I'm try to work on my coin photography. I know it's not perfect, but it's far better than what I could on reflective coins previously. Tell me what you think.
Not bad but you need to work on illumination. Overall you need more light on the coin but you also need to reduce (or eliminate) the hot spots (where there is too much light).
Coins with reflective surfaces are the hardest to image. I would recommend starting on non-reflective coins first to get familiar with your camera, getting the image sharp and using different lighting techniques...then work your way up. -LTB
Try bouncing your light(s) off a white wall. I use a 250w color corrected bulb bounced off a white wall + a diffused Speedlite. Which gives you results like this..... I have found that lighting is the hardest thing to get right. Also EVERY coin is different. Keep experimenting, you are very close and will only get better!
Try using diffused light. Place a sheet of paper (white printer paper, onion skin paper, velum) between the light source and the coin. A plastic milk jug can also be used to diffuse light. You will need to eliminate the other sources of light so you are using only one or two light sources. Turn off the overhead light. Close the curtains in the window (unless you are using only natural light to photograph your coins).
Anyone here use the axial lighting setup? (With a piece of glass that is used to bounce the light instead of directly lighting the coin.) I've seen pictures of the results online and they are stunning. The level of contrast and detail is great, so I was wondering if anyone uses this method, or knows of one even better. Thanks. (Not trying to threadjack, as this info may also help the OP )
If you can get your lighting at 90 degrees to the coin, you should be able to pick up what you are seeing with your axial set up. I find that shooting axial softens the details, apparently since the coin is slightly diffused due to the extra peice of glass. My lighting set up picks up colors the color on most coins, however there are some that an axial set up benefits. Proofs for example - I like the black fields which contrast the bust in a very attractive way. 95% of my images are Lincolns, so I shoot them in a manner that highlights the best attributes. For example - 65RD, I position the lighting to capture the luster more than tics and dings. anyways axial lighting. This Proof was shot with direct lighting about 110 degrees to the coin. This is axial. I like the shot above better Now some coins just won't show their colors with out axial - Direct lighting This is the same coin with an axial set up Somewhat related is a post I recently made regarding lighting of high grade copper. http://www.cointalk.com/content.php?r=11-A-good-coin-photo-makes-all-the-difference Here is my camera set up: It is my opinion that the key to getting great shots of your coins is to have a camera that you can tether to your computer and view the coin before snapping the pic. So many advantages,,,, One that has been covered/pointed out in this thread is the lighting. Moving your lights around and viewing the results on your monitor takes the guesswork out of the equation. Notice the coin on the monitor in the background? That is the same coin under the lens in the foreground.
