Please Critique My New Photos (Death to Dialuppers)

[zrlevin]

I just took these today. Mark Goodman(mgoodm3)'s photography article, which can be viewed here, was a great deal of help. How can I make these better?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TwoKopeiki]

How can I make these better?

 

I would start by making them smaller

[MunkyMan95]

And crop them with a circle crop tool.

[astrostu]

Looks like you need to work on white balance (they all seem to have a yellow cast, esp. the ASE). The $5 commemorative looks blurry to me, too.

[rbrown4]

MM,

 

Where does one come across a circle cropping tool. So far I have had no luck.

 

Rey

[MunkyMan95]

I have Corel Photo-Paint, and it has one. Photoshop might. I don't think MS Paint does.

[DC Dawg]

Photoshop Elements is a great program. Although I prefer my Mac, Adobe does have a PC version for those of you still stuck with Windoze. You can either use a circular cropping tool or you can use the "Magic Extractor" to eliminate the backgroud. In a lot of cases, I use the Magic Extractor since it is easier than figuring out how to line up the cropping edges.

 

Scott

[Bruceswar]

take away the minor blurr and size down the images a bit and you are set! Nice going!

[zrlevin]

take away the minor blurr

 

Hi Bruce,

 

I was thinking the same thing. How would you reccomend I do it? Mark's article said to increase aperture and shutter speed, which helped alot, but I can't quite get there. Also, My camera lense has a clear filter on it for protection, would that be hindering focus at all?

 

Zach

[MikeKing]

the photos are pretty darn good.

just figure out how to get them to fit the page so it doesn't go off the screen.

[zrlevin]

the photos are pretty darn good.

just figure out how to get them to fit the page so it doesn't go off the screen.

 

Sorry...

[physics-fan3.14]

the photos are pretty darn good.

just figure out how to get them to fit the page so it doesn't go off the screen.

 

Sorry...

 

Just get a bigger screen. They work well on mine.

 

A couple of the pictures are out of focus, but that 1824 half dollar is nice.

[robec1347]

Mark's article said to increase aperture and shutter speed, which helped alot, but I can't quite get there. Also, My camera lense has a clear filter on it for protection, would that be hindering focus at all?

Zach

 

Mark does know what he's talking about. I have his page bookmarked and have read it many times. But I find myself going the opposite way on this point. I find that by decreasing the aperture and shutter speed, obviously, the effect will be the opposite. I've been shooeting about f22 in Aperture mode (Canon Digital Rebel) which automatically dictates shutter speed. This way, every aspect of the coin is in focus. Even if the coin has a tilt to it, it will still be in focus.

[zrlevin]

I was using F/9-F/10, with the shutter speed 1/125-1/160. Should I stop down the camera a bit?

[robec1347]

You should probably try several different settings. What kind of camera are you using? Does it have different modes such as Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, etc.?

 

In aperture priority mode, if aperture is set to f22, shutter speed is automatically slowed down. In shutter priority mode, if shutter speed is set to 1/160 then aperture is automatically increased. The larger the increase, the more blur you have out side of the areas you are focusing on (Depth of Field). And by the same token the lower the aperture, the more "in focus" everything outside of your focus area is. But the important thing being, your whole coin will be in focus. Everything outside of that can be cropped out.

 

BTW, I think your pictures are so much better than ones you showed in your earlier threads.

[zrlevin]

I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT. I'm pretty sure that it has all of the modes you mentioned. I usually use either Manual or Aperture Priority, but I will have to try Shutter Priority. I think I will try to take a few more images right now, I'll post them tonight.

[robec1347]

You have the same camera as I do. I've never tried Shutter Priority, just Aperture. I'll be curious to see how your shutter priority's come out. That's one nice thing about digital, you can take as many shots as you want and not worry about developing charges.

[michael]

great really good photos

[zrlevin]

Here are two new ones, a bit smaller:

 

 

 

I don't think that these two came out as well as the others. I still can't get the focus right.

 

The DCAM Proofs are really tough and unforgiving, they are the hardest coins I have imaged. I took these on the Manual setting, using a bit smaller aperture, around f/16, I think. I took off the clear filter, which had a finger print on it, so maybe that was part of the problem.

 

Also, I am using the zoom lens that came with the camera. I had been contemplating purchasing a Sigma 105mm dedicated Macro lense, but I haven't bought it yet. Would it help significantly?

 

Thanks,

Zach

[robec1347]

I had been contemplating purchasing a Sigma 105mm dedicated Macro lense, but I haven't bought it yet. Would it help significantly?

Thanks,

Zach

 

Without a doubt. With a dedicated macro lens your focusing issues would be a thing of the past. A difference of night and day.

 

I think those images came out super.

[zrlevin]

I had been contemplating purchasing a Sigma 105mm dedicated Macro lense, but I haven't bought it yet. Would it help significantly?

Thanks,

Zach

 

Without a doubt. With a dedicated macro lens your focusing issues would be a thing of the past. A difference of night and day.

 

I think those images came out super.

 

Cool. I probably won't be able to get a macro lense for a few weeks, but I will keep you updated.

 

Zach

[Bruceswar]

I do not use a macro lens. I use the stock lens on my Rebel. Just a few simple lights and I get good results.

 

[rbrown4]

Bruce,

 

What program do you use for cropping, background etc.

 

Rey (

 

(P.S. Got busy will follow up today.)

[Bruceswar]

I use photoshop. but Photoshop Elements works as well I hear. No problem about being busy it happens.

[James_OldeTowne]

I can't find anything to complain about, except for a little blur of the gold coin. Great job!

[zrlevin]

A couple of them look familiar, James?

[MunkyMan95]

Zach, one thing I wanted to mention is that you should be commended for that 3c photo. Those things are miniscule! Congrats on being able to take such a nice photo of it.

[James_OldeTowne]

A couple of them look familiar, James?

Sure do! In fact, I'll send a free coin to the first three people to guess which one (or more) of the imaged coins is mine. Zach, wanna make this into a little giveaway?

[MunkyMan95]

I'll say the was yours, and possibly the CBH?

[zrlevin]

A couple of them look familiar, James?

Sure do! In fact, I'll send a free coin to the first three people to guess which one (or more) of the imaged coins is mine. Zach, wanna make this into a little giveaway?

 

Sure James, whatever you want. Am I allowed to guess?

 

And for all the clever ones out there, the links in my sig line don't work anymore.