Please critique my coin images

[pendragon1998]

I'm working under new lights - a pair of 70w Phillips halogena 'energy saver' lamps (each supposedly equivalent to a 100w incandescent lamp, which I agree with). They produce a somewhat yellower light than my old standby Phillips Natural incandescents, but my camera's custom white balance seems to get along with them a little better. Only caveat is that when I plugged them in and lit them, I got a strange chemical odor which persisted for a good half hour when I stopped shooting due to mild nausea from the smell. I hope it goes away. Nothing in my lighting fixtures or under the lights seems to be overheating, so I can only assume it's something on the bulbs. Very strange.

 

Anyway, would anyone care to critique my shots? I just got this PCGS MS66 1943-P wheat cent and I'm having fun dealing with it's somewhat challenging brilliance. I'm having a little trouble getting the hair not to blow its highlights (no pun intended). A little time and It'll get done, but for now, what do you think? (If you'd like 900x900 pics, go across the street.

 

[kryptonitecomics]

I don't like you one bit..

 

 

 

 

If you were asking about the coin image then I like it....good lighting and almost spot on with the focus...just a tiny bit off...more on the reverse then obverse.

[MikeInFL]

Not bad, overall. Good sharpness, good color.

 

A bit underexposed.

 

The lighting is a bit harsh -- try moving the light "higher" (i.e. closer to perpendicular to the plane of the coin).

[pendragon1998]

Whaddid I do?

 

 

I did kind of rush the reverse, I admit. That smell from the lamps was getting to me. I've got a fan in here to freshen up the air now.

[astrostu]

I think you need to change the direction of the lighting for the obverse. The way it is now, you lose a lot of Lincoln's hair details because they're saturated.

[jgrinz]

You need to change HOLDERS - That coin is getting lost in the plastic

 

 

[BULLY]

You need to change HOLDERS - That coin is getting lost in the plastic

 

 

I know it was said with smile, but I happen to agree. I think some coins are better flattered in NGC holders, and others look more attractive in PCGS holders.

 

The color of the steel cent does seem to almost blend with the grayish plastic of the PCGS slab and thus the coin gets a little lost.

 

In this particular case, a white background for the coin such as those used by NGC white offset the coin to make it "pop" a little more. Just my humble opinion.

 

For the record though, nice coin -- and good job with the photography, I wish I could do that!

 

Mike

[bsshog40]

First of all the cent looks nice. I like the pic Michael, looks mostly even, but it looks to me like it's in B/W as to it seems to be missing that normal luster look of regular color.

[EZ_E]

Technically, I think that you're spot on. Aesthetically, the color is off somewhat but that is nitpicking an otherwise great pic, IMO.

[pendragon1998]

Here's a new photo that I think captures the coin a little better. I'm still not happy with the lighting, though. I think that the deep dish under the rim at the top of the obverse calls for a third light - nothing fancy, but something to cast a little light on the motto. Otherwise, aside from the slightly soft focus I'm plagued by, I like this one okay. I'll continue working on it tonight.

 

As for the color, this coin is simply blast-white steel-colored (actually zinc-colored, if you wanna get technical) There's virtually no color to capture.

 

As for the holder - Hopefully at some point this coin will be out of the holder and into a multiholder for the 1943-P date/mint set I'm working on. For internet display, I always mat the final images of my coins anyway, so the holder won't show on the final product.

 

 

The latest picture:

 

[bsshog40]

Now I like the looks of that Michael. Is that a crack or something at the backside of his jaw?

[pendragon1998]

No, that's a little scuff on the slab.

 

I replaced the second photo (two posts up) with one that had a small third light at 6 o'clock. That seems to have brought out the motto a little better (good enough for me, anyway).

[bsshog40]

Nice pics Michael! I'll be glad when I can get my camera set-up back up and running again.

[pendragon1998]

And the reverse:

The latest picture:

 

[bsshog40]

Nice pic. Now that looks like a small die crack at about 4:00 by the wheat.

[pendragon1998]

Yes, there's also a pretty cool crack running down between the wheat lines starting from around 2:30 - I think it may connect to the one you mentioned, but my loupe is under my desk debris at the moment.

[bsshog40]

Yes, there's also a pretty cool crack running down between the wheat lines starting from around 2:30 - I think it may connect to the one you mentioned, but my loupe is under my desk debris at the moment.

 

I seen that one also but I couldn't tell if it was a crack for sure! (thumbs u