I just want to see your setups for taking pictures. I know there have been a hundred threads posted about this, but I can't seem to use them to learn. So what I want to know is how do you take pictures of a coin (especially MS) through plastic without the glare of the light bulb you are using. Also, how many and where do you place your light bulbs to really make the luster pop. Below is the latest picture I took. I used two yellow universal lamps at 10 and 1 o'clock, but I still can't manage to get the luster and the toning to pop out like it does in real life. I try not to tweak the coin to match the in-hand look because I fear I might mislead people into believing it is better than it really is. Thank you for any help!!!
You're not using proper lighting. This is way too dark. The amount of light you need for proper macro photography is astounding. Here are the bulbs I use: Promaster 1712 30 Watt-5500K Fluorescent Lamp https://www.districtcamera.com/product.asp?ic=029144017125 I use 2-4 of these bulbs depending on the lighting required. They are bright like the sun and they get HOT. Make sure you have appropriate lamps that can handle these bulbs.
Your lights are too low, causing you to get darker fields and highlighted edges. Raise the lights until just before you start getting glare and that should help. Also, adjust your white balance to get rid of the yellowish cast.
If you really want to see the setups of others, your best bet really is simply to search past threads. The only difference between photos posted in past threads and those posted to yours is convenience... for you. Your questions have also been asked and answered many times, so I'm not sure why you'll be able to learn when folks directly respond to you. There's a lot of good stuff in past threads so please don't disregard them. That said, you've already been given fine advice regarding your lighting. Take the suggestions to heart, play around, and see what you come up with. There's going to have to be a fair amount of trial and error here as what's best for someone else isn't necessarily going to work best for you. Jansjo lights from Ikea or Amazon have become quite popular for coin photography. They are also very cheap and quite small, making them reasonable candidates for someone in your position.
How do I adjust white balance. I am using an iPhone 6, which is very pesky because it turns everything yellow when I get up close to the coin with the lights on.
My set up: 1-lean coin or slab against coaster 2-use cell phone to take photo 3-crop with photoscape Lighting-wall mounted swing arm lamp w/3 way GE Reveal lamp 50-100-150 set at 150 watt. The wall lamp is regulated by a table top dimmer
You have to get too close to the coin to light it properly if using a phone. The phone itself blocks all the light. You need to use a camera with a macro lens so it can get a reasonable distance from the coin and allow the light in at the right angle.
First read through this thread for I-phone imageryhttps://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=160092&whichpage=1 Then this thread when you want to take even better images.https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=158182&whichpage=1 There are many free post processing programs available to adjust white balance and much more.
I use two Jansjo lights (sometimes three) at 10 & 2 o'clock position (3rd at 12 'o'clock). Over the lens of the lamps I tape some vellum to diffuse the light a bit. Camera is placed on a tripod with the timer function employed to minimize camera shake. The position of the lights is not written in stone..........sometimes you have to move them around a bit (example: 10,2,4 o'clock) to get the best shot without the glare and 'noise'. Having 'live view' on a camera helps immensely as you can preview the 'shot' and make sure everything is in proper focus. Numismatic Photography by Mark Goodman is an essential for all picture takers......
Slightly more advanced than my Mardi Gras cup iPhone stand and ceiling fan light setup. I use photoscape as well, but the below are just raw pics.
Grab a cup of coffee or a cold one and watch this video of a presentation I did several years ago at FUN.
Follow the link back to the “Post your coin photography set-up“ thread where I showed my iPhone setup.
