Photo contest....

coindudeonebay

Voting ends tonight ATS.

Obverse vote.

Reverse vote.

ModCrewman

My momma told me never to go across the tracks...but if I could vote, I'd take the bottom one on both lists.

MarkInDavis

How can you select the best photo without seeing the coin in hand for comparison?

rmpsrpms

I've never understood what "seeing the coin in-hand" really means in regard to comparing with a coin photo. Some people say that the photo matches the in-hand look, but that is completely meaningless. With what lighting? Lighting is everything in both viewing and photographing a coin. If you ever saw a photo that looked like it did "in-hand" you'd say the photo was terrible because it's nearly impossible to get a good "single" look at a coin. When you have a coin "in-hand" you rotate it this way and that, try it out at different distances from the light source, maybe with different light sources, different loupes, etc. About the only thing you could possibly say looks the same in a photo vs in-hand is the color, and even then it is dubious since you rotate the coin to see color as well. So frustrating! Another of my pet peeves...

MarkInDavis

<< <i>I've never understood what "seeing the coin in-hand" really means in regard to comparing with a coin photo. Some people say that the photo matches the in-hand look, but that is completely meaningless. With what lighting? Lighting is everything in both viewing and photographing a coin. If you ever saw a photo that looked like it did "in-hand" you'd say the photo was terrible because it's nearly impossible to get a good "single" look at a coin. When you have a coin "in-hand" you rotate it this way and that, try it out at different distances from the light source, maybe with different light sources, different loupes, etc. About the only thing you could possibly say looks the same in a photo vs in-hand is the color, and even then it is dubious since you rotate the coin to see color as well. So frustrating! Another of my pet peeves... >>



I agree with what you are saying. I was looking at things the other way around. I have seen very nice looking photos that don't really look like the coin under any real world lighting conditions from any angle. I consider such photos to be a misrepresentation and consequently bad photos.

leothelyon

I always look for the damage a coin may have and the sharpness of all the details in the design that was intended by the sculptor. The intensity of the luster, toning and possible prooflike fields are impossible to measure from a photo. Although the comparison of photos, assuming one camera was used in similar lighting, one might be able to draw some conclusion on the eye appeal of the coin.

Major auction houses will purposely photograph coins in the worst directional lighting for the sole purpose to cut down on the returns of coins they auction. If a buyer can not make a reasonable argument for returning a coin, a purposely posted bad photo may prevent a return.
This last statement likely has little to do with your contest but I wanted to throw it out there.

The last picture seems to be the best of the lot. Not being able to see the coin in hand, how much the photo represents the coin, how can anyone possible tell?


Leo