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 Replies: 14 / Views: 2,039 |
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New Member
United States
20 Posts |
Hey guys, I've been a student of coin photography for awhile, and I wanted to reach out and get some feedback on some of my images. Here's an 1894-S Morgan in MS62, Semi PL:   If you're looking for more examples, let me know and I can post more. Just looking for an initial opinion. Thanks! Edited by Nic O
02/11/2014 11:28 pm
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Well, strictly from a non expert (there are quite a few folks here who really know how to get excellent results), I'm blown away.
Some may like the more dramatic shots with high contrast but from a technical standpoint yours are amazing for the amount of detail they show, with nothing washed out in the lighter areas and nothing hidden in the darks.
You must be bringing in light from many directions, maybe like the old Nikon medical lenses with a circle light ring to eliminate bad shadows.
It sure would be nice if more online coin sellers could accomplish what you've done!
-Duncan
Hey board members, how would you like to see a grading guide with photos like that? Wow!
Edited by Duncan_Doenitz
02/11/2014 11:39 pm
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Beautiful work. I'm on my smartphone, and can't mine for EXIF data; would you mind sharing your equipment list and technique?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
940 Posts |
Nic, Beautiful photos that I could not match! I've been working on my coin photography, and am getting decent results with indirect sunlight, but I need to learn how to use artificial lighting and capture luster (the following post has my luster-less Civil War token photo). https://goccf.com/t/169696The only way I can see that your photos could be improved is with a little cartwheel. Nice image! Edited by Classic Coins
02/12/2014 12:27 am
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New Member
 United States
20 Posts |
Hi Duncan and SSuperDdave,
Thanks for the feedback!
I'm about to call it a night here, but I'll be back tomorrow with a more detailed response and an overview of my setup.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3076 Posts |
Hi NIC O...  Your lessons have done you well, and your pictures are quite amazing, I am going to venture the reason of your post..........IS YOU DON"T SEE THE PROOFLIKE of MIRROR REFLECTION...your coin has in hand...doesn't equal the coin in your photo's? HUMMMMMMM many of us have the same problem... I think, there has always been a battle of what PROOF......DMPL.....PL and semi Proof-like coins are and should look like........YOU..WE...ALL.....have coins where the mirror is obvious........"at a slight angle" flashes back at your eyes and blinds you.......but straight to the camera square to the coin...it can bee a tuff call?HEY IF YOU get the grade WOW...but back to the question....how to capture this PL immage......... The immage is not just the coin, but how the light hits it, and depending on if its silver, proof,,copper as you will/well know will determine how to capture its true form as "SEEN"......such a thing as photography  IF I took a picture of my 2007W silver eagle..I don't think it matters what angle the lights are... the proof luster is BLACK to the film and to the cameo of the coins figurine is brilliant. IT is perhaps this area..... where there is a grading distingtion.....I and you and WE have many mirror coins.......The question is how to shoot them...Lighting HAS TO BE EXACT... IT's a tough shoot....for a coin like this........it takes patience..... For a coin that is not DMPL.....the coin must be a few degree's out of level...... straight on the prooflike luster doesn't hit the CAMERA"S \sensor.... so now you see your great photo, but not the luster......THE GOOD THING IS YOU GOT THE GRADE....... That's a wonderful coin and grade! to own Hope I have helped alittle G |
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Valued Member
440 Posts |
Very Nice. I would also be interested in your lighting technique.
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New Member
United States
20 Posts |
Alright.
As you can see with the photos, I tend to go with more even lighting in my images. As you guys guessed it, I was looking for feedback on whether or not I need to bring more luster into my photos through higher contrast lighting.
I've toyed with the idea on and off, but every time I've tried to grab a bit more luster, I see myself losing specific details of the coins, such as contact marks, problem areas, etc.
I do image the coins with the intent to sell them, rather than taking photos for my own collection. As a result, I always felt it was more important to show detail, rather than going for a more dramatic approach.
Setup
My equipment has remained relatively the same since I started, as I tried to focus more on technique rather than finding the next best piece of fancy equipment:
-1000W Halogen Lamp, diffused with a Photoflex LiteDome.
- 2 Jansjo Lights
-Canon EOS20D with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens.
-Kaiser RA1 Copy Stand
-Photoshop CC/Lightroom 5 for image management.
It's a very simple setup with not a whole lot of bells and whistles, but it does the trick.
Any thoughts? What do you guys recommend for bringing more luster into the image without losing detail?
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
Edited by Nic O
02/12/2014 5:19 pm
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Don't change your technique. Your results are tremendous. Do a second set to define luster; you already know how hard it is to combine detail and luster with a Mint State Morgan. On the bright side, they're the worst-case scenario for coins and the metals they're made of. It's a Perfect Storm of lots of letters/devices and broad open fields not duplicated anywhere else except with Ikes.
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New Member
United States
20 Posts |
Thanks a ton for your feedback, SuperDave.
I've seen your posts throughout the coin photography forum, and it's obvious you know way more about photography than I do.
With that being said, I'm going to play around with a few more things, and I'd love to bounce ideas off of you and everyone else along the way.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
The coin is showing some amount of luster with the lighting you're using, but the shot itself is a bit too low in contrast and overexposed. My rule is to ensure the darkest areas of the image are just below black, and the brightest a bit below white. These images are quite a bit brighter than this, and this is limiting their ability to show the luster that's there. Here's a slightly adjusted version of the obverse:  Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
And keep in mind, the standard we work to - "what looks nice for a coin" - isn't universal, nor can it be. Sufficient light to delineate enough detail to grade won't always show the coin as it is in hand. Brown Large Cents are a good example. Satisfy yourself first.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Only way I've found to get a consistent exposure/presentation, such that my various shots are "calibrated" against each other and thus darker coins look darker than bright coins viewed in the same light, is to use a white background when shooting and then adjust the background to the same RGB level in post. Once it's adjusted you can crop it out and put whatever color you want.
If you use any auto exposure mode (Auto, Av, Tv, etc) mode, the camera will attempt to make every shot span the whole available dynamic range, but this results in every shot being of a uniform exposure and dark coins looking essentially the same as light coins from overall exposure perspective. It's sort of like viewing the coin in-hand and adjusting the light intensity until either bright coins are a bit more subdued, or dark coins are a bit brighter, always moving to the center of the brightness scale. This is of course valid for any given coin, but for comparisons between a group of coins may not be what you're after.
Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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New Member
United States
20 Posts |
Wow, that photo looks like a significant improvement. What other adjustments did you make aside from a bump in contrast? SuperDave, I couldn't agree more. As much as I try to satisfy myself, I always try to put myself in the shoes of the buyer. Like I said, I shoot these images with the intent to sell, so I'm always thinking - "If I was a buyer, would I pick this coin for my collection?" Ray, I think you just read my mind. That's another issue I have been having, trying to develop some uniformity between the exposure of my coins. I shot images via the Av setting for awhile, and I just recently switched to manual. I've been playing around a bit and here's what I was able to produce yesterday: 1896-O $1 MS61:   1881-CC $1 MS64:   I reduced my exposure a bit, in addition to adding a little extra contrast. Thoughts? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Your images are very sharp, and have minimal hotspots, so your exposure is not too bad. Just a bit more adjustment to do. Here's the 81CC obverse with the following corrections: Decreased brightness Increased contrast Lowered highlight gamma Increased shadow gamma  Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 2,039 |
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Posted 02/12/2014 12:22 am
