New Photos - Still Improving

For the record: TIF's coin is a supurb example of the snakes to the side of Medusa's head variation with all four horses on the reverse clear. Mine is the more common snakeless version with typical poor strike.

Just for the record, I disagree with most of the above particularly recommending flash for coin photos. I do use Canon and have taken many ring light images but there are some coins that work better with it and some that don't. Some who have been here a while will recall I did a series of tests comparing ring (top), diffuse artificial (middle) and natural window light (bottom). Perhaps what it shows more than anything is that there will be different opinions on which is better.


Gotta be fast to beat TIF to the post.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Also on camera brands: I use Canons because I know the line and the way they do things makes sense to me. I know other photographers better than I who swear allegiance to their Nikons. I am personally of the opinion that learning to use either will make you a better photographer than swearing.

I once thought that for small online images that I could get as good results with my old junky Canon EF-S body but now see better images when I us my full frame 5DmkII to the point that all my new images are with it. Would I be happier with the even newer top of the line Canons? I won't be spending that much money until my current one gives out so we may never know. My ring flash stopped working and I decided not to repair it. I used it mostly for insects and flowers preferring continuous ring lights for coins. With them, you can make tiny angle adjustments that sometimes make all the difference. This, also, may just be an opinion but it works for me.

 

I use a Nikon and have pretty much used one forever. However, when it comes to brand...........who cares. Everything on the market today is light years superior to anything made 75 years ago, yet people took fantastic pictures 75 years ago, with crude equipment.

I really think it all comes down to taking your time and coaxing a good photo out of your subject. If you want to treat your subjects the same, you will get uniform catalog photos, and most will look like morgue shots. However, if you spend some time, you can get photos that bring life to the object.

I guess it all comes down to what you are trying to achieve with your photo. Naked realism or subtle essence.

This is the variation in one coin with only the slightest rotation of the angle of light.

 

Gosh that's a gorgeous coin! drool

 

Does anyone still use a "Cloud Globe"? That is the old term. Mine isn't even a globe, it is square. Basically it is diffused light, mine came with two strong lights that sit on table outside the globe on either side and diffuse the light. I have rarely taken a bad coin picture using it. I also take pictures of my wife's antiques for use on Ebay. This is one that I sold on USACOINBOOK.com:

 

I have used the cloud globe type of rig but it requires the same care to avoid glares and bad direction with other forms. My camera rig resides in a closet which simulates the effect if you bounce lights off the sides and top. I feel many coins are better not being lighted but just being in a room that has a lot of light bouncing all over the place.

In 1970 I read an article in Grossbild Photo Techniq magazine issue 4-70 (the house mag of the Linholf camera company. It detailed using a 5x7 view camera for ancient coin photos. The illustrations were really impressive and started me wanting to take coin photos like that. Later, when I did own a 5x7 view, I had sold most of my coins so it was more years before I got into coin photos in a serious way. Today I can do as well with a good digital using many of the same ideas shown there. Photo was harder in 1970 and harder still in 1870. It was ridiculously hard in the 1850's when this photo below was taken. I ask to see any photograph you may know of showing ancient coins before this still life stereoview from c.1858. It is French. The bracelet in front of the stereoviewer at the lower left appears to be coins of Postumus or something similar. I do not own a close up coin photo before 1900 but they do exist. I really would like to know when someone first tried to fill their negative with an ancient coin. I know this is not much of a 'coin photo' but no one has shown me anything to compete with it and I have been asking for years.

 

“There are no rules for good photographs, only good photographs.” —Ansel Adams

“Photography has no rules, it is not a sport. It is the result which counts, no matter how it is achieved.” —Bill Brandt

 

could that be a trophy with captives reverse?



what a neat picture.

some great photography folks. i wont be posting any of mine here.