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 Replies: 10 / Views: 2,182 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1080 Posts |
 Trying to set up an area for coin photography. To start, here's a random shiny dime. The photo on the left with the flash shows the luster, but not details. I think the photo on the right is decent (opinions?) just doesn't show the coin's brilliance. Any comments or advice? I'm about to go try a well circulated nickel now.
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Valued Member
United States
57 Posts |
I think the second coin shows the details better
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1080 Posts |
Thanks, markha, I agree. Is it an "adequate" photo? Should I work to improve it somehow?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2335 Posts |
There's some real expert coin photographers here. I'm not one of them so take this for what it's worth. I have a basic digital camera & am able to take shots that show good detail & give a fairly accurate idea of the color pretty easily. I take the pictures on a plain white sheet of paper, position the camera directly over the coin & use the macro setting. I use a well lit area of the house & turn the flash off. Indirect lighting & a tripod work best for me.
The photo on the right is probably good enough to get a fairly accurate grading opinion, the glare on the left picture obscures some of the detail.
Edited by trdhrdr007
01/03/2010 8:36 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1080 Posts |
 Thanks for the comments, I agree the left dime has no detail, I just posted it to contrast the luster of the actual dime. I'm pretty happy with the nickel above. So when you all say "indirect lighting" do you bounce it off walls/ceiling? Or am I missing something more basic? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1080 Posts |
 Ah, I'm much happier with this... my problem was the camera was too far from the coin. I elevated the coin quite a bit & brought it closer to the lens. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1080 Posts |
  So here are some other samples. I think the dime does a good job of showing the details & scratches while capturing the shine as well. Comments? Critiques? |
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New Member
Germany
6 Posts |
Hi there. I think they are all great shots. The lustre reflection is my biggest bug bear but then I feel it wrong to adjust the colour of the shot to get the reflection away. I have a lot to learn here but I will keep on trying as well. Capturing copper patina accurately is one of the things I have major problems with also.
The half penny coin has marvelous red gold patina but it looks rusted instead. I have tried so many settings but none improve it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1490 Posts |
Work with your white balance as well. That will help you get photos that accurately depict the color of your coins.
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New Member
Germany
6 Posts |
Sounds like good advice. I will give that a try.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1729 Posts |
You probably noticed that your first dimes shots were not perpendicular to the coins, making them oval-shaped (and a bit out of focus). The lighting on the nickel is the best so far; the others have been uneven, as they were from one side. Indirect lighting, as through a translucent medium (like a milk carton) might be your best bet; there's a discussion on this forum about how to set it up. Read through some of the other threads to glean some ideas. I can definitely see your improvement as you keep experimenting, however.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 2,182 |
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Posted 01/03/2010 8:08 pm
