Coin Photo Lighting Idea

I was having problems getting the right dramatic "look" I wanted on a coin photo with conventional lighting and finally used a bright LED flashlight to get the following photos:



The advantage of this lighting method is that you can manually move the light around to get just the right look you want, then snap the picture. Small changes in light angle and position make a huge difference. A tripod or copy stand is recommended.

The LED flashlight should be bright and white like a Streamlight, Surefire, or Fenix, not the weak Walmart varieties. I haven't experimented yet with two lights (or three) but this is obviously a next step. Need to improvise some kind of holders first.

 

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very nice picture you have there! it looks a little over exposed to me but its still much better than any pic ive taken

cody

 

Nice. Have you pursued learning about axial lighting?

Here's a brief article that I wrote on the subject sometime ago.

Here's another one that also might interest you: http://www.sigma-2.com/camerajim/cjgcoins.htm

There are also multiple threads here, including efforts undertaken by members; keyword search "axial lighting" (include the quotes) should be helpful.

Good luck

Cheetah

 

You are on the right track! The light doesn't appear to cast across the whole coin evenly though. A larger light source or better positioning would improve it tremendously. You really don't need to improvise a holder at all. The coin should be lying down on a surface anyway.

 

Actually, I use an axial lighting setup (pictures later) which produces a flat, even, no-shadows, image which is sometimes exactly what you want. However, sometimes you want a more dramatic effect, which is what I was attempting.

The holders I mentioned would be for the lights, not the coin.

 

I would never use axial lighting on a MS coin especially and MS coin that has no toning unless the MS coin where full PL or DMPL. You will get much better results using standard lighting methods (3 lights) and simply angle the coin slightly to give you full lighting coverage. Axial lighting is a pain in the butt and it only pays dividens if you are shooting proofs or MS coins with very PL surfaces as it can actually damage the luster in an image where the surfaces feature normal brilliant luster. You need a lot more light on your coin and you might get that with 3 LED lights but I would have to see the end results as I am skeptical but open to new methods I haven't tried. Good Luck and please update your photo's if you get the 3 light set up in place.

 

If there's one thing that can be said about coin photography, it's that there is no single best method that works for every coin. In that spirit, I like to experiment with different methods beyond the conventional.

I have built an experimental axial lighting box that works with a tethered flash. It's built so that both black and white backgrounds can be used, with or without the 45-degree glass. The glass can be set at different angles. I use a digital SLR, tripod and macro lens.

The idea is not entirely mine. Here's the source of my inspiration:
http://www.packereng.com/pdf/axial.pdf
I used white and black foam core instead of paper and made some modular components for various coin placements. The glass is from an old 4x6 frame. Cost was about $8 and three hours time.

Here are some photos


Here are some coin photos using the axial lighting box (more photos in following post):

 

Here are some other photos using the axial lighting box described earlier:


Same coin as in original post but with axial lighting, light source moved off-center:




Circulated coin in axial lighting box without glass (left), and with 45-degree glass(right):



Axial lighting is not the answer for all coins but it is a nice option to have on hand, as is the LED flashlight method in the original post.

 

A strong point source like an LED flashlight will require a second one or you'll have uneven light. Try one at about 10 o'clock and another at about 2 o'clock. I'll bet you like the results much better.

 

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/

Tons of tips and tricks on coin photography here from our own Doug Smith. Don't worry, they work on US coins too.

 

Good trick you got there, I'll give it a shot.