Format for My Coin Images - FINALLY

Kanga. You are having this issue with the dullness?

 

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Yep.
Look how "flat" your third image appears compared to the other two.
And feather detail from a bout 12 to 2 is severely diminished.
That's what I'm running into.

I want the detail like my image of the quarter but with some extra lighting to eliminate the shadow.
Right now I suspect my second light is washing out the shadows created by the first light.

I feel I need a weaker overall lighting with a stronger lighting to bring out the details.
Obviously I don't have the correct combo yet.

 

Yep that is because there is no flash and no lighting in the room. It has to do with your lighting setup. Can't really help you more with that since I'm new to numismatic photography. I just used the speedlite 580ex II on the other two and they came out pretty good. I'll try it later properly laid out.

 

Further lighting experiments have resulted in the following:
- I believe I have approximately the correct positions for my two light sources.
- Shiny surfaces (MS-63+ and Proof) are going to continue to cause me grief.
- The different metals will require some exposure and lighting adjustments.
- Slabs vs. raw will require some exposure and lighting adjustments.
- I may have to go back to using my wife's digital SLR. More control.

I'll have to re-read the Numismatic Photography book. And re-read it. And re-read it. Etc.
Fortunately most of the coins I'm interested in imaging are in the XF/AU range and shiny surfaces aren't as much of a concern.