Testing a new lighting arrangement. Do these shots say "Proof" in an aesthetically-appropriate way? I'm trying to get something other than the usual the "black & white" look. Forgive the fuzz; I discovered I'm out of acetone and won't touch a Proof with anything else.
In general, I am not a fan of proofs, as they are just not attractive to me. I prefer to see the luster of a metal instead of a mirror. With that said, I like the blacked out shots better. Still very nice pictures though!
Dave, I like the aesthetic you're working with here, but I fear the arrangement of light vs. dark patches on the fields will be very dependent on a particular coin's design.
I agree 100% with this. Also, they're pretty pictures, but I'd really prefer the normal "black and white" pictures if I'm evaluating the coin.
Back in the days of film, I used to shoot proofs with a translucent cylinder around the coin, the position directly above the coin as purely black as possible, and 4 flood lamps lighting the translucent cylinder. I got jet black fields, and whitish devices and legends.
If you're not trying to take evaluation shots, and are just looking to take really nice looking shots, then you've definitely hit the nail on the head here. I like it!
Nice images Dave As far what all the others have noted I agree 100%. A far as the images in general the shots look great. As far as effect everyone has a different eye appeal if these were shots on ebay as an image to sell the specimen they would tell me everything I would need to know .
Are you lighting the coin with a lamp at each side? I does not appear so. I like the photos but wish they were all like the right side of the obv/rev.
That's basically it; Proof issues with large areas of "white space" just don't do it for me aesthetically. For the record, this is my lighting for the above shots: $20 (Amazon) cordless LED ring lamp, just a little offset from centered on the coin. The hole in the top is *just* large enough for one of my duplicating lenses to peek through.
The all black style is way too cliche. Makes everything look the same. I have an idea. How about a colored light?
IMO, your OP photo really shows what a mirror surface looks like - but only on the side that is not dark. You have demonstrated that you are one of the photography experts around here by your tips and photos; but... (you knew it was coming)... each of the three professional coin photography set-ups I have seen use more than one light source. Have you ever tried that?
I personally like the look. It really shows off the mirrored surface. I think it's use would be limited to as you said, coins with a lot of open fields, it gives the image impact and interest as opposed to the stark black emptiness.
Oddly enough, the best way to get the "black and white" look uses the same style of lighting; it's the offset from center which creates the brightness in the fields in the images above. I've used a Circline fluorescent to do my best "B/W" Proof work: If you're good, you can tell where the bulb connector was from that image. I left a hint. The shorter working distances I'm using these days doesn't lend itself to this method, though (that shot was with a Canon 100mm Macro at 12"+ and an FC9 bulb). You just can't get fluorescents in a diameter small enough; I'm gonna have to build a bazillion-LED ringlight with careful diffusion to match the effect appropriately.