Coin Photos Lighting Requirements

Go into the Shooting Menu, hit Save/Edit, and the Style menu will be shown. You might want to pick Neutral, and then go to the Adjust Settings menu.

 

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Can't tell if you are joking, or being serious.... Sometimes it is hard with you.

 

BRB have to reset this puppy

 

Ok with adjustments to photo ..

 

That one is too dark. I like the one you posted previously better. This one is also slightly out of focus.

 

This one is with the settings @rmpsrpms recommended .. I agree I must have moved the coin during the adjustment .. focus is a little off .. but this is so show the settings per @rmpsrpms

 

Maybe a bit dark, but a much better image. It is actually still a bit over-exposed, but within reason. You can improve by using Style settings 3,-4,0,0 and -2/3EV. Just a little bit of levels adjustment in post processing and you will have a very good image.

If you can get the lights a bit closer to vertical it would improve even more.

 

Once you have eliminated the over-exposure, and have the contrast set so there are no lost shadows, you will have what I call "good raw material" to finish off with minimal post-processing.

 

Maybe I don't understand what you are talking about. The picture is way too dark for me. What areas are "over-exposed"?

 

Here are the areas that are over-exposed in most recent photo:



And here are the areas from the previous photo:



The most recent one is much improved. Previous had significant OE in the R channel, and a little in the G channel (show as yellow highlights). The latest only has OE in R.

 

As long as there is sufficient dynamic range in the image, then the overall brightness is easy to adjust. The latest image does have more lost shadows, which is why it would be good to set the contrast setting to -4 rather than -2. But the lost shadows are not a huge problem since they are on the edges of devices. Here's what the latest image looks like with just a touch of levels adjustment:

 

@rmpsrpms I guess I am still sorta confused by your overexposure/post-processing comments. To my mind, the best pictures are taken and need little-to-no post processing. I think the image below is good, but I guess it is probably quite over-exposed according to your analysis? What would you recommend to improve the image? (ISO 400, 1/500, f/5.6)

 

No, that image is fairly well-balanced, except for the few lost shadows around IGWT, and a splash of mostly R highlights across much of image. Based on your comments I assume the image has had no post-processing, so a slight adjustment of -1/3EV, with a small decrease in contrast, would fix both minor problems in the image. Basically, the overall image contrast is a little too high.

You need to realize that a significant amount of RAW processing is happening in the camera to produce the jpg image. How the camera (or a RAW postprocessing program) maps the 12+bit dynamic range of the RAW sensor data into the 8-bit dynamic range of the jpg final image is determined by the Picture Style and its sub-settings. This processing is convolved with both the exposure settings and the lighting used to take the picture, resulting in the camera output image.

If an image contains blown highlights, or crushed blacks, there is no coming back from it. Those areas of the image are lost forever.

 

Ok back. Seeing this coin in person it is at least a 64-65 Red with Extreme Die Polish Lines on entire Obverse probably Very Late Die I would bet its last polishing before retired. Two Bag Marks on Cheek one slight scratch protruding from Lincolns Chin towards 5:00. This is a Very Nice Red with no blemishes only a few copper spots directly above B and T of Liberty 1/2 way up. Give this update @rmpsrms do you known were I can get calibrated color swatches for photos? and are these still the settings you think I need?

 

You can get what's called an "18% Gray Card" that you can use as a background for coin shots. Use the card for setting the White Balance, then shoot the coin on the card to verify WB after shooting and postprocessing.

The settings are not too far off from the ideal. You still have a few blown R highlights, and some crushed blacks, but it's pretty well-balanced. I would still like to see you bring the lights up to a higher angle.

It sounds like the image is not quite as red as you see in-hand. You can easily enhance the color using Saturation adjustment. Here's the image again, with overall levels adjusted, saturation increased, and a bit of added sharpness. Does this look more like the coin in-hand?

 

The coin in hand looks Red like just came off a fresh roll. The image I see on my end looks like it is Red/Red/Brown. Missing many polish marks

 

With the Lamp Ring I have the lights Facing @coin
with with light paper towel covering lights for diffusion.

 

Here is a photo which may show you the color I am looking for .. The Secondary Field behind Lincolns head and the Rims are the Red I see on the entire coin. I know there are is over exposures on this photo just displaying it to show desired color in areas mentioned.

 

I will be receiving the new lights in a few days .. I will take photos then as I think this is to my and the current lens limit .. To get an extension tube with enough length to capture a Blow Up of the Mint Mark, Do you know the size needed to fit my Nikon 105mm?
I would like to thank each and everyone of you for helping with my project .. I have learned a tremendous amount today

 

Yes and no. Photoshop is just another process step in the imaging chain. There's no reason not to use it appropriately, and just like the actual photography is a learned skill, so is judicious use of Photoshop as a tool. Used correctly, someone looking at it won't be able to tell if or where adjustments were make. It's no different than when Ansel Adams would spend hours in the darkroom adjusting the characteristics of one picture to get the print to look just right. Fewer toxic chemicals involved, I guess.