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 Replies: 20 / Views: 7,075 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
I have an MS-67 Washington that is really quite nice in hand. In hand, the eye goes right through the tone and captures the underlying luster and character of the coin. Not perfect, but very, very nice. The photographs that I have shot show the obverse to be horribly mottled and uuuuuuugly. That is not the case at all. And the reverse photos show to be almost black. Untrue!! The reverse is very pleasing to the eye, with a bit of blue metallic color just starting to show. Any suggestions as to how to de-emphasize the mottled tone? And capture some of the coin underneath? I would not be so concerned, but I am upgrading my collection and need to sell this one. Whatever I do, I can't be deceitful. But my camera is just murdering this coin. I can generate no interest at all with these pics, and understandably so.   |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4593 Posts |
-----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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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
It's perhaps a bit unorthodox, but you could try photos in direct sunlight, at different angles. Sometimes the bright sunlight can cut through the darkness, it has sometimes worked for me, showing more of what the eye sees.
I have a Civil War token, one of really only a couple examples of strong toning among my coins. It has so far resisted good photography, and you have inspired me to dig it out and try again. Beautiful rainbow hues on it, but dark, so it looks like soot or fire damage in photos. I did recently do a few other dark coins in sunlight, and if there is a problem, it seems that they can come out TOO light, but thanks for the nudge, it's minus 10 degrees F outside so this is a good indoor project.
-Duncan
PS: I'd also suggest a careful description, it sounds like a nice coin, let potential buyers know about it.
Edited by Duncan_Doenitz
01/28/2014 12:26 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
723 Posts |
Quote:Simply, your eye and the camera sensor are sensitive to different wavelengths of light in different ways. See this which shows the dip in sensitivity to some blues: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.ed.../colcon.htmlvs this for a camera sensor: http://www.dxomark.com/About/In-dep...-sensitivity or this: http://www.cis.rit.edu/jwgu/research/camspec/ note especially charts d and e - d shows the sensitivity by color and the unevenness of it and e shows the difference between what they measured and the actual daylight. OK, I clicked those links. Now I know how Penny feels when Sheldon speaks to her.  Olympus 510 SLR Digital. Full manual. I have tried every aperture and shutter speed under the sun. To Duncan's point, I have not actually tried "under the sun". And that ain't happening today either! It is snowing in Louisiana!! Ice on all the bridges. They's about to shut down the state! I will try some natural light when I get a chance. Anybody deal with a similar problem? Got a button to push? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4593 Posts |
Not yet - reason I jumped in is because I have a proof birth year set and the Ben has the same problem.
-----Burton
-----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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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
Anybody deal with a similar problem? Got a button to push?
It's going to be a bit of work on your part, but axial lighting should help a lot with the appearance of the coin - it'll bring out the true color. Do a Forum Search in this forum for "axial lighting;" we talk about it a fair amount. |
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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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Replies: 20 / Views: 7,075 |
Posted 01/28/2014 12:22 pm
