Finally Started to Photograph Most of My Moderns - Commemoratives (part 1)

[astrostu]

One of my coin-related goals for 2009 was to finally get to work photographing much of my modern stuff. Today I got through - among other things - all of my commemoratives. I don't have nearly as many as some of you, but I have 10 that I've posted below:

 

This one was given to me by my brother when we were young, and since then I've noticed some toning and the fields appear to be lightly finger-printed, unfortunately.

 

I was in high school working at a library when this one came out, so of course I had to get it. I swear it was perfect and then one day I found a scratch on the reverse below the building. Since my brother got the same coin, I still think he accidentally scratched his and then switched them, but he would not admit to it and I have no way of proving it.

 

 

I was in college when this one came out, in my 2nd year as an astronomy undergrad. This was an obvious buy.

 

 

I was in college when this one came out, in my 2nd year as an astronomy undergrad. This was an obvious buy.

 

 

I'm a scientist. Besides Franklin (which I'm kicking myself for missing in 2006), Edison was probably one of the most famous US scientists before the 20th century.

 

 

Well, as a coin collector, this one was an obvious buy. Of course, as many of us complained about when we got this one, there were a fair number of marks on it and this is a replacement from the Mint, but still with marks.

 

 

Well, as a coin collector, this one was an obvious buy. And as many of us complained about with this one, it arrived rattling around in the felt box out of its plastic case. Another replacement from the Mint.

 

 

So cute!

 

 

Majestic obverse, dead chicken splayed out ready for dissection on the reverse.

 

 

I don't think any eagle would ever stand on a tree branch holding its wing out like that. And we have a dead eagle ready for dissection on the reverse.

 

 

 

 

[EZ_E]

I really, really like the look of most of your pics, especially the LOC. If you can make the cameos a bit whiter then they'd even be better!

 

You make them more interesting since you can relate each one to a point in your life. Even though I have all of the silver dollar commems, including the expensive 1996 issues, my favorites are the West Point coins and forward because I purchased each one individually from the mint. 2002 was the year that I re-entered the hobby and have kept up with all of the commems since. This makes the collection more personal to me.

[WoodenJefferson]

The US Mint needs to hire you for their web site.

[bsshog40]

Very nice Astro. Nice introduction to each coin also!!!

[physics-fan3.14]

I was in college when this one came out, in my 2nd year as an astronomy undergrad. This was an obvious buy.

 

 

 

I was in college when this one came out, in my 2nd year as an astronomy undergrad. This was an obvious buy.

 

I was in my first year as a rocket scientist. Of course I had to buy them as well!

[dean1345]

Very professional photographs IMO.

[Jeffrey Cardona]

I enjoy collecting the modern comms also! (thumbs u I just wish I can get pics that good....I ride the short bus when it comes to working the camera!

[wtc911coins]

yes that is some great pictures.

[astrostu]

Thank you for all the replies so far and the compliments on the photographs. It's been a journey of about 3 years to finally figuring out how to do these right, and as you can tell, I still have some techniques to perfect (like what's up with the first flight half dollar ... I could not get those fields to be black!).

 

I have a few specific replies:

 

I really, really like the look of most of your pics, especially the LOC. If you can make the cameos a bit whiter then they'd even be better! You make them more interesting since you can relate each one to a point in your life.

 

It was difficult to strike a balance between making the fields black and the cameos white without losing depth detail. There were also highlights on all of them due to the exact angle of the flash, and the more I tried to bump up the whiteness of the non-reflective part, the more they blended in with the highlights to make it look kinda gross.

 

 

The US Mint needs to hire you for their web site.

 

If you know the number of someone who can get me that job, let me know! I have been a photography consultant in the past and have also sold some work, so it wouldn't be a first ... though I'm sure that your post was more meant as a rhetorical compliment than a real side job.

 

 

I enjoy collecting the modern comms also! (thumbs u I just wish I can get pics that good....I ride the short bus when it comes to working the camera!

 

As I said above, it's taken me years to really get a technique down that works for me. And I still have a ways to go ... like the actual parts of the fields that are black vary significantly from coin-to-coin, which is even more obvious on the bullion series that I photographed (to be posted soon).

[robec1347]

That is an awesome presentation. Great images and wonderful descriptions. (thumbs u

[EZ_E]

And I still have a ways to go ... like the actual parts of the fields that are black vary significantly from coin-to-coin

 

The varying contrast in the fields is what adds so much to the appeal of the photos! Don't change that!

[RareSov]

God damn, those are great

[RareSov]

The US Mint needs to hire you for their web site.

 

I agree. However most of the US Mint site images are concept art anyway, from the design process

 

They would have to wait until the coins were actually being minted or trial pieces would need to be struck at a minimum.. nice way to get in and get some trials though ! what a nice job that would be too...

[TomB]

They are wonderful images. It looks like we have quite a few scientists on the boards.