do i needs no more lightning/ my was told me dont use lightning because lightning gives over lightning
The lighting should be even across the surface where on your coin image it is light on the top and darker towards the bottom. Try reflecting the light off a light colored background so the the light "bounces" back onto the surface. I'm still trying to get the perfect images, so keep trying until YOU are satisfied.
Everybody seems to like different lighting styles ... Some dudes like the shiny-silver modern looking effect, while other folks seem to like the dark, spooky, shadowy look ... => I myself, like the photos that are shot in full daylight and make the coin look like the coin looks when you're looking at it!!
That is a fact. My pet peeve are coins lighted from the back of the head or bottom rather than from the top or front which just looks more natural to my eye. The number of people who seem to prefer the exact opposite from me shows Steve is right on that first point. We separate completely on his last point since I don't look at coins outside often and my photos look like the coins do in the artificial lights I use inside my house. To each his own.
I agree on this too. Lighting your coins with sunlight, outdoors, thru the window, etc, is not consistent as the sun is a different color depending on the time of day, overcast weather, etc. So you could end up with an "evening glow" light, versus a "cold winter" light, both from the sun, and neither would look right. Consistent light has to be created yourself, the same way each time.
In my early days of photoing coins, I used so many wacky setups. I had them standing, tilted, used diffused lighting, and almost everything I could to try and get a good picture. Now I just use the one main lamp at the 2 o'clock angle and if needed a weaker light at the 10 o'clock angle. Not saying my photos are that great, but I find them much better then my early days of photographing coins. I also had some help from some CT members.
