POLL...which SAINT pic do you like better and why??

saintguru

A





B[/]

Hyperion

A, shows off what I assume is the natural color without sacraficing the detail. B is a bit too clinical (to my uneducated eye)

JRH

A seems to be lit from the left and B more from the right. I like A better, but not by much. A seems to show better depth. Possibly the lights were at different heights (A compared to .

IGWT

Is the crackling in the fields on each side of Liberty on the first coin an artifact of the photograph?

cullenbryant

B.. imo the background details much more prominant. i'd say it's a better strike.

Numismanic

A shows the luster better, but B shows the strike better. I prefer B.

saintguru

<< <i>Is the crackling in the fields on each side of Liberty on the first coin an artifact of the photograph? >>




YES

saintguru

<< <i>B.. imo the background details much more prominant. i'd say it's a better strike. >>



they are the same coin CB.

cullenbryant

i still like B

Pentimento

B shows the flow of the metal better IMO.

Barndog

I don't know exactly why, but B is more appealing

ajia

I don't like the 'artifacting' on A, looks like a sharpening 'problem'.
A has more contrast, either pumping up the black in A or bringing it down on B.
Not having enough black on B gives it a greenish hue.

Hard to make a choice, I like A for its rich color and color gamut.
I like B for detail (funny, because A is sharper) as I feel B was over-sharpened, creating noise that covers up some of the imperfections on the coin.

IGWT

<< <i>

<< <i>Is the crackling in the fields on each side of Liberty on the first coin an artifact of the photograph? >>




YES >>



OK, I choose B.

mgoodm3

I like B.

xbob

"B" all the way. The "A" photo is bad due to what appears to be the artifacts from over sharpening a jpg. On my monitor they appear as a grid pattern and unless there is a grid pattern across the coin, it isn't accurate and "A" should be tossed.

lloydmincy

A. She's thinner. Is that face for REAL??? Looks tooled, and now looks like Andre the Giant.

JRocco

Same coin.
I like B better

LincolnCentMan

A. It appears to have "more" luster.

David

messydesk

<< <i>The "A" photo is bad due to what appears to be the artifacts from over sharpening a jpg. >>


It's aliasing artifacts from a cheap resizing algorithm such as is available in MS Paint. I've discussed this in other threads. That notwithstanding, I still think I like A a little better. B looks a little too flat, especially for a coin that given picture A, seems to have beaucoup luster.

Deb048gold

A definetly reflects lustre whereas B reflects the strike.

Goldbully

What's her grade???


Such a beautiful low mintage Saint!!!!

bhartman35

I like B. A appears reddish and splotchy on my screen, so it looks less natural to me.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

number one because I like the flashiness

MikeInFL

A has the look of a Mike Printz pic, but B is the better pic if for no other reason that it doesn't have those square resizing artifacts. I'll bet B it is also a more accurate representation of the coin in hand. ....Mike

MacCrimmon

I'll take your 1929, since it glows in the dark.....

Both have their positives. Hey, I just noticed that "B" has more gold in it.

michael

a

shows lustre and color better

rec78

B --I can see grid lines in A

saintguru

<< <i>What's her grade???


Such a beautiful low mintage Saint!!!! >>



MS65 from the most prominent and "unknown" collection in the world. This collector bought the Morse MS66 POP1, which was simply perfect. The 1913-S is a very difficult date to find nice. The coins were sent to Central America and handles mercilessly.

The best coins were likely plucked from the dies for collectors who bought them directly from the mint. There are a very small handfull that I think this applies to, this being one of them.


I wish that these pics could be melded into one. A shows the flash, but it is compressed. B is a detail bonanza but lacks life. Take the best of the two and that's what the coin is. Thanks all 50 who voted!!!

dlimb2

A exposes everything luster, strike ...B exposes the strike with no luster....I like B if you could get the luster going on it.

saintguru

The problem is two fold.

The coin is VERY lustrous. With technique A, lustre can play havoc on the picture. Second, the pic tends to deteriorate when I post them. I am so un-tech I don't know why...they are the same ones on my hard drive, but something happens.

The second pic is a great view of the topography of the coin. It's clean accurate, but as stated by many, it's not "alive". It's still a fabulous picture, and even the photographer patted himself on the back, thank you mgoodm!

Mike Printz took A...this was perhaps the most difficult coin I have had him do...and what's odd, is that you never know what coin is going to be difficult. This one is. It's got a lot of flash under a frosty surface and the reflection must be very bright....

stephunter

<< <i>Same coin.
I like B better >>



Ditto

mgoodm3

I fully agree that the luster is subdued on my pic, and would probably shoot it differently in retrospect. I'll tell you right now that saints are a total pain to photograph. There is always a compromise to make with them. You get the flash and you've suddenly got too much contrast and all of the highlights are overexposed. So you soften up the light and now you've lost your luster. I tend to look for detail, so I chose that compromise. I have a new trick up my sleeve (coming in the mail today) that may allow me to have both, stay tuned.

laserart

a) is nice but b) looks like it could be cold out.

Longacre

B looks better to me. I don't why, but the color looks nicer to me.