How I photoed "Splatter"

[spy88]

I was PMed by a member recently who asked how I was able to capture the colors of this coin so well (as they assumed in hand it would look the same, and yes, it does).

 

First off, I'm by no means, an expert such as Jeremy and a few others that do professional work. It is basically understanding certain principles inherent to photography, no matter what the subject. Different cameras do make a difference, but I'll only refer to digital models with manual adjustments here, and assume they all have some basic features. The 3 major basic functions are

1)The option to choose your light source or white balance settings. I have 8 choices but I almost always leave it set for fluorescent.

2)The ability to adjust shutter speed

3)The ability to adjust aperture

2 & 3 are basically a way of controlling the amount of light the camera allows in for the picture and is a way of varying your white balance. A "0" + or -1/3 is good. A + is more light (lighter pic) and a - is less light (darker pic). I have found that a shutter speed of 4.0 and adjust the aperture to get 0 balance works best. Of course, any minute change in the lighting angle will add to or subtract from the 0 you want.

 

Specifically, I have a used Canon G2 I picked up from eBay. It has a macro setting, but it still lacked the ability to get really decent close-ups. So I purchased a screw-on cone to acommodate a 58 MM close-up lens. This helped, but if I need to get extreme, I use a loupe in front of the 58.

 

I also have a camera stand that supports the G2. This is very important as any movement will blur the image and this is one of the two major no-nos in photography, the other being over/under lighting, which is the subject of my pictures.

 

LIGHTING

 

I use a portable (meaning I can hold it and direct the light) folding Tensor lamp with a 13 watt full spectrum fluorescent bulb. I take all my pics in the dark except for the lamp. This eliminates the effect of another light source and maximizes the tensor capabilities of capturing in-hand color.

 

The following twelve pictures were taken with the camera and coin in the exact same place and distance---the ony change was in the distance the light was from the coin. The camera is angled about 10* away from me and at 5" from the coin. The angle allows the light to also come in at about 10* toward me and not have the camera body block it. If this is unclear, visualize (IV) where the camera is at the top of the left slant, the light is at the top of the right slant, the coin is at the juncture base and I'm standing where the "I" is.

 

Remember, nothing here changes except the distance the light source is from the coin and that is given in inches..

 

Would you buy this coin or consider it a toner? 4"

Just a hint of color is coming on. 8"

A little more depth to the color, esp at 3 oclock. 12"

The iridescence is starting to spread. 16"

Clarity of colors in different areas is enhancing. 20"

The arc of color in the field just above dome is coming on. 24"

Colors are brightening. 28"

The dome is starting to explode. 30"

A little more... 34"

And a little more. 38"

This may be the best overall between it and the next one. 44"

I took this one with a -1/3 white balance to show the trade-off of brighter colors but adding darkness to the periphery. However, the red over the dome expanded. 48"

 

As you can see, the further away the light source, the less "wash" of colors one gets. Try this---roll the "film" from top to bottom looking at the same little area of the coin and watch it change based on the distance away from the light.

 

Here, I tilted the coin slightly away from me with two pics and different lighting angles. This approach can work but I don't care for the "oblong" look to the coin.

 

 

This is similar, but the coin is tilted down on the left and up on the right. Again, different angle of light makes all the difference.

 

 

And lastly, four pics with different white balances. First is under-exposed at -1, the second is over-exposed by +1.

 

These last two are both acceptable to me for a in-hand pic, both having pluses and minuses if to be used to sell the coin.

 

I hope I've answered some, if not all questions about getting the right pic. But just remember, lighting is everything.

[Hoot]

Great study and post David! Thanks! (The first few pics look like paint is splattered on the coin!)

 

Hoot

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Spy -

Thanks for taking the time to do this study and share the results...its greatly appreciated.

[chinook]

Awesome work David!!!. And look at that poodle dance!

[solid]

Nice coin and great information!

 

One of these days, I'll "get it"!

 

Ken

[Wihlborg]

Great informational post David!

 

John

[jom]

Did you have some sort of cover over the light when you took the photos? Some people do that...I've always found it better to let the "pinpoint" light thru so as to show off the luster.

 

If not and you want the luster to come thru better use an incandecent or a OTT bulb. The OTT is "natural" light (high color temp) than most other bulbs plus it doesn't diffuse (I think that is the word) the light like a fluorecent bulb does thus destroying any chance of luster. If you shouldn't grade with a fluorecent light why take a picture with one?

 

jom

[spy88]

Jom, I didn't have any "cover" or filter of any sort on the light, and I too have heard of people doing this. However, it seems to me, to be more complicated that way when not really necessary.

 

I have a OTT bulb and, when time permits, will do a similar shoot with comparison photos of the same coin. When I first got it some time ago, I wasn't all that impressed with the difference(s) it produced, thus relegating it to storage. But then it was with a different photo set-up then I presently use. It may indeed improve luster capture and still retain true colors so will pull it out and give it a go.

 

David

[jom]

As to the problem you had with the OTT: it may be the kind of light you used. I got a couple of those lamps that have the "tube" shaped OTT bulbs in them and I didn't like them for some reason. The "swirl" type OTT bulbs (very similar look to those "energy efficient" bulbs), however, did WONDERS. It cleared up my "color" problem AND gave off good pinpoint light so you can see the luster. Before that I could only get "good" color with a scanner but it lacked any luster. Incandcent bulbs gave off the luster but the damn color temp was too low (ie reddish). My white balance the camera helped but the OTT was better.

 

Good luck and let me know how your OTT lamp works out.

 

jom

[spy88]

jom, my OTT bulb is also the swirl type. If I remember correctly, I was not using it in a dark enclosed area so natural light (from my picture window) and overheads, may have been affecting the light from the coin and the light the camera was reading more then I thought.

 

Anyway, its on my soon to-do list.

 

David

[HaydenTubbs]

Great thread!

[Architecht]

Yeah.. monet had his haystacks, spy has his nickels.

[cpm9ball]

Thanks, spy , very enlightening!

 

Chris

[HaydenTubbs]

Thanks, spy , very enlightening!

 

Chris

 

 

was that pun intended?

[cpm9ball]

Thanks, spy , very enlightening!

 

Chris

 

 

was that pun intended?

 

Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

 

Chris

[HaydenTubbs]

Thanks, spy , very enlightening!

 

Chris

 

 

was that pun intended?

 

Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

 

Chris

[spy88]

Uh Oh!!! Looks like Hayden resurrected this thread and I never did get to doing the same study with the OTT. Still have "splatter" (BBed by NGC as environmental damage ) so I'll get right on it---soon!!!

[HaydenTubbs]

Uh Oh!!! Looks like Hayden resurrected this thread and I never did get to doing the same study with the OTT. Still have "splatter" (BBed by NGC as environmental damage ) so I'll get right on it---soon!!!

 

I wonder what other old threads I could find around here

 

BTW what doesn't come back in an NGC BB these days

 

-Hayden

[cpm9ball]

Uh Oh!!! Looks like Hayden resurrected this thread and I never did get to doing the same study with the OTT. Still have "splatter" (BBed by NGC as environmental damage ) so I'll get right on it---soon!!!

 

I wonder what other old threads I could find around here

 

ARE THERE ANY ON C I V I L I T Y ?

 

BTW what doesn't come back in an NGC BB these days

 

ICG AG01?

 

-Hayden

[ldhair]

[q]2 & 3 are basically a way of controlling the amount of light the camera allows in for the picture and is a way of varying your white balance. A "0" + or -1/3 is good. A + is more light (lighter pic) and a - is less light (darker pic). I have found that a shutter speed of 4.0 and adjust the aperture to get 0 balance works best. Of course, any minute change in the lighting angle will add to or subtract from the 0 you want.[/q]

 

I cant seem to catch on to this.

Can shutter speed and aperture settings change the white balance?

Great pics.

Larry

[spy88]

Thank you for the compliment Larry! PM sent.

[Leothelion]

Even if you could get accurate pics, I've always had the problem with convincing myself that the monitor pic is exactly the same as I was seeing in hand.

And you can only represent the coin from one prospective in a picture.

I also use a circle flourescent. I do better with incandescent for proofs. White light covers for toning. Tungsten is another I've used.

I've tried several set-ups over the last 10 years and every so often a coin will come along where I'll need to revert back to one or two of those methods or come up with a new one to get an accurate picture. And yet, I know there are better ways of taking pictures from the results I see other then my own.

 

Great work David!

 

Leo

[spy88]

Thank you Leo! Kind words! But I'm still learning too. It's a never-ending struggle attempting to get the right pic the first time and I've never been able to do it! Many many get dumped in the recycle bin before I'm close to satisfied---and even then, it's a matter of "Is this just good enough or accurate?" Too many times, its been "just good enough (but not really)".