Tried a different setup today. I have determined that I will only photograph world coins with a value of higher than $5 for insurance purposes, or low-value coins that attract the eye. It's very tedious to try and photograph every coin I have. With that said, enjoy the new photos from my new process.
how do you like this? I can get a new camera for a present and I've seen these pictures. I think this is very awesome
The ONLY suggestion I have is maybe a little less light, and that is just my personal opinion. Other than that the photos look REALLY great. What kind of camera are you using?
Nice work. When shopping for CFL bulbs, we need to be very careful to buy the right ones. Certainly daylight is better but more of the ones sold in your local stores are warmer for use by people wanting to emulate the old tungsten bulbs. In addition, look for bulbs marked 'continuous spectrum' which do a better job with colors. Probably the safest answer is to buy bulbs made for photo use but there are continuous daylight bulbs packaged for use in plant growing as well. I saw one made for hydroponics that was over a foot long and with a large swollen area that would keep it from fitting many lamps. It was bright. While I tried LED bulbs, I went back to CFL's. However, there is still a lot of room for experiment when it comes to distance, angle and reflectors so photos I like have been more than just a matter of buying good bulbs and turning the things on. If nothing else, wiggle them around until the glare spots and shadows are in places you like.
If you plan to shoot a lot of center holed coins (like Chinese cash) you can make a stand out of a CD/DVD package spindle. Cut of the very tip of the spindle leaving the hollow tube which is black inside and rest the coin on it when shooting. This is easier than going back later and blacking out the hole.