Hey guys, So I recently completed my axial lighting setup so that works amazing for my proofs and other coins. The problem I have now is how to photograph slabbed coins and even harder, slabbed proof coins. Anyone have any tips/suggestions? Thanks a lot!:hail:
Mark Goodman goes into much more detail in his book, Numismatic Photography, but you can glean some useful information here... http://coinimaging.com/photography.html And in this, the author talks about side lighting... http://www.sigma-2.com/camerajim/cjgcoins.htm -LTB
For business struck coins in slabs: Short answer -- loose axial and go to (in)direct lighting. Try and get the light as "high" as possible. For proof coins in slabs: Try the lampshade technique. It is basically using diffused lighting to enhance the mirrors and cameo appearance.
Many coins are not flat in the slab. This can cause focus problems. Past that, Leadfoot has the right ideas.
Be sure to read the linked article by Louie 2 Bits Marks book is a must have as he goes deeper on all the subjects in the article there. SLR camera is almost a must if your going to be doing a lot and a good macro lens helps a bunch. This one is slabbed.
Can you be more specific? What are the issues? Axial lighting is a corner case. I almost never use it. Slabs aren't a problem if they're clean. Manual focus is better anyway. A proper set-up makes a huge difference. And lots and lots of practice, trial-and-error. Lance.
I purchased Mark's book, and I agree -- there is a wealth of information in there to help you take better photos. I have a fancy SLR camera ($3K range), but I personally still find it easier and I get better results with my little point and shoot. The key for me has been to invest the $50 or so in a good copy stand. This makes all the difference in the world. As long as your camera has a macro mode, and a timer (to avoid shake), you can get pretty good results. I take all of my photos with a $140 camera from Best Buy. It does take some trial and error, but once you have played a bit you can get consistently good results on the first try. A couple examples of photos I have taken in the past 2 days (on the first try) are below. They are both slabbed coins and the photos were thus taken through the plastic. Best of luck!
That's a good point, Larry.... As you said, it might make focusing a bit more challenging -- or, said a bit differently, causes some coin/slab tilting problems -- but in fact, a slightly tilted coin is a boon to photographers as you can angle the coin just right so the light reflects off the coin but does not reflect off the slab.
