Taking A Step Back... - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,369
coinpictures Valued Member United States 55 Posts	Posted 02/26/2013 8:19 pm I used to offer coin photography services in conjunction with my coin collecting, but over the last 4 years or so I've put coin collecting aside, along with the photography, spending time and efforts on my stamp collection (hey, what can I say, it was my first hobby before coins). Well, earlier this month I decided to start photographing some of the coins I have languishing in boxes, in preparation for listing them on ebay and other places to raise funds for the stamp collection. When I got right down to it though, I really didn't want to mess with the whole "setup" that I had used before. I wanted something relatively "quick and dirty" with minimal effort, so I decided to experiment and see what kind of image quality I could get without hauling out the macro lens, the extra lights, dealing with manual focus, etc. What I determined is that one really doesn't have to go ape if you're just wanting to list on ebay. If I were looking to do commercial photography documenting varieties/VAMs, I'd want more resolution and sharpness, but for selling coins, no. This will do just fine. I'm now using my old Panasonic Lumix G1 with the 14-45 kit lens that came with the camera. No manual settings. "Intelligent Auto" which is auto-EVERYTHING, including auto-focus. Two daylight fluorescent bulbs, one on either side of the camera. One click per coin side and done. A few Photoshop tweaks to adjust shadow and highlight, a quick mask, and voila! Not bad for shots I can take sitting in my easy chair... (Dirty secret: learning the ins and outs of image editing software plays a FAR greater role in producing a quality image than the actual photography... I'm still a point-and-click person... the only images I have trouble with are colorfully-toned mirror proofs, and those are way too much of a headache.) Some examples taken this past week: Report this Post to the Staff

noahs-numismatics Pillar of the Community Canada 3167 Posts	Posted 02/26/2013 8:52 pm WOW! Those are some awesome pictures with some even better coins! What camera do you use? Oh, and ! Report this Post to the Staff
SsuperDdave Moderator United States 23522 Posts	Posted 02/26/2013 8:58 pm Just....nice. For those of you who do not know this new member, let it suffice to say that I've known his work for years, and very few can coax a coin to show its' finest face to the public as well as he can. In a world where we're killing ourselves for the last two-tenths of one percent out of a given shot, it doesn't hurt to be reminded that the ultimate goal remains the coin, and just like grading, shooting will always be in the eye of the beholder. I don't care what the 100% crops of these images look like; I'm too busy enjoying the coins. Report this Post to the Staff
Rayman311 Valued Member United States 489 Posts	Posted 02/26/2013 9:22 pm Mighty nice coins and photos Report this Post to the Staff
coinpictures Valued Member United States 55 Posts	Posted 02/26/2013 9:25 pm Stop, yer makin' me blush! While I appreciate the compliments, I'm not the photography expert that many others are, especially those who do this full time and hone/refine their craft. I know my shortcomings, and luckily can compensate for them in postprocessing. In many cases the presentation makes all the difference. Direct lighting right above the coin, not at an angle. Masking the coin, as opposed to leaving the background, gives it the illusion of being suspended in space. A neutral gray background frequently makes the coin "pop" more than a white or black background (a color background is BAD as it skews your perception). I'm not a fan of artistic drop shadows... they distract from the coin itself IMO, but that is a personal aesthetic preference; many people love them. I remember several discussions on another board with some "purists" insisting that any postprocessing in Photoshop is artificial manipulation, and therefore a bad thing... to which I say "Bovine Excerement!!". If the end result is closer to in-hand reality than what you start with, then it is perfectly valid. It's when you start airbrushing out flaws and trying to "improve" the coin that you are engaging in deception. Now, are you always going to nail it 100%? Of course not. My lighting, monitor, etc. may be different from yours, so what a coin may look like in your hand or on your monitor may, in fact, be different from what I see... not to mention different eyesight... especially as we get older. My coins frequently have warts... but that gives 'em character. Report this Post to the Staff
John1 Moderator United States 56855 Posts	Posted 02/26/2013 9:46 pm to CCF. Those are some very nice photos . John1 Report this Post to the Staff
rmpsrpms Pillar of the Community United States 4038 Posts	Posted 02/26/2013 9:54 pm Super nice images and coins. I agree, as long as you can get a decent image with enough dynamic range to work with, you can do a lot in post. Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com Report this Post to the Staff
SsuperDdave Moderator United States 23522 Posts	Posted 02/27/2013 1:27 pm Quote: I remember several discussions on another board with some "purists" insisting that any postprocessing in Photoshop is artificial manipulation, and therefore a bad thing Those are not "purists," they're Luddites, and you won't find any of them here. Not for long, anyways. Report this Post to the Staff
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