Educational thread on lighting sources and camera angles and toned Morgans

jbsteven

I was taking some pictures and found that using different lighting sources (Reveal light bulbs and regular incandesant (sp?) bulbs) can create different colors on toned Morgans. I am sure most of you know this but for the people who do not post but read the threads around here these would be for you and of course anyone else that enjoys studying toned coins and different lighting and camera angles.

I am using the dome camera setup with either a lamp on the outside shinning on the dome with a reveal 100 watt bulb in it or the incandesent fiber optic lights that are sold by the people who make the dome camera setup.

Here is the obverse. the first photo is with the reveal bulb. notice how redish/purple the coin looks. The second photo is with the regular bulb and notice how green the coin is.

reveal bulb


regular light



the reverse of this coin is a very deep mirrored yellow. First 2 photos are from the reveal bulb and the third is from the regular light.



and here is the regular bulb




All in all the coin looks more like the photos with the reveal bulbs. The colors on the first shot of the reverse are dead on for what the coin looks like in person however in that photo you cannot see the firery reds on the rim.

Get me your input on what you think and what you have found out in your picture taking.

wingedliberty

Thanks. Very educational. Appreciate you sharing it.

Casey

Great post. I just started experimenting with using a dome (home made) and I like the results so far. I'm still playing with the lighting.

Barry

Look at the white insert, especially towards the bottom of the coin, in the first picture. It has a bluish cast, rather than white. That's because the Reveal bulb puts out more blue light than a regular incandescent bulb. Now, look at your second picture. The insert is yellowgreen, not white. Again, you are getting an inaccurate color cast. For an accurate color cast, you need to do a custom white balance with whatever light source you're using.
Also, you may want to add a second light source with your dome. It isn't diffusing the light very well, as can be seen by a) the difference in color from top to bottom of the insert, and b) the shadow. As you know, the dome's purpose is to evenly light the subject. Your light is stronger from below in these pics.
The third pic looks perfect, in terms of color cast and even illumination.

PTVETTER

JB,

How is the Mercury dime set going?

SDCollector

Nice pic. Here's my 1891 VAM2 under natural lighting. Just got it today. It has very light gold toning.

jbsteven

barry I usally use both the reveal and the regular light but was using just one for this shot

I also think the angle of the shot and the angle I am holding the coin at has alot ot do with it. I always hold the coins and tilt them when I take photos. When I lay them flat I can never get a good angle that catches the colors correctly.

the light was coming from 12:00 for the reveal bulb and roughly 9:00 and 3:00 for the fiber optic light.

the problem with the third photo is that it does not catch any of the color from the rim.

jbsteven

pt

I have been adding quite a few of the easy ones recently and a few nicer pedigreed ones

Every big show I go to (about 1 a month) I will be adding nicer coins when I can find them. I am having a hard time locating ms68's in no bands in the easy years. I have 3 for my set so far and 3 extra 1939's in 68 no bands.

I will be looking for the higher point ones at Long Beach and hopefully I can find them on the floor or if I have to I will take a few through the auctions.

sinin1

beautiful coins

- you might want to lower the wattage on the REVEAL and use 2 - 40 watts I think will help cut glare on top of coins





- I have a homemade dome but frequently take it off on raw coins - it makes them sparkle with luster

- I have more difficulty on slabbed coins without dome, causes reflection glare

jbsteven

sinin1

I will give that a shot........thanks

I like how the reveal bulbs do but I hate that it leaves a glare or haze on the photo.