Re-Imaging Project - Barber Half Dollars (caution: many large photos)

GotTheBug

Update:

Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas and suggestions. I have been working on the lighting using my existing equipment and the simplest solution was one that I should have thought of in the first place - set camera to Auto, and make adjustments from there. It seems to have helped.

I have included the after photo immediately following the initial attempt.

For many years I have been using Dino Lite digital microscope images and True Views, along with the occasional seller photo, to photo document my collection. It suddenly dawned on me a while back that I had an expensive professional lens in my camera bag that I hardly used, so I thought I'd begin experimenting with it to see if I could improve my coin photos.

While I'll never be as skilled as Phil Arnold, Desert Moon or some of the other gifted image-gurus here on the Boards I think I finally have got it to the point where my photos actually look like the coins themselves. so, here's 'The Poor Man's Barber Half Dollars' registry set in its infant glory, re-imaged with my own pics.

1895-O - PCGS XF45

1900 - PCGS VF35

1900-O - PCGS VF25

1903-O - PCGS VF30

1906-D - PCGS XF45

1907-O - PCGS VF20

1909-S - PCGS VF30

1910-S - PCGS VF25

1911-S - PCGS VF35

1914-S - PCGS XF40

TomB

It's a great series and they look like great coins. That 1895-O looks like a beast!

FlyingAl

Not bad at all pics wise!

If you could see what some of my first images were like you’d be super happy with those!

InYHWHWeTrust

Thanks for posting! Some beautifully toned coins there and nicely matched. 00-O and 11-S seemed under-graded. The 09-S over- which is not common. Nice to compare the 11S and 14S details right below it - if the 14S is a 40, how in the world can the 11S be a 35? Again beautiful set.

GotTheBug

@FlyingAl said:
Not bad at all pics wise!

If you could see what some of my first images were like you’d be super happy with those!

Thanks, but there's still work to be done. I just realized that my camera is not getting a straight shot down onto the subject coin, mainly because I am not using a camera stand. Resting the uneven front of the camera on top of the opening in my light box is tilt-skewing all of my shots off-level, if that makes any sense.

Can anyone recommend a camera stand and lighting setup that would work with an Olympus/OM System digital camera?

GotTheBug

@InYHWHWeTrust said:
Thanks for posting! Some beautifully toned coins there and nicely matched. 00-O and 11-S seemed under-graded. The 09-S over- which is not common. Nice to compare the 11S and 14S details right below it - if the 14S is a 40, how in the world can the 11S be a 35? Again beautiful set.

Those two pieces are pretty close aren't they. Either one is overgraded or one is undergraded - all in the eye of the grader on that particular day I suppose.

The '11-S was the first coin I purchased to launch the project - obtained right here on the BST.

Seraph21

Those photos look great, I think the lighting might be too diffuse. If you check my previous thread I found that non diffused light creates better contrast.

The_Dinosaur_Man

Nice work! I agree with the above that the lighting needs a bit of improvement, but good job nonetheless. I've done a similar task with my half dimes and seated dimes then made a private webpage to view the collection while I'm on the go.

GotTheBug

I did some tinkering and changed the background from black to white and other things. See my original post for before and after pics if you are interested.

coinkat

Nice coins that are photographed well.

Barberian

@InYHWHWeTrust said:
Thanks for posting! Some beautifully toned coins there and nicely matched. 00-O and 11-S seemed under-graded. The 09-S over- which is not common. Nice to compare the 11S and 14S details right below it - if the 14S is a 40, how in the world can the 11S be a 35? Again beautiful set.

Welcome back, @InYHWHWeTrust !! I hope you're in good health.