Capturing PL or Proof Attributes in Images?

keoj

I was wondering if some very savvy digital forum member has any tips on capturing Proof or PL mirror attribute in images? I've tried and tried and can't quite come up with a consistent way to show the Proof or PL mirror qualities. Any help would be appreciated. I've attached an attempt to show.....

keoj

airplanenut

Try to light the area around the coin, but not the coin itself. If you light the coin, you'll bring out any lustre present and kill the mirrors--a piece of dark paper to make the mirrors black can help, too.

Jeremy

mgoodm3

Depends on how PL it is. normal lighting from the side will reflect off of the relief and frostier areas with less reflection into the camera from the mirrors. A shot straight into the light will light up the mirrors and show whatever color is present and will generally show contrast with the relief. This is the only semi-PL coin I've got both pics of online. Doesn't show luster from straight on.

Russ

Sometimes angle is necessary. Take the example of this Seated half.

Shot straight on:



Shot at an angle:



Russ, NCNE

prooflike

Capturing color, detail, and luster/PL surfaces all in one shot is very challenging. I am working on doing just that with a AU55 quarter with PL fields. The following shot shows color & detail, but looks like the fields lack luster rather than being prooflike. Too much refelction on the obverse, but good detail on the reverse. Color is accurate.

shylock

Jeremy's suggestion is what I used on the top reverse photo, getting 3 Ott lites as close to the edge of the coin as I could to bring out the mirrors. It's also at a slight angle. The bottom pic is Superier's photo of the same coin just to show you how different the same coin can look. Most proofs really need two sets of photos, a normal and an angled shot.

Betta285

I find that i get the best result from taking PL/proof images if the light source and the camera are at 90 degrees angles from eachother......

shylock

With toned IH proofs I usually have to shoot through direct glare to capture their second dimension of color. The same proof at two angles:

keoj

Thanks all, these were all very good suggestions to a very hard problem. Its a real tough issue to try to get a good image of a mirror. Thanks.

keoj

oldcameoproofsguy

I am definitely not satisfied with the image of this coin. I will shoot it again.

I use a low tech method of getting the fields to look black. I use folded pieces of paper to prop the slab just enough so that the fields of the coin look as black as possible in the viewfinder of the camera. If the coin requires very little photoshop, I know that I've done my job.

I may try a large black piece of paper with a hole cut out of it fit to the lens to see if that doesn't help. I'll let you know of the results.