Dark Copper imaging HELP!!!!!!!!

cosmicdebris

Any tips on taking pictures of dark old copper???????

This was the best I could do and I think it sucks.

mgoodm3

like this one? The way I figure dark copper is: Lots of light at a lowish angle from one direction. You've got to maximize the light/shadow difference to see anything.

cosmicdebris

That's a great shot how many lights. IS the coin really that color or is it darker? Plus the coin I have is in a slab which makes it toughter.

Cam40

i could photoshop em the show the detail better.
but i know it may not show accurate color.

everyone has photoshop dont they?
just use brightness/contrast to adjust the image.
also the color adjustment helps to correct what you think the image should look like.

mgoodm3

I don't remember how many lights, but it may be a couple next to each other. Just keep it coming from one direction only. If it's slabbed may need to be even brighter. Here's another that's slabbed.

K6AZ

Make sure you have lots of light, and what really works for me it to fiddle with the exposure setting on my camera, usually about + 1.0 works for me on dark copper.

Cam40

Cam40

Barry

If you can't do it with lighting, do it in your image editing software:

phut

Nice coin Barry

phut

Oops nice coin Cosmicdebris

cosmicdebris

Next attempt. This image is to be printed on photo paper and to be as acurate as possible for a client. This is one tought coin to get it as dark as it really is and see any detail.

Barry

I can only take credit for the image doctoring, not the coin. Oops, I mean image curating

Barry

Next image:

cosmicdebris

Barry now get me that detail without washing out the color. The coin is as dark as my last image.

ConstellatioCollector

Pretty good! A little photoshop help also! Barry, Try to use a dark backgroud and angle the coin slightly. Maybe this will help.

phut

Nice coin ConstellatioCollector. Someone gave me a C-4 convention sale book last week that has a lot of that era stuff.

Barry

Bill,
I'm at a disadvantage, not having the real coin to see what it looks like. Here's two more attempts:

cosmicdebris

I think I got it

mgoodm3

Looks pretty good. Hard to keep it looking like real life and get any detail or contrast . Oh, you asked earlier whether my half cent was that dark or darker. i would say it's a little darker than the pic. Very dark brown, almost black.

tsacch

if i remember, I used sunlight, macro setting with a slow shutter.....