Whats with the washed out pictures?
WestySteve
Posts: 567 ✭✭✭
Lots of times when I'm reading this forum, folks will post pictures of their coins. Sometimes, the pictures are those provided by the grading services. Maybe they are registry photos? The problem is, it sure seems like those grading service pictures are washed out. Especially toned or gold coins. They only hint at the beauty of those coins. I give a (poor) example at the bottom of this thread.
Yesterday in the Optimal Collecting Grade thread, a couple of the guys posted true photographs of a classical gold coin and a St. Gaudens $20. Those pictures floored me, and I realized that its because they were accurate representations of their coins.
I guess thats its. I just wanted to make that statement. Seems like the amateur photos are better. I'm not faulting the grading services either because the purpose of their photo isn't for show and tell as much as clinical documentation. Maybe it will encourage you guys with wonder coins to take some detailed photos of your coins that have the real "metallic" color to them. Coin photography isn't easy and I don't want to discourage people from posting the grading service photos if its all they have handy. I'm just putting this concept out there.
I keep some of my coins in the safety deposit box. I like to have nice photos of my coins so that I can see them whenever I want without going to the bank. It'd kill me to not have accurate representations.
The example below isn't as dramatic because its not a closeup...but you get my drift.
Would you rather see this?
Grading Service Photo Link
or this?
Yesterday in the Optimal Collecting Grade thread, a couple of the guys posted true photographs of a classical gold coin and a St. Gaudens $20. Those pictures floored me, and I realized that its because they were accurate representations of their coins.
I guess thats its. I just wanted to make that statement. Seems like the amateur photos are better. I'm not faulting the grading services either because the purpose of their photo isn't for show and tell as much as clinical documentation. Maybe it will encourage you guys with wonder coins to take some detailed photos of your coins that have the real "metallic" color to them. Coin photography isn't easy and I don't want to discourage people from posting the grading service photos if its all they have handy. I'm just putting this concept out there.
I keep some of my coins in the safety deposit box. I like to have nice photos of my coins so that I can see them whenever I want without going to the bank. It'd kill me to not have accurate representations.
The example below isn't as dramatic because its not a closeup...but you get my drift.
Would you rather see this?
Grading Service Photo Link
or this?
0
Comments
Bill Jone's early gold: (I swear you can see the aged impurities in it...beautiful)
>>
Really? They don't do a good enough job? I'm lost. I just started to pay for our host's TrueView's imaging and believe me, they are extremely accurate. And they accurately show all of the flaws. And you can even study the flaws in detail with the LARGE trueviews. I guess I don't get your post about TPG's and their photographs.
I am in the same boat as you, I prefer to have accurate photos of all my coins and have worked hard over the years to improve my photography skills. At this point, the only way to improve is to start using a DSLR which I just don't have the energy to master right now.
As for taking good photos. I'm no expert. But I've figured out one trick when using a "normal" digital camera. Put your camera in macro mode (if it has one), then the most important thing is to set your resolution to maximum. Then take the picture from relatively far away (like as much as 2 to 3-feet) and crop it. This is a good idea even if you can put it closer and focus in macro mode. Even after cropping, the resolution should be good enough to show some detail. I think the reason this works is that cheap cameras like my own aren't nearly as good at taking close-up photos as far away...even in macro mode. It takes a really expensive lens to take close up photos well, but photos from a distance are relatively achieveable. It has to do with the difficulty of making different focal length lenses that can bend and unbend the light correctly. The precision needed for making a good close focus lens is much higher than one that can focus at a distance. So many cameras just suck at taking tight shots, even if it doesn't look that bad in the viewfinder.
Steve
so they can pick on every small tick that shows in this huge image. When in person it's nothing. Also keep in mind, I have no doubt some folks don't post images because they feel they are not up to "board standards." So IMO, posts like these might make other folks less likely to post an image. I read all the time people saying "sorry for the terrible image" when it looks pretty decent.
The problem is that there are compromises with photography. PCGS focuses (ahem) more on color and less on luster. We "amateurs" have our own preferences.
I like seeing them all. And I love beautiful coins, however they're depicted.
Lance.
Franklin-Lover's Forum