New Coin Photo Template ideas, help me decide

I'm curious about what ImageMagick does for photography that Photoshop doesn't. Does it do some things faster? Or maybe you use it for more than just coins? I visited the ImageMagick site and assume you're a programmer; that's why you use it. Software that includes a command-line interface for executing complex image-processing tasks requires a skill set different from that of a photographer. Is this a tool that works with Photoshop or a stand-alone tool?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I recently acquired one. It's hanging in my office now. Inspiring images!

 

@geekpryde - Did you ever decide on which template you're going to use? I thought I was settled on just plain black, but I decided to play again tonight. I was wondering what a coin (for this exercise, I tried one copper and one silver) would look like on a light grey background with some texture to it. Maybe too much texture distracts from the coin? Any thoughts? What have you decided on?

 

I agree with you about the font! It looked cooler when it was being placed, and in a darker grey tone. But, after seeing it with the whole composition, I don't like it either. Well, you could still work with templates, using the coin shots you already have - they're certainly decent enough to play with for this exercise. Can't wait to see what you settle on!

 

I think it works great for silver and probably gold coins but maybe a lighter shade for copper?

 

I just wrote a blog post about the science behind simultaneous contrast, a phenomenon in which the placement of colours next to one another makes them appear more or less vibrant. This colour theory is directly related to coins and the choice of their background colours. Even NGC applied it. Check it out at

https://coinphotographystudio.com/c...illusion-simultaneous-contrast-in-numismatics

 

Denis, the content of your blog post is quite fascinating and very helpful! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!

 

The article is about getting the best result for any individual coin. There is nothing in there that supports or suggests a "general rule". That's a subjective choice. If you like blue, use it, and soon enough you'll see what you like it with, and what you don't.

Personally, as my own default colour, I picked a medium light grey for the background on my Side by Side presentations because it looks good with every coin, but more importantly, it doesn't clash with any coin colour I apply, so it always works. It provides contrast for both light and dark coins, and as far as I can tell, doesn't impart the kind of colour shifts the article discusses. It seems to me those are the desirable characteristics of a "default" colour.