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<p>[QUOTE="jtlee321, post: 5005408, member: 73983"]I read this post a few days ago, but am just now getting a chance to reply, sorry for the delay. First, don't be afraid of blown out highlights, unless we are talking large swaths of the coin. Highlights from luster tend to fall into what are known as specular highlights, bright areas that fall outside the dynamic range that all cameras are able to capture. They are a nature of the beast in coin photography. In fact, if we don't see areas that are nearly blown out or white, we would assume that the coin has very subdued luster or the coin would appear very dark and unnatural.</p><p><br /></p><p>I also use the Jansjo lights from Ikea. However, I don't use them naked. I use a square shaped half dollar tube that fits tightly over the round head. This provides a nice diffusion to the light, yet remains small to keep a nice contrast. I have found that the Jansjo lights, since they are LED, show a weird Red, Green and Blue specular highlights on the texture of the fields and devices. This is because the LED lights are composed of very small LED lights in Red, Green and Blue within the head of the light. The diffuser masks this, because you are illuminating a white plastic. I use a custom white balance because the plastic is not exactly neutral, so compensation needs to be made.</p><p><br /></p><p>As far as the number of lights, I use more that larger the coin is. For silver dollars, I tend to use 4 lights, half dollars and smaller, I tend to use just 3 lights. But as with everything, that is just a guide. MS Buffalo Nickels I shoot with 4 lights. When it comes to using those lights, I use studio lighting techniques. I use a key light or main light along with fill lights. The main light is the brightest light and the fill lights are typically around a stop or more dimmer. I've shot some images and included them below that show the concept. Light in a camera is cumulative, meaning, as you add more lights the subject becomes brighter.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a typical Morgan Dollar lighting scenario.</p><p><br /></p><p>Light #1 or my main light. It is there to light up the subjects face to give a natural appearance to what you are looking at. Notice the light source is above and with Liberty facing it? Similar to the way sunlight would fall on a subject.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201084[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Light #2 or my first fill light. It is dimmer, but is being used to fill in the neck and under Liberty's cheek as well as highlight some luster in the fields and the date.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201085[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Light #3 my second fill light. This one is set above the top of the coin to bring out detail in the hair and textures of the subject. It also again brings out the luster of the coin. Notice how dim it appears to be?</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201086[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Light #4 my final fill light. I use it to highlight the details in the lower hair and the back of Liberty's cap. It also adds another highlight of the luster in the coin. Again, not how dim this light appears compared to the Main light and even the first fill light.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201088[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Now we will see that accumulative effect of the lights as they are added together.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is the Main Light or Light #1 with Light #2 or the first fill light.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201089[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is the addition of Light #3 the light at the top of the coin. Notice how the coin is becoming brighter and brighter? Also look at the detail in the cap and other parts at the top of Liberty's head.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201091[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is the addition of Light #4 the final fill light. The coin is now getting to the proper exposure. Also look at the detail in the lower hair and the back of Liberty's cap. Also look at how each light adds to overall presentation of the coins luster.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201092[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>I hope this is a bit helpful. Liberty's forehead, parts of her eye and where her cheek and nose come together tend to start getting blown out. Now my histogram will show that they are not blown out, the RGB channels all remain below 255, meaning there is information there. But overall, those areas look blown out.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="jtlee321, post: 5005408, member: 73983"]I read this post a few days ago, but am just now getting a chance to reply, sorry for the delay. First, don't be afraid of blown out highlights, unless we are talking large swaths of the coin. Highlights from luster tend to fall into what are known as specular highlights, bright areas that fall outside the dynamic range that all cameras are able to capture. They are a nature of the beast in coin photography. In fact, if we don't see areas that are nearly blown out or white, we would assume that the coin has very subdued luster or the coin would appear very dark and unnatural. I also use the Jansjo lights from Ikea. However, I don't use them naked. I use a square shaped half dollar tube that fits tightly over the round head. This provides a nice diffusion to the light, yet remains small to keep a nice contrast. I have found that the Jansjo lights, since they are LED, show a weird Red, Green and Blue specular highlights on the texture of the fields and devices. This is because the LED lights are composed of very small LED lights in Red, Green and Blue within the head of the light. The diffuser masks this, because you are illuminating a white plastic. I use a custom white balance because the plastic is not exactly neutral, so compensation needs to be made. As far as the number of lights, I use more that larger the coin is. For silver dollars, I tend to use 4 lights, half dollars and smaller, I tend to use just 3 lights. But as with everything, that is just a guide. MS Buffalo Nickels I shoot with 4 lights. When it comes to using those lights, I use studio lighting techniques. I use a key light or main light along with fill lights. The main light is the brightest light and the fill lights are typically around a stop or more dimmer. I've shot some images and included them below that show the concept. Light in a camera is cumulative, meaning, as you add more lights the subject becomes brighter. Here is a typical Morgan Dollar lighting scenario. Light #1 or my main light. It is there to light up the subjects face to give a natural appearance to what you are looking at. Notice the light source is above and with Liberty facing it? Similar to the way sunlight would fall on a subject. [ATTACH=full]1201084[/ATTACH] Light #2 or my first fill light. It is dimmer, but is being used to fill in the neck and under Liberty's cheek as well as highlight some luster in the fields and the date. [ATTACH=full]1201085[/ATTACH] Light #3 my second fill light. This one is set above the top of the coin to bring out detail in the hair and textures of the subject. It also again brings out the luster of the coin. Notice how dim it appears to be? [ATTACH=full]1201086[/ATTACH] Light #4 my final fill light. I use it to highlight the details in the lower hair and the back of Liberty's cap. It also adds another highlight of the luster in the coin. Again, not how dim this light appears compared to the Main light and even the first fill light. [ATTACH=full]1201088[/ATTACH] Now we will see that accumulative effect of the lights as they are added together. Here is the Main Light or Light #1 with Light #2 or the first fill light. [ATTACH=full]1201089[/ATTACH] Here is the addition of Light #3 the light at the top of the coin. Notice how the coin is becoming brighter and brighter? Also look at the detail in the cap and other parts at the top of Liberty's head. [ATTACH=full]1201091[/ATTACH] Here is the addition of Light #4 the final fill light. The coin is now getting to the proper exposure. Also look at the detail in the lower hair and the back of Liberty's cap. Also look at how each light adds to overall presentation of the coins luster. [ATTACH=full]1201092[/ATTACH] I hope this is a bit helpful. Liberty's forehead, parts of her eye and where her cheek and nose come together tend to start getting blown out. Now my histogram will show that they are not blown out, the RGB channels all remain below 255, meaning there is information there. But overall, those areas look blown out.[/QUOTE]
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