What a difference lighting can make!

[daverino]

I just added this coin of the Thessalian league to my gallery and in looking up some particulars about it found this die matched example (below) on ACsearch which sold at the Triton XV auction. It is about a grade better as these things are judged (also about 20x as expensive). Both have black or dark green patinas.

My coin was photographed on the kitchen sill in bright sunlight. I had to try different physical backgrouds to get the right contrast and color which my camera is sensitive to but did not further modify the image. Presumably the Triton coin was done with a professional rig to get the sharpest detail.

I thought it worth showing how the details of the coin are softened in diffuse light but the beauty of the image of Apollo is much enhanced - I think.

[dougsmit]

This post makes it really hard to say what is being compared.  You say both coins have a black or dark green surface but the green background caused that coin to be rendered magenta (the compliment of green).  If you must use brightly colored backgrounds, it is best to set the color balance manually so the camera is not fooled by the large amount of color in the background.  I prefer using black white or gray but you can use anything you wish as long as the camera is told what you are doing.

Certainly the CNG coin is less worn but the edge damage and strike factors make it less obviously better than your coin.  The lighting is not all that different to me if you allow for the color problem.  I would suggest reshooting the coin with a neutral background or using a white balance correction.  It is not a bad coin at all.

[Rich Beale]

While I think that to some extent you are tyring to compare apples and oranges here, I do fully agree that lighting makes all the difference. Compare these three photos of the same coin.

The first was taken using an industy-standard setup (but not by me). The second, using the method that I have traditionally employed. The third, using the setup I have just spent the last 3 (frustrating) days getting right.

Light strength and direction, camera angles and many other seemingly insignificant factors such as manual/AI focusing, white balance, distance from the lens, shutter speed, aperture size, etc, will all affect the way your photo comes out. Trial and error are really the only way you will learn what works for you.

Just so you know, the first picture can be obtained with an expensive, but efficient rig in about 5 seconds.
The second image was taken with a method and setup that took me 6 years to learn.
The third image, as I say, took a good 3 days to set up.

Your photo is already of a high standard. Spend a bit of time getting to know your camera, play around with different light sources, angles etc, and soon enough you'll be taking even better pictures. Keep practising and you'll continually improve.

[daverino]

Thanks for the tips both Doug and Riich. I find that every coin is different and needs to be photo'd in a slightly different way -with colored or neutral backdrops, in diffuse or bright lights etc. I make do with a pretty simple hand-held digital camera. Sometimes I aim for what I hope is dramatic effect, especially if the coin is less than a perfect numismatic specimen.. I did reshoot my coin. The upper set is on a white polyethylene box on the window sill. The resulting image is close to what the coin llooks like in hand but somewhat flattened and cold.

The second has my piece of green felt underneath and I have rotated the coin 90 deg. wrt the sun but otherwise lighting is identical. The coin photo has, in my view a completely different aspect and brings out the Greek ideal of beauty - which may be what the engraver was trying for.

The third is at the same angle wrt to the sun as the first but with the darker green felt background looks quite a bit different than either of the two above it. It gives a very nice overall sense of the 3-dimensional coin. It also has a little color which I don't think is a bad thing.

Regards, Dave

BTW Rich. That is a gorgeous coin you have there. No need for trick photography.

[Rich Beale]

Hi Dave,

Every coin is indeed different, and you have already learned a great deal if you have understood that each one needs to be treated slightly differently. The dream of coin photography is to have a setup that works for each and every coin, producing an image that perfectly represents what the coin looks like in hand. Needless to say this is in fact extremely difficult. However, the goal is to try to get as close to this ideal as possible.

I like the top photo in your recent trio, as I suspect that is the closest to the coin's true appearance in hand. For the same reason, that is why I now favour the bottom photo in my own group, as it very closely reproduces the look and feel of the coin itself, including the lustre and vivid flashes of iridescence.

Photography is an art form that requires a great deal of patience. Keep investing time in it and the rewards will come. When it comes to coins, there is no such thing as trick photography (at least, I have not come across such a thing). There are good setups, and then there is always a better setup just around the corner. It's learning how to make that leap that is the real trick.  Keep experimenting!

[Randygeki(h2)]

Yeah, I'm always trying different things with photography. Recently, I've been messing with a light box in my set up for my glossy patinas and shinny silver, to help reduce glare. I really like using goose neck lamps so I can adjust the light easily.  BTW, here a Doug inspired photo with changing the direction of the lighting

[Randygeki(h2)]

Heres a few examples of what I'm trying with a light box (used on the after photos)

[Rich Beale]

When it comes to lighting direction, you will always find that you get a more attractive result if you have the light shining slightly in the face of the portrait, rather than illuminating the back of the head.

Your lightbox photos are much better than without. I once experimented with such a thing, but found it to be too bulky and inconvenient. I gave up using it after about ten minutes, but you seem to be getting good results.

[Randygeki(h2)]

Thanks, some didnt turn out so well, and allot seem kind of flat, so I really have to tweak it.