Wannabe Photographer got a new Camera

Hi JWT708
I am new at this so I hope you receive my reply, because I am replying to your post from yesterday.
First off let me say that Thanks for your service, and also I love your Air Force Tokens.
I like tokens as much as much as I do coins. I never new the Miltary had tokens, other than challenge tokens. Are you stationed at Elenmendorf. Since I am a 100 percent disabled veteran I have been in the hospital there many times. I have to say that it is one of the best hospitals I have ever been in and the staff are great.
As far as Viet-Nam goes if there is some way that I can get your email address I would be willing to share some things with you. I was a recon scout and served with several different units in my two tours. My first tour I started with the 4th Infantery Div 2/1 CAV in the Central Highlands. That year I also served with the 1ST Air CAV, 101ST Airborne and the 25th Inf Div. My second tour I served the complete tour with the 11th ACR. I saw on the news the other day That General Abrams ordered
a court Marshall for the guy that deserted, He was my very first Troop Commander on my first tour, he was a Captain at that time. My second tour his Father was a General and commander of all SE Forces. The rest of the information most people on this forum would most likely would not be interested hearing about so if I get your email address I will share some things about Viet-Nam.
I do not know if it is legal or not, my email is aumterry@hotmail.com. If you know The chemical
Symbols which I am sure you do, au is the gold symbol.
Now about prospecting, I am not sure if I should share with you are not,it could destroy your life if you get gold fever, yes gold fever is a true statement. I started out in Colorado wit a gold pan, progressed to a small Knee sluice box, then a back pack dredge, then a 4" dredge, then a 5" triple
Sluice dredge. The next thing you know I started looking for mining claims in Alaska. I leased some claims near Circle hot springs at a town (Place) called Central AK.
I sold everything that I had and could get my hands on, Bought a D8 Cat Dozer, spent the winter building a wash plant, then in the spring I headed To Alaska.
I did not know a thing about stinking frozen permanent frost thousands of years old. I packed up and left Colo May 1, expecting to arrive at the claims by May 15. It took me 3 days and 15,000.00. for permits to cross the border.
Now days the Alaskan Hwy is like any other. Back in those days once you reached Dawson Creek British Columbia the road turned into dirt and mud for the next 1500 miles. There were stretches
That Bull dozers had to pull us through.
Any way the ice on the creek did not break up until the middle of June, which really did not matter at the time because I did not have any ground stripped to mine.
So my first year I only got to sluice for 40 days before freeze up. I only made enough money to pay for fuel, food and go home in the fall.
Mining is the hardest job in the world. But I am not a quitter so the next year I got a couple of front end loaders and made a living mining until 1987 until the EPA shut me down for the clean water act.
So I moved to Anchprage and been here since. Back in those days I used to say that if I had a Millon dollars I would mine until I went broke. If there is any thing you would like to know about it drop me a line and I will be glad to share what I know.

 

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Thank you @TIF I appreciate the feedback - I'm working on it...tonight sadly isn't the night. I have to fight with my son building sentences...

 

The "rule" here is not to publicly post an email - send a private message (PM) because the spam bots will get it and spam your email. Your story of prospecting and your service is greatly appreciated. I'll send a PM. I hope you stick around. @jello was Army.

 

This one mystifies me. A photo that dark should not have enough shadow detail left to allow it to be rescued this well in postprocessing. I still would suggest reshooting but this does show what I would call a decent start in coin photography. I wonder if your computer calibration is as different as your version and mine. Do you see your images as dark as TIF and I do or does mine below look washed out?

 

I'm on my tablet right now and it doesn't look washed out but the color is wrong. This coin is about the same color as a Snicker's bar. I'm going to look at your post again from my laptop and I'll follow up in a few minutes.

 

On my laptop the picture appears much oranger and a little too bright. Should I shoot it with a higher aperture and try to darken in post processing?

@TIF were you talking about this photo?



The redeeming quality in my mind is this photo is crisp where my others were grainy. The color is close but it's looks too purple.

 

Rather than changing aperture, I would lengthen the shutter speed or use brighter light.

 

What ISO # are you using Jack? Try to use the lowest # that you can and you'll get less 'noise'..........

 

I just finished reading the rules about an hour ago, and I found out I made a mistake sending you my email address. So I guess I am starting out with a bad mark against me. I was like a kid getting a new toy, go for it and read the directions later. I did not know what PM stood for until now.
I received an email saying I would not receive any more unless I read all the post. Now I have to figure out what that means. There are days that I am too sick to read. I would certainly like too email a member, but if I have to read every post, and there are some that do not interest me, I might not be around to long.

 

Doug, I'll get all over this...maybe tomorrow. Have a long day planned in London...

Thanks Green. That was something I played with and may be why Doug was able to play with the image so much in post processing. I first used AUTO but after reading some articles I set it low...I think 100 because that's my lowest setting.

I will work on this coin and my light.

 

I wouldn't worry about it! The rule is actually there to protect you. I really hope you stick around!

 

Computer screen calibration has a lot to do with it. I had an older laptop that too bright and @TIF had suggested that my screen was off 'cuz my images were always way to dark. I played around with it and it was never really nice. I went to the office and called up my images and holy crap on a cracker I couldn't even see the coin. I was also viewing the coin in poor lighting, @Collect89 thanks.

I hunch over my coin in a non dedicated area and take the photo with my galaxy 5s. I am now happy in general with my results.

 

Very nice @Ancientnoob

The difference of our various displays didn't factor in my mind. I do have the brightness cranked up on my laptop. You know what though, Doug's images always look great and that is something I would like to approach.

 

He has many pupils.

 

That comment makes me want to post a spider.

 

Hi Mr Smith
I saw the camera mount that you built. I could have never thought of such of thing in my wildest dreams. I think that you made something that is better than anything that you could buy. My health
Is to bad too undertake such a project. I was wondering if you might consider building one for me, not for free of course. Michael Terry

 

I use a tripod. I put the thing that holds the coin on a chair then put a book under it so it can dangle off the edge a little.

 

I use a stack of CD's to support my USB-microscope, which dangles precariously from my dentist's light ...

hmmm, maybe that's my problem?

 

Good to defeat the cops' radar, bad for coins........

 

I don't understand you, my green friend, but I know that you mean well ...

=> I like you and I hope that you have a wonderful New Year's Eve (you rock)

cheers, Green