thanks for reading my rant CC Edited by CoinCents
07/06/2018 11:48 am
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
744 Posts |
I use Photoshop. Has a steep learning curve, but I think it's the best out there (my opinion). I use my iPhone 6 most of the time, but if I want close ups, I use this USB scope... Was about $90 on Amazon if I remember right. Made by Opti-Tek.   |
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Replies: 39 / Views: 3,732 |
First Page
Posted 07/04/2018 9:02 pm
