Help with pictures.

[itwentbyme-migration]

 

 

Does anyone know what is the best lighting for taking pictures of coins with a

digital camera? I cannot seem to get a good one of a mint induced toning on

this nickel. This is one of those moderns that I could not resist buying

because I wanted to see what a matte proof looked like straight from the mint.

 

I did not order the toning but it is pretty nice and the problem is the

reverse just does not seem to look like the picture.

[TomB]

It looks like you are using regular indoor lighting but that you aren't telling the camera that that is the light source. Try to adjust the camera settings by changing the white balance to the type of light you are using and then shoot again. This may be able to get the yellow out of your images.

[Hoot]

itwentbyme - If you can, find a copy of the February 2005 issue of Coin Values, newsstand edition. There is an excellent article in that issue by Beth Deisher in the Beginner's section (which does not appear in the CW insert edition) on digital photography of coins. It's entitled "Secret is in the lighting." You may have to order it, but it's easily found at www.amosadvantage.com Well worth the purchase.

 

Hoot

[itwentbyme-migration]

 

Thank you very much. I did try using halogen lights on the example that I showed.

 

Both of those pictures pictures I think were taken with the light gathering function of the camera. I m not sure if that is the correct way to describe it, but I do know what you are talking about. When I use the flash it is just to bright but with it set to figure it out by itself I think it is using most of the light from the halogen lamps.

 

I know that the coin does have toning but it is not that golden unfortunatly. All of those sets from the mint seem to have toning, but at least the reverse is pretty consistent on this coin. The obverse came out just fine at the same setting, it is just the reverse that is the one with the toning which is probably the same as all of these coins in these sets if they were left in the mint packaging.

 

I will try your sugestions again and see what happens.

 

Thank you very much

[cpm9ball]

itwentbyme - If you can, find a copy of the February 2005 issue of Coin Values, newsstand edition. There is an excellent article in that issue by Beth Deisher in the Beginner's section (which does not appear in the CW insert edition) on digital photography of coins. It's entitled "Secret is in the lighting." You may have to order it, but it's easily found at www.amosadvantage.com Well worth the purchase.

 

Hoot

 

Hoot, why is it that we don't get articles in the supplement like the one you mentioned?

[spiny]

That's been my experience as well, with my camera and the minimal adjustments it gives for the white balance.

 

Halogen - too much yellow, but great for showing luster. Nice tight bands with it.

Reveal incandescent - too much red!

Philips Daylight compact fluorescent - green highlights, especially on silver.

Ott-Lite compact fluorescent - best so far, but still some greenish-yellow highlights on silver. Turns to orange if combined with a Reveal bulb. Gives a nice metallic sheen to the coin, though.

[TomB]

If it turns out to be a problem with white balance, and you can't fix it by changing the setting, you may want to turn it off completely and either buy a blue bulb to use for lighting or use a blue filter on your lens. This works well with film, I don't know if it works well with digital, but I use a blue #80A filter that screws onto the end of my camera lens and then use regular indoor lighting. The blue filter cancels out the additional yellow and the color representation is true.

[Hoot]

Hoot, why is it that we don't get articles in the supplement like the one you mentioned?

 

Some kind of mailing regulations. I don't know all the particulars.

 

Hoot