Anybody up for a sadistic (coin) photography contest?

mgoodm3 · January 3, 2007 1:17PM

I got this coin a while back as an example for how to shoot shiny coins. I went to the website and found the shinyest proof nickel that I could find. Little did I know that I had bought a monster. This coin defies normal imaging attempts and has been known to cause hemturia in unmedicated adults. I have tried every form of lighting that I can think of and have got a few decent images of this thing (although the decent ones were with unusual lighting schemes). I figured that it would be fun (I'm not sure if that's the proper word) to put it out to you the coin imagers of the forum and see what you can do. Are you man enough? Can you handle the truth? Can you conquer the beast?

Since it ain't worth all that much (it's a modern after all

), I figured that it could go uninsured priority mail with little expense to the photographer. Maybe a bubble mailer and some sticky cardboard to hold it. May take a while to go through the ranks, but oh well, that's life.

PM me an address and I'll try to optimize the route across this fair land to minimize waiting times.

Here's a slab shot for you to peruse the subject.

Be prepared to share your secrets if you do take a decent shot.

No cracking it out.

Format: JPG, up to 800 x 800 pixels, obverse only, PM'd/emailed to me. I'll post them at the end and we'll see what destruction this coin has caused. The winner will get to keep the photographic subject to cherish for always.

Bruceswar · January 3, 2007 1:25PM

Bump for a great thread!!

PrivateCoinCollector · January 3, 2007 1:30PM

I would drape the lighting with White cloth and use a polarized filter. Also would experiment with the amgle of the lights.

mgoodm3 · January 3, 2007 1:32PM

You are free to do whatever you want and you are welcome to try, but will it help?

Julio · January 3, 2007 1:33PM

Mark I accept. Just give me another 10/20 yrs.
Hoping by then I could do it.
You have pushed the envelope. Thanks. jws

DeusExMachina · January 3, 2007 1:37PM

Great post. My photography skills are definitely not up to the challenge.

I would like to see the results.

lordmarcovan · January 3, 2007 1:38PM

Your picture pretty much matches anything I could do, at my best. Those kinda brilliant proofs are tough, for sure.

AUandAG · January 3, 2007 1:39PM

It's not possible! NOPE,,,,, Just like photgraphing a mirror. Every reflection of the camera,
etc, will show up!! Oh my, what a challenge....I'll wait for the results and maybe I'll just
break a mirror and practice a bit!

bob

Bruceswar · January 3, 2007 1:40PM

Count me in for the challange!!

stman · January 3, 2007 1:42PM

Love to throw that bad boy on my scanner!!!!

DieClash · January 3, 2007 1:42PM

<< ...I figured that it would be fun (I'm not sure if that's the proper word) to put it out to you the coin imagers of the forum and see what you can do. Are you man enough? Can you handle the truth? Can you conquer the beast?

Since it ain't worth all that much (it's a modern after all

), I figured that it could go uninsured priority mail with little expense to the photographer. Maybe a bubble mailer and some sticky cardboard to hold it. May take a while to go through the ranks, but oh well, that's life.

PM me an address and I'll try to optimize the route across this fair land to minimize waiting times.

Here's a slab shot for you to peruse the subject.

Be prepared to share your secrets if you do take a decent shot.

No cracking it out.

Format: JPG, up to 800 x 800 pixels, PM'd to me. I'll post them at the end and we'll see what destruction this coin has caused. The winner will get to keep the photographic subject to cherish for always.

>>

Dude! If you can't capture that image then I'm at a loss as to who can! But if you want I'm willing to try my low-tech approach - hand-held digital, shaking hands and a pulsating fluorescant light ought to do for starters

I've been meaning to follow that hyperlink my photography articles, new 6/27/06 in your signature line for some time now. I wonder if its documentation parallels my own personal approach for successful coin photography?

On second thought, I may follow that link some other time.

Mesquite · January 3, 2007 1:54PM

That coin will be a challenge!

mgoodm3 · January 3, 2007 2:19PM

Come on you pansies. It's anonymous.

stman: maybe a scanner will work. i might have to give it a try.

DieClash · January 3, 2007 2:26PM

<< Come on you pansies. It's anonymous.

stman: maybe a scanner will work. i might have to give it a try.

>>

When taking pictures of the Moon at night one must remember that the Moon is a sunlit object and is no different than any other sunlit object and as such one must adjust f-Stops and aperture accordingly when photographing the Moon. Perhaps we can apply this advice to the shiny nickel in the slab.

I heard that in a movie once and I couldn't resist applying it to the current challenge at hand

BTW: my shaky hand-held digital and intermittent fluorescent lighting are still on the table if you should choose to accept the challenge!

lordmarcovan · January 3, 2007 2:27PM

If my ancient 1990-something Memorex scanner would run with my present computers, I could be a contender in this contest. Not a winner, perhaps, but a minor competitor, anyway. I could get some nice results with a slightly-angled slab with that old scanner. Toned coins and reflective proofs, too.

Alas, the old Memorex has a huge cord with a bunch of pins on it. It might plug into the back of this HP desktop somewhere, if I could find the cord, but it is non-USB so I couldn't hook it up to my laptop. I've been using a USB-compatible Canon scanner for the last few years but it is nowhere near as good as that big, bulky old Memorex. It dulls out luster, won't show mirrors or colorful toning, and you can forget about angling slabs or even scanning slabs at all- if the object is not directly flat on the glass, it'll be totally out of focus and blurry. In fact, just that little layer of plastic between a slabbed coin and the scanner bed prevents me from scanning slabs at all. 'Tis a pity, really, since I did reasonably well with that old scanner but have never been a great coin photographer with a camera.

anoldgoat · January 3, 2007 2:28PM

None of my children were interested coins. In fact only my Daughter collected anything. Once in a while I will give a Sac or a half dollar to one of my grandchildren, or a roll of state quarters. Still, no interest in coins.

Mike

Bruceswar · January 3, 2007 2:29PM

<< Come on you pansies. It's anonymous.

stman: maybe a scanner will work. i might have to give it a try.

>>

Mark am I the only one to PM you so far?

robertpr · January 3, 2007 2:30PM

I'm in

mgoodm3 · January 3, 2007 3:01PM

Got 3 and maybe 4 so far. We'll see what the day crew thinks.

p8nt · January 3, 2007 3:04PM

I'd be willing to give it a try.

dcamp78 · January 3, 2007 3:15PM

I'll give it a go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Let me know how we proceed.

Bruceswar · January 3, 2007 3:15PM

<< I'll give it a go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Let me know how we proceed. >>

PM him with your Address and info. Thats how it all starts.

Bruceswar · January 3, 2007 3:17PM

Do you want the images combined? I think we should all have to have the same size images and the same background color. Makes for better4 judging if you ask me.

robertpr · January 3, 2007 3:19PM

I agree about the size but the color of the background is part of the presentation and that has as much to do with it as anything.

Bruceswar · January 3, 2007 3:36PM

So lets say 400x800 or 500x1000 vertical. White? Black? If it was up to me I would use 500x1000 with white!

stev32k · January 3, 2007 7:49PM

I'm in. An 800 X 800 is a good size if you crop out the holder. If you go larger a lot of people will have scroll across to see the full image.

LeeG · January 3, 2007 8:23PM

Sure, why not

Proofs have been very difficult for me but, practise makes perfect.

Coxe · January 3, 2007 10:00PM

Love Jeff's (I can call him Jeff, right?) minstrel lips. Look slike he's ready to break out into Mammy ala Al Jolson in the Jazz Singer (1927).

mozeppa · January 3, 2007 10:52PM

i'm in!

thanks for the chance!

MacCrimmon · January 3, 2007 11:40PM

Full slab shot, or just zooming down to the coin?

mgoodm3 · January 4, 2007 12:44AM

I think just a cropped pic of the obv would be all that is needed. up to 800 x 800. I wanna see the coin. the rev would just add insult to injury.

mgoodm3 · January 4, 2007 12:48AM

And try not to keep it more than a couple days.

mgoodm3 · January 4, 2007 3:12AM

anbody else?

Bruceswar · January 4, 2007 3:44AM

<< Full slab shot, or just zooming down to the coin? >>

Why dio we need a full slab shot? Does that not seem pointless? Afterall we are after a coin picture, not a plastic and insert picture.

IrishMike · January 4, 2007 3:45AM

Fer sure I am in.

mgoodm3 · January 4, 2007 4:07AM

Just coin in the image preferably.

shylock · January 4, 2007 6:36AM

Cool post, I'm in.

obversity · January 4, 2007 10:40AM

Neat idea...I'm in.

Bruceswar · January 4, 2007 11:05AM

Mark I think you should put your photo in the contest as well. I also say it should be front and back of the coin.

CarlWohlforth · January 4, 2007 11:17AM

As a proof Jeff guy I really should give it a try! Your image in the first post is pretty good, it shows the reflective mirror fields and we get to see most all details. Anyway I will use my older camera and try to show that experience has some value.

Address is coming via PM.

mgoodm3 · January 5, 2007 12:47AM

These are the contestants as of today (hope I didn't miss any

). I'll work on an order this weekend to minimize the mailing distance.

the poster formerly known as MikeinFL
Dieclash
CarlWohlforth
66Tbird
obversity
LeeG
p8nt
Shylock
Irishmike
MacCrimmon
eyoung429
dcamp78
ss350camaro
strikeoutXXX
vtcoins
mozeppa
stev32k
robertpr
Bruceswar
Mesquite