I just bought a toned peace dollar from a local show this weekend. I'd like to take some pics of it, but I first would like some tips on taking pics of toned coins. What is the best way to show the hues and shades of the tone?
I've found you have to take several different angles, even then, it's almost impossible to accurately capture.
i will just throw this out there with a camera?? did i win? I would follow badthads advice, because different hues will show with lighting at different angles, i can only assume it is very difficualt to capture all the toning at once. Lets see if leigha checks in... now there is some nice pics of toned coins!!!
I will tell you about my method that works for me. Keep in mind that there are minor adjustments that need to be made for the size of the coin, metal, and finish (MS, PF, PL, DMPL). I start with a copy stand that is set with the camera about 5 inches away from the coin. If you get too close, the camera blocks the light from getting to the surface of the coin. I then place 2 white lights at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Flourescent and OTT work best for me, but you can also use halogen or GE Reveal white lights if you like. Whatever you do, don't mix the type of lights. Mixing lighting sources will change the colors on the coin. Now to the camera. I use a simple Canon Powershot SD880 IS Digital ELPH (10 megapixel). You need to put the camera on program mode. Before you shoot any photos, you must manually set the white balance on the camera. You must do this every time you start to take photos. Then I place the coin on the surface. For raw coins, there is no glare and a flat position with the lights in the right angle should be all you need to get a good photo showing the color. Slabbed coins are much more difficult because you need to avoid the glare of the plastic covering the surface of the coin and still capture the color. In order to capture the color, you almost always need to tilt the coin. I usually tilt the coin by placing another slab under the bottom of coin I am photographing. This tilts the coin into the light. The place the lights (10&2) at an angle that best shows the color but does not put glare in on the coin. This part can be very frustrating for some coins. Once done, zoom as far in as you can on the coin and still be able to focus. Then shoot the photo and review for approval. If you like it keep it, if not, try and try again. One last tip. For deeply toned coins, it may be beneficial to increase the exposure of the camera to get more light. I have never gone above +1 on my camera for any coin. After the photos are done, I use photoshop to crop, size, and then hit autolevels which adjusts the color and contrast. I have found that this method provides the most accurate depiction of the actual appearance of the coin. Some people frown on any use of any imaging software with coin photos, but I have found that I must do it to make the photo look like the actual coin. Good Luck and hang in there, it takes a lot of practice to get good at it. My last piece of advice is to buy Mark Goodman's NUMISMATIC PHOTOGRAPHY. It will help you much more than any tips you can ever get online, from me or anybody else. His photos are about the best I have ever seen and he is definitely and expert on the subject. Here is an example of his work.
Opps Sorry I thought that was one of your photos, I got to excited to see the picture and didn't read the end of your post! Still, I have seen LOTS of YOUR photo's and I'll stick to my original post.
Thank you, I appreciate it. I am no slouch, but to give you an idea of how good Mark Goodman's photos are, please look at my photo of this coin side by side with his photo. He has not hot spots, no shadows, full range of color, and astonishing focused detail throughout the entire coin. The only advantage to my photos is that the overall color of the coin is probably more accurate. It really is tough to match his skills.
There is a difference, however, if you say your photo is more true to the actual coin color, Who's photo is better? I think you could teach a class on the subject. :thumb:
I agree with this statement. If your photo is how the coin actually looks in hand, then I think yours is better. To be honest, if I paid a hefty premium for the coin based on his pics and the coin I got looked like your pics...I might be upset. I'm sure the full color is visible under the right light at the right angle...but how hard is that to see?
Think of it this way. If you are holding the coin 2 feet from your face, it would look like my photo. If you are examining the coin the way any collector or dealer does, it will look like Mark's photo. The overall difference in color on his photos is related to the type of light he uses. His light casts a golden hue whereas mine retains the more silver appearance. There is no doubt however that he captures both the colorful toning and details much better than I do. IMO, both photos are very accurate representations of the appearance of the coin. If you could merge the two photos together, we would have it. BTW, the coin is stunning in hand. Don't get jealous now guys.
I've used most of the techniques Lehigh mentioned with some success. In addition, I have found that using Aperature Priority worked best (especially with silver). And yes, Mark Goodman's book is a must. Long awaited, eagerly received.
That was very helpful info. I haven't used a camera stand before. Is that necessary. Also a dumb question, I have. What is an OTT light? Is that a brand name or a type of light?
