I call this one "Raccoon eyes." In hand, it looks just like Jefferson is wearing one of those Lone Ranger masks. Very strange toning indeed...
I don't particularly care for toning, but Jeffs can tone well. No, not rainbow. But often a very even and appealing "coffee" toning.
UGHHH all of these toned coins make me want to start my own toned collection!!! If this collection I'm looking at later this week has some good ones, I'm going to be all over them.
good photograph difficult It is difficult to get a photograph that really depicts the toning. Very best regards, collect89
Collect: Even with the lighting, I can tell how that coin must look. That's a great piece. Do you have a full-spectrum light? I find they help bring out the true colors. You can buy a desktop model at a craft store, probably for in the $40 range. I don't know your budget, so you may find that outrageous, but for me it's the only way to take decent coin pictures.
Same Photo after hitting the auto-levels (contrast & color) on Adobe Photoshop. Does this photo reflect the actual appearance of the coin?
Yes Lehigh96, it looks more like your photo but a little brighter (without getting washed-out). I will experiment with the GE Reveal bulb and full spectrum light from the photo store soon. Do you have any tricks for positioning the light(s) or do you diffuse the light in your photos? My recent photos have been taken using a single quartz bulb from the side (~45-degrees) & and an incandescent bulb for fill shining straight onto the coin. Very best regards, collect89
I'll let Lehigh provide his answers, but don;t mix your bulbs. Regular incandescent bulbs tend to make a coin have a yellow cast in pics. Most fluorescents tend to make them have a blue cast. The Reveal bulbs provide a more natural light. And always diffuse the light.
I just move the two lights around until I can get a good shot of the coin. I find that toning appears better if you take the photo at a very slight angle, not straight on. I never use incandescent bulbs, yellow, yellow, yellow. As far as diffusing the light, it reduces glare and is good for proof coins, but it also creates problems with brightness for me. I prefer not to diffuse the light unless necessary. It just works for me.
