Help! What am I doing wrong?

[Bruceswar]

Well I was just sent a batch of coins to photo, mostly nice white coins. Anyhow I find I am struggling with the lighting. Not sure why I seem to struggle so much with lighting, but I do. I seem to be getting "dark images" even though I have 4 OTT lights. Any Help?? Sample Image...

 

[Bruceswar]

Here is another example...

 

[EZ_E]

Bruce, I know what you mean about lighting but this is one gorgeous picture that would be hard to be improved upon. I think that maybe you're being too hard on yourself.

 

You imaged my coins what, about 2 yrs ago? You did an awesome job at it! Now, you've photographed many more collection so you've progressed on the learning curve even more. So, I don't see your point in this post's topic at all considering how nice the photo is.

[EZ_E]

I see what you mean about the Franklin, though. I'd suggest that you use natural sunlight for that coin.

[RWB]

Mark Goodman's book on numismatic photography should be very helpful. Available in early July, I think.

[Bruceswar]

His Book was due out June 15th, but is late coming back from the press. So any time now.

[Bruceswar]

I see what you mean about the Franklin, though. I'd suggest that you use natural sunlight for that coin.

 

Maybe you have hit on a point. My ambient light could be the problem. I will try this franklin in a different more well lit room. See if that helps any.

[harvey8542]

I would be proud to call either of those photo's mine.

[Bruceswar]

A few more attempts...

 

I think this is best of the bunch....

 

This one looks overexposed....

 

This one looks out of focus and unvenly lit to me....

 

 

Thoughts?

[EZ_E]

The first one rocks, dude.

[BECOKA]

You have probably tried anything I would.

 

Try posting this on my forum, Mark Goodman seems to log in every day, he might have some suggestions for you.

[coinsarefun]

"Help! What am I doing wrong?"

 

 

 

 

 

Ummmmmm..... nothing

It looks great to me. Maybe a tiny pinch of adjustment in the final imaging software other than that it look DANG good to me

 

 

 

 

Stefanie

[SkyMan]

I know squat about imaging coins, so I won't touch that, but a nice assortment of looks (thumbs u to that set of Frankie images, Bruce.

[Just Bob]

Bruce, I realize that you are striving for perfection, but I just have to say that if I could get my pictures to look half as good as yours, I would be tickled pink.

[Dwaine]

The first one rocks, dude.

 

I agree.

[Dwaine]

Well I was just sent a batch of coins to photo, mostly nice white coins. Anyhow I find I am struggling with the lighting. Not sure why I seem to struggle so much with lighting, but I do. I seem to be getting "dark images" even though I have 4 OTT lights. Any Help?? Sample Image...

 

 

I like the looks of this one as well.

[Oldtrader3]

Actually the digital diodes in the camera probably compress the actual span of light zones from (11) down to (4) or (5) zones (f-stops). This phenomena blows highlights and darkens shadows. Try a .3 neutral density (ND) filter on the lens to compress the incoming light f-stop span to match the camera's digital light capture span. You can stack the .3 ND filters if needed.

[lehigh96]

WOW. I think I could read a book on photography and still not understand that advice. Don't worry OT3, I am not going to request that you translate that into layman's terms. And please forgive my sillyness, I couldn't help myself.

[Bruceswar]

WOW. I think I could read a book on photography and still not understand that advice. Don't worry OT3, I am not going to request that you translate that into layman's terms. And please forgive my sillyness, I couldn't help myself.

 

I will translate it. Basically he is saying with a film camera you can get more varitions than you can with a digital camera. Most of the time this is true, unless you go DSLR. I have a DSLR, which I shoot at about F 13, which is mid range. I tried all sorts of lighting combos and settings. I will soon settle on one I like, I am sure. More importantly one the person who sent me the coins likes. F numbers generally refer to sharpness of a photo. For coins F 13 is best.

[Oldtrader3]

It is really simple. A human eye can discern detail equal to about 10 f-stops on a camera. Most color cameras, digital and film can discern detail equal to 5 f-stops, from jet black to featureless white. So what your eyes see is twice the light range of what the camera sees. The only way to make the camera look like what your seeing is to reduce the f-stop span of light going into the lens. Two.3 ND filters will compress the the light span entering into the camera and fool it into recording approximately what you are actually seeing, or 5 f-stops for the camera. This makes the color photo look similar to what the eye sees. Even though it really is not. Does that make sense?

[BECOKA]

F numbers generally refer to sharpness of a photo..

 

I like to think of F-stops as determing depth of field not necessarily sharpness of photo because the point you are focusing on will still be sharp at any f-stop.

 

A low F-stop will generally give the smallest depth. If you focus on the top of the coin devices the device and coin field may appear blurred.

 

A higher f-stop will give a higher depth of focus so the top of the devices down to the field of the coin are all in focus.

[TraderGuys-migration]

Bruce: Those are still some excellent pics. One thing I have been playing with is going to a manual setting, using a smaller aperature opening and increasing the exposure time. Has worked well with some shots which I will post soon.

 

Bruce

[Raybo55]

F numbers generally refer to sharpness of a photo..

 

I like to think of F-stops as determing depth of field not necessarily sharpness of photo because the point you are focusing on will still be sharp at any f-stop.

 

A low F-stop will generally give the smallest depth. If you focus on the top of the coin devices the device and coin field may appear blurred.

 

A higher f-stop will give a higher depth of focus so the top of the devices down to the field of the coin are all in focus.

 

IMHO, a wide open lens will be soft no matter how good it is.

 

Bruce, try some kind of diffusing on your lights, maybe some pieces of plastic milk jugs for an example.

 

I also think f13 is a little heavy handed, your shutter might be opened a little longer than it should. What lens are you using?

 

Ray

 

PS I am no means any kind of expert but I kinda know what to do,"those that can't do..... teach" (thumbs u

[Raybo55]

I have one more solution for you Bruce, sell your shiney coins and buy some along these lines, you will not have to worry to much about glare.

 

 

Ray

[Oldtrader3]

F-stops equal zones. Photographers confused everyone for years by interchanging zones and f-stops because they are equal. The graphic range of f-stops is not the same as the actual camera exposure f-stop. All an f-stop or single zone, if you will, is is the doubling of light going through the lens and being sensed by the camera. The average human eye sees, in absolute terms (11) f-stops (zones) range of light. The average color film or digital color image can only see (5) f-stops (zones) of range from featureless white to jet black. That is why you have to compress the actual visual light range going into a color camera with a neutral density filter bringing down (11) zones to (5) zones. This is done by employing a .6ND filtration (11 minus (11x.6=6.6)=4.4 zones) or slightly less than 5-zones.

 

The f-stop lens setting for focal range or depth of field has nothing to do with the physics of visible light zones (or f-stops). What ever f-stop that you set your camera on the color film will see +/- 2.5 zones (f-stops) of light with the electronic diodes versus +/- 5 zones (f-stops) for the human eye rods and cones light perception capability, assuming 18% gray card average metering, which also equals zone-5, but no absolute f-stop on a camera. A camera sees zone-5 +/-2-1/2 zones. The human eye sees zone-5 +/-5 zones and happens to equal f-stops as well, because light doubled or halved equals +/-one zone or one f-stop.

 

Just think of light candle power doubling as each f-stop or photographic light physics. I can't think of any more simple way to explain this light phenomena, so, this my last and best try guys.

[lehigh96]

I can't think of any more simple way to explain this light phenomena, so, this my last and best try guys.

 

OK, why don't we all just admit that this is not a simple topic to understand. I have a degree in engineering and I did not understand a word of that. All I know is that when I press the button, the camera takes a picture. That probably explains why my pictures are mediocre, but if I have to go back to school to understand photography, I will stick with mediocre photos.