A new technique in imaging coins with color & luster.

[KeyMan64]

Brandon there is no need to argue. Joe said they were under exposed a little. It is hard for me to believe that my monitor calibration or any of your other attacks have anything to do with what Joe is holding in his hand. I never said my website had much macro stuff on it. You keep changing things and putting words in my mouth which isn't quite right.

 

All the best to you Brandon.

[robec1347]

The coin is not underexposed.

-Brandon

Yes, yes it is. Joe even confirmed that it is by saying: "The coin is a bit brighter than the image."

 

No more information required.

 

That being said, he did an amazing job on the sharpness, luster and showing off the colors.

 

I suggest you have your monitor calibrated. Also, I looked and looked but found NO macro images on your website. I might suggest you read this article which is written by the authority in coin photography. Part way down you will see an example shot of a Morgan in a slab. The higher the lights, the more "gray" the surrounding white part of the slab. As I've already said, the exposure is only relevant to the coin part of the image; I'm not trying to image the prongs.

 

I thought maybe you actually cared about the diagnostics of the image, which is why I suggested you look at it in Photoshop. But, since apparently you know all there is to know about coin imaging, I'll leave this thread with this final comment to the OP:

 

Joe, don't change what you're doing. The images look fabulous.

 

Cheers,

-Brandon

 

I agree 100%!!

[jom]

I'm still waiting to see the 25-S with the new method.

 

I'm going to save this thread for future reference.

 

jom

[brg5658]

You keep changing things and putting words in my mouth which isn't quite right.

 

I did no such thing. I suggested you look at a histogram. Histograms don't lie, and the image is exposed correctly based on that evidence. The fact that your personal "feeling" differed from that implied to me that it may be your monitor.

 

I'm not sure what you're interpreting as an "attack". My point was that the images look perfectly fine to me, and I've seen hundreds of examples of images from the best coin photographers in the business. That's all.

 

Later,

-Brandon

[KeyMan64]

So as long as the histogram is perfect and the picture is pretty then it doesn't matter what the coin looks like in hand and how it compares to the photo? Seriously?

 

You keep ignoring the FACT that Joe said the coin in hand is brighter than the photos he has provided due to the original goals of showing the luster and colors. Why are you ignoring this? Why can't you let this gooooooooooooooo?

[Buffalo Head]

So as long as the histogram is perfect and the picture is pretty then it doesn't matter what the coin looks like in hand and how it compares to the photo? Seriously?

 

You keep ignoring the FACT that Joe said the coin in hand is brighter than the photos he has provided due to the original goals of showing the luster and colors. Why are you ignoring this? Why can't you let this gooooooooooooooo?

 

 

This whole thing is a bit bothersome to me....Both of the images represent the coin VERY well. I just wanted to show a new technique that was working quite well for me, and that's it. I'm not saying in any way it's PERFECT. I just like showing the luster & color with this new way of imaging one of my coins while it was still raw as this and 3 other raw coins was sent off to NGC for grading, so I snapped quite a few images with different lighting and setting, NOT PERFECT......Joe

 

[Buffalo Head]

I'm still waiting to see the 25-S with the new method.

 

I'm going to save this thread for future reference.

 

jom

 

For you Jom I'll happily do that for ya. It is, by the way one of my favorite Buffs. And it used to belong to you

[brg5658]

This whole thing is a bit bothersome to me....Both of the images represent the coin VERY well. I just wanted to show a new technique that was working quite well for me, and that's it. I'm not saying in any way it's PERFECT. I just like showing the luster & color with this new way of imaging one of my coins while it was still raw as this and 3 other raw coins was sent off to NGC for grading, so I snapped quite a few images with different lighting and setting, NOT PERFECT......Joe

 

Joe, your images are some of the best I have ever seen of Buffalo Nickels. (thumbs u

[Buffalo Head]

This whole thing is a bit bothersome to me....Both of the images represent the coin VERY well. I just wanted to show a new technique that was working quite well for me, and that's it. I'm not saying in any way it's PERFECT. I just like showing the luster & color with this new way of imaging one of my coins while it was still raw as this and 3 other raw coins was sent off to NGC for grading, so I snapped quite a few images with different lighting and setting, NOT PERFECT......Joe

 

Joe, your images are some of the best I have ever seen of Buffalo Nickels. (thumbs u

 

Thank you Brandon., that's very much appreciated....Just playing around with the camera is all. Always trying different things....Joe

[physics-fan3.14]

This whole thing is a bit bothersome to me....Both of the images represent the coin VERY well. I just wanted to show a new technique that was working quite well for me, and that's it. I'm not saying in any way it's PERFECT. I just like showing the luster & color with this new way of imaging one of my coins while it was still raw as this and 3 other raw coins was sent off to NGC for grading, so I snapped quite a few images with different lighting and setting, NOT PERFECT......Joe

 

Joe, your images are some of the best I have ever seen of Buffalo Nickels. (thumbs u

 

It is in no small part due to the fact that he has some of the nicest Buffernicks around.

 

That last one is a bit out of focus, especially on the reverse. The colors look nice though.

[Buffalo Head]

Just for you Jom....Joe

 

 

I had to use 3 lights with this piece, it's in an ngc holder and it has some amazing rainbows I tried to pick up, both sides. The reverse rainbow is tucked between the rim and the lettering and is a tough nut to crack. I love this piece....Joe

 

I failed to mention that Jom sold me this piece about a year ago and I'm still in love with it. Thanks a bunch Jom as I know it was hard for you to turn loose of this one. But if I remember right I paid DEARLY for it....Joe

[Buffalo Head]

Here's a better shot of the 14-S...

 

 

[No+4Me]

Joe, I really like how your varying the lighting/exposure brings out the inherent beauty in these coins. As pointed out earlier in the thread, you have prime toned examples of Buffalo nickels in your collection, 'supermodels' if you will, and with coins like those no "one" shot is going to show the coin in all its glory.

 

Ansel Adams once said (paraphrasing here) that there is nothing worse than a technically brilliant image of a dull subject (Not the case here!!!)

 

Many of the great photographers would go back, over and over, to the same subject, changing lighting, exposure, focus, etc until they were satisfied (think of Steichen's hundreds of photos under differing conditions of a tree by a pond outside his home).

 

Keep up the good work!

[blu62vette]

I like the first 14-s image better, this one seems saturated more, not as natural looking.

 

 

 

 

[messydesk]

The 2nd 1914-S is more saturated and also greener than the first one. The 1913 on an earlier page has too many black areas on it for my taste.

 

Here's a technique that will work on every coin with color and luster:

 

1. Set up the lights and camera so the coin looks good in the viewfinder.

2. Set the exposure and focus.

3. Take the picture.

4. Look at the picture.

5. Make adjustments to exposure, light position, and/or diffusion.

6. Repeat starting at step 2 until you get a picture you like.

 

Works every time for me.

[Buffalo Head]

The 2nd 1914-S is more saturated and also greener than the first one. The 1913 on an earlier page has too many black areas on it for my taste.

 

Here's a technique that will work on every coin with color and luster:

 

1. Set up the lights and camera so the coin looks good in the viewfinder.

2. Set the exposure and focus.

3. Take the picture.

4. Look at the picture.

5. Make adjustments to exposure, light position, and/or diffusion.

6. Repeat starting at step 2 until you get a picture you like.

 

Works every time for me.

 

Thank you to all for the help and the kind words. I love to image as much as love the coins I collect, kinda goes hand in hand so to speak. It also opens a door to a whole new world on seeing your coins in all different light and angles. You folks are the best, and I mean that. My wife won't even look at my coins...So you people are all I have to show my coins and it's been a lota fun for me. Thanks again to all....Joe

[Buffalo Head]

I like the first 14-s image better, this one seems saturated more, not as natural looking.

 

 

 

 

Hi Todd,

NGC ms 64+

 

Not saturated at all, this is a VERY bright coin with great color in low light....Joe

[No+4Me]

Joe, you really ought to publish your own calendar with images from your Buff set. I think it would be cool.