Tips on how to keep dust off the ancient coins when photographing them?

I do not believe that I am alone when I say that my biggest 'bug-bear' is "How does one keep the dust (that you cannot see until you check the photo later) off the surface of the coins that you are photographing?

(Prior to photographing) I have tried 'dusting' with a 'lint-free cloth', washing in DM water, dipping in acetone, brushing with a nylon toothbrush, and probably a few other methods, and I am still getting minute pieces of dust adhering to my coin during the photography process.

I am certain that this is a common problem, so can anyone please pass on some tips that have worked for them? Thank-you.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

As LM just wrote : relax, those are un-noticeable (at least to my poor eyes)

Q

 

3M scotch magic self-adhesive tape. The one on the blue rolls does not leave any residue and traps tiny dust particles very efficiently.

 

In all probability, dust is only the surface part of your problem. The real problem concerns what is causing the dust to find the coins in the first place. Chances are your worst enemy is static electricity which is charging up the coins and turning them into dust magnets. Wiping them will move the dust particles out of sight for a moment, but will also increase the charge so that by the time you have recomposed an image, new particles have settled in. Anything moving across the surface of the coin, including air, will have a static impact.

To be perfectly honest, unless you have taken some rather extraordinary anti-static measures there isn't much you can do to prevent dust from settling. The solution I have come to prefer, after striving for a clean shooting environment, is to remove the most egregious dust in post editing of the image, and leave the rest go. It helps in some respects to shoot on a black background which, counter-intuitively perhaps, will show the dust more easily. But editing a uniform black is comparatively easy. The coin surfaces typically require high image magnification for cleanup, and can be complicated.

If you have an aesthetic that will only allow unedited final images, then you need to learn to live with the dust.

 

I did not even notice the RED CIRCLES until they were pointed out...

My Dog BLUE is always with me (office, home, hobby, etc.) I don't realize how much she leaves her mark... dog hairs etc. But, I grew up with beau coup animals: pets, farming, etc. So I never really notice it until pointed out (my wife is a City Gal...) Never was much being a perfectionist in life.


China Ming Knife money 400-220 BCE bronze Hartill 4.42-3

 

I smile at these posts because I deal with the same issue, and I never notice the hair or whatever until I view the photo I have taken. And with 3 dogs (the outside - dwelling horse is no problem), hair covers our house. But my photo are for me, usually not for publication, so if there is a hair there, I don't overmuch worry.

 

I lose a lot of photos to dust. Sometimes I brush off coins with a camel hair brush but that is not perfect. Years ago I used a static brush for photo printing that worked very well due to the radioactive material included to dispel static. I am not comfortable with the safety of the item and they don't last a long time. They were not cheap even then.
https://www.adorama.com/cpsmb1.html...RV5ARhw_rjdejBbBVKTVcBtziQgwEsMBoCK4oQAvD_BwE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=f-70tsy4MXg

 

All I do is rub down the coin with my fingers to remove any dust/lint and examine the coin carefully before I take the picture. Usually I use a magnifying glass to make sure that the surface is clean. I'm probably imparting some oil from the fingers on to the coin, so perhaps this is not a good thing. But on the other hand the coin has lasted for 2,000 years so perhaps it's not such a big deal.

 

Here is a solution that wont blow the coin away, and wont have chemicals like the cans of compressed air or scotch tape.



You can get an air blower for between $2 to $15 depending on the type. People use these for camera lens cleaning, sensitive digital optics, and telescope lens cleaning, but it should work well for coins too. It is gentle and will blow dirt and dust particles away.

Here is one on Amazon that is very popular and well rated.

https://www.amazon.com/Giottos-AA1900-Rocket-Blaster-Large/dp/B00017LSPI

 

@Sallent and @lordmarcovan (and everyone else) -
(Re: the 'puffer')
Of course! I even have something similar in my (old) camera bag (for use before retractable lenses). Sorry - I became 'tunnel-visioned' and I 'couldn't see the wood for the trees'.

When I was in my 20's I had a device for measuring the transmission speed (MHz) of electronic devices (my stereo) until I realised that I was operating in an area beyond the capacity of the human ear to detect.
Sort of like this 'dust'.

My thanks to everyone for the tips. You are right, of course. If I cannot see the dust, without the magnification, then . . . . .