How Do You Stack Up Against The Pros? Numismatic Photography

About 90% of the time I use a Rodenstock App-Rodagon D 75mm 1:1 duplicating lens attached to a bellows and microscope stand. The other 5% of the time I use a Canon 100mm macro lens with a copy stand.

I also use 3 Ikea Jansjo LED gooseneck lights.

This is a 2 year old photo before I added the 3rd light.


The small lens to the right is the one I am using. The other two are a 180mm macro on the left and 100mm macro in the center. I almost never use the 180mm.

 

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Are you using any diffusion on those Jansjo lights?

 

I use 50 cent size tube caps.

 

I don't have any Truviews from PCGS but how about some coins compared to those of Mark Goodman, the author of NUMISMATIC PHOTOGRAPHY.

 

I have posted many photos on this site, and I am thrilled when any of you appreciate my humble efforts. I just marvel at what you do.

My thanks is expressed in kind; I try to explain what I do within the boundaries of what I can achieve.

I aspire to do what you guys do. If I can't be there quite yet, maybe I can also help others take a step or two along the way. In the interim this seems like a good checkpoint to express my appreciation.

 

Oh that's right. I discussed that with you before. The tubes that mate to those caps slip right over the head of the those Jansjo's perfectly. They hold very tight and are adjustable.

 

The journey is most of the fun..

 

After we talked about it I tried putting the tubes over the light heads, but the tubes were way too small. So back went the lids.

 

No worries! I brought you to the IG world so more people can see your pictures. It really is amazing.

I just wanted to see how others photographs compare to that of the PCGS trueviews.

I've liked comparing my imagies to those who've I've bought and sold from and we all see the coin differently in our own way.


Maybe we can start a weekend with Bob. I'm sure it would sell out! I know I'd attend.

 

Hmmm. I was almost expecting to hear you say you were normally working at 100mm for the additional working distance, which opens up options for lighting play. There was another morsel in there i consider important, though, so I'm gonna have to do some noodling.

And seeing you working on a white surface (the towel) which is almost certainly reflecting light back into the lens and costing a bit of contrast, is all the more frustrating since your results seem to ignore that particular law of physics.

 

He has a magic device of some sort.

 

I don't actually work on a white surface. I have the bellows setup sitting on the black copy stand, which sits on the white towel, completely covering it.

 

Ah. Thank Goodness.

 

Lots of good work above. Here are a few samples of my coin images by HipShot Photography- Numismatic Photography- check me out at www.hipshotphotography.com

 

I'm sure you noticed my "I'm new here" glitch above, with my first reply. As I mentioned, there's lots of good work above with a lot of interesting comments. I am a professional numismatic photographer so I actually do stack up against professionals, but check it out for yourself. Here are a few samples of my coin images, at HipShot Photography- Numismatic Photography- check me out at www.hipshotphotography.com I'll be putting together a tutorial video series on taking coin shots just like the images I've attached. Let me know your thoughts.

 

Hipshot, I love your captures. I'm new to this (just started researach on the topic, (Jun 18,2021), for my personal collection, and I never realized there were so many coin photographers. Funny, I saw one with a lot of "I" in the bio, claims 30+ years, a claims a big following.... Dunno, but his captures are flat, dull, clinical, sterile, no metal glow. The coins could be clay pigeons!, or the clay artist's form. But I guess some like that. To me, metal is shiny, reflective, and glows under proper lights. Patina has all forms of beauty, and he looses that. BUT the fact is some collectors like that (so he claims). Your capture that glow and richness. I have a lot of work ahead of me.. Should have started February <g>.....

 

Now that I have some TrueViews