Toned Proofs in Slabs...

[Bruceswar]

Anybody Got any tips on how to photo toned proofs in slabs? I am more looking for info that will help bring out the true colors on these coins. I have shot some toned proofs in slabs, but the glare is horrid or you have to have them at an angle to get the color out. Here is a recent photo of one, but I would like the images striaght forward. The color in this photo is fairly accurate if you ask me. This is one of those coins that at the right angle the color really jumps out at you.

[TomB]

I wish I had something to share with you other than my frustration with this niche.

[Bruceswar]

I wish I had something to share with you other than my frustration with this niche.

 

Tom you are me both... This is by far the hardest of all to photo. As least thats what I have found... Take away the slab its easy if you ask me.

[Regis44]

If I recall correct, you use Ottlites. Mine fold so I can't lower them and therefore angle the camera. If your's are the same, the only thing I can think of is to lean or lay your lights down to get same or lower angle than you are using between light and camera on this shot. Also, hold white piece of paper just above your camera to reflect any bounce in a diffused way.

 

Do you think you'll get the contest coin back before Christmas?

 

Regis

[IGWT]

I've been just as frustrated as everyone else in trying to shoot slabbed, toned proofs. Like you, I tip the coin into the light to get as much flash of color as possible while trying to minimize the reflection of light off the slab (far easier said than done). Make sure that you use as small an aperture as possible to increase the depth of field because the face of the coin is not parallel to the focal plane of the camera.

 

Of course, a "tipped" coin looks like an oval in a two-dimensional image. I use the distort/skew feature of Photoshop Elements to "pull" the coin back into a circular shape. I'd like to hear if anyone has a better method or other ideas. Here's an example that's not nearly good enough, but as good as I can manage:

 

[rexcat]

I’ve had good success using axial lighting when trying to show the best representation of color on a coin especially a proof. Although images taken lit this way do require more tweaking in photo software (do to the low contrast caused by reflections), than images taken under other lighting, the directly straight on lighting brings out the vibrant colors found on some coins better then any other lighting I’ve tried.

 

My 1903 proof set and some of the coins in my type set have been imaged with two different lighting setups and both images are posted, you can see the difference in how the colors come though with the axial lighting.