Question for the photo gurus out there...pro and amateur

Stork

I have about 110 coins I'd like to have photographed very nicely...and going by the fact my New Years Resolution "to learn how to take pictures" is now on it's 10th or 12th anniversary, it is abundantly clear that if I want good pictures I should hire someone to do it.



(I have two Registry sets over at NGC I'd like to do up right--my competitive Albanian set and my custom Japan type set set).



I'm not super excited about mailing away--not overly valuable coins, but even with Registered mail I'd be nervous. I thought about driving or taking the train to the next Baltimore show--and REALLY not excited to hand carry on the train, nor do I want to do the drive.



Are there any photo guys in the southwest Virginia area or within a couple hours? That kind of drive would be okay, or if it's close enough would someone travel to me (expenses paid of course...if it's an overnight there is a terrific B&B nearby so no cheap hotel)?



Any additions to either set I'd feel okay mailing or traveling with, but I'd be a nervous wreck trying to send/carry all my favorites to get them done at once. If nothing else, the sheer bulk would be a pain in the rear and managing all of them would not allow me to enjoy the show.



OR, if I do decide to suck it up and bring one of the sets to Baltimore, should I make an appointment? I know some folks set up at shows but I've never really paid attention. If I do that route any recommendations?



OR, suck it up and learn to trust the post office and registered mail?



OR, do I just get off my tush and learn how to do it myself? I'd like to get a nice shot of all my medals too, but that would be a budget buster.



Come to think of it, how many coins could be reasonably done in an hour? Maybe I should start smaller...like just the Albanian coins first...

Boosibri

Retail fees are around $10-$14 per coin (though with the size of your order I'm sure you could improve upon those rates). With 110 coins I think learning would be my approach. If that isn't for you I would just mail them registered mail to one of the excellent photographers on this forum.

Stork

Aargh...trust the USPS Registered? What if the plane crashes

neildrobertson

Get off your tush and do it yourself. My coin photos aren't as good as PCGS and some of the people on here, but they're good enough for presentation. It's not terribly expensive either.

You basically need five things to take competent photos:
1. Good lighting
2. A good camera stand/copy stand/mount
3. Manual focus and exposure controls on your camera
4. Basic photo editing software
5. A willingness to experiment and try things

The camera is not even the most important piece of equipment. My point and shoot camera takes just as good photos as my APS-C camera, with only a reduction in effective resolution and detail at high magnification. You can get everything you need for 100-500 dollars depending on what you already have. The sky is the limit if you want to go overboard.

It is pretty time consuming until you get the hang of things and find out what you like.

Last year I spent about 500 dollars on some stuff (more than I needed to) and started taking photos. This registry set was my first attempt. I have since retaken some of the weaker photos and I need to update it. I should probably redo them all, but it'll give you an idea of what you can do with a normal budget and a small amount of photography experience.
https://coins.www.collectors-s...omSetView.aspx?s=14505

Weiss

I actually think of it as a component of my collecting, and I get quite a bit of enjoyment from it. Spending time looking at my coins is one of my favorite things to do.

Trial and error with Photoshop helps a ton. If you don't have it, you might consider buying a lower end version. It's pretty intuitive and you can find answers online if you have questions.

You don't need expensive equipment, either. I shot this one on my phone this morning (Galaxy 6). Held in my hand, auto focus, natural daylight. It's not spectacular but this piece is only about 15mm--smaller than my icon image to the left :



A few other recent shots with my phone, no stand, no special lighting:

Broadstruck

If you fear loss while shipping and have over 100 items you can cover a very nice photo rig for less then what you'd pay others.



With a little dedication you should be able to take some quality photos pretty rapidly.

AUandAG

Try seeing if your local community college or University has a class to learn.



bob



Here is one with my point and shoot on a camera stand with two lights...auto focus with a macro button. That's it and if you want to compare to PCGS TruView just put in the number and you'll see Phil's shot.

Stork

Maybe I should have done a poll...and learning to do it for myself would have been the big winner . I'll keep the resolution going for now.



Good idea to check with the local community college, there is one and there is probably a class. My middle schooler has the chance to pick his elective for next year and I was hoping he'd do the photography class.



Weiss, how do you do the top photo? My laptop had died and I'm currently using my phone or tablet. We do have a desktop Mac, but my husband and younger son are the primary users.

Weiss

Photoshop allows you to cut the image (crop) and set it into a neutral background. So I cropped the obverse, reverse, and insert photos, dropped them all onto a blank image, moved them around to where I wanted them, then filled in the background with black. That's not nearly as fancy as smeagle and some of the others here who do the faded reflection effect for their insert images. But I like how it provides a ton of information about the coin in a handy and easy to reference photo.

brg5658

Originally posted by: Weiss

Photoshop allows you to cut the image (crop) and set it into a neutral background. So I cropped the obverse, reverse, and insert photos, dropped them all onto a blank image, moved them around to where I wanted them, then filled in the background with black. That's not nearly as fancy as smeagle and some of the others here who do the faded reflection effect for their insert images. But I like how it provides a ton of information about the coin in a handy and easy to reference photo.

A free option, if you don't want to pay for Photoshop is called "GIMP". Do a Google search, and you will the download. It's a very nice open-source and free option for photo editing.

jgenn

I also recommend GIMP. It has many powerful image manipulation tools, but it has a pretty steep learning curve.



My suggestion for Stork is to get familiar with the photo processing software first (using your phone or tablet for photography) before investing in any photography equipment. See if you have the patience to learn how to use the photo editing software well.

YQQ

If you have the interest and time... it takes time.... , do your own! A lot of fun to see the results..

My Photo SW of choice is ACDC. it is very reasonably priced, provides a 30 day trial and costs around $ 50. there is a "easy" learning curve, but if you past grade 12, it will be easy. lolololo
it has everything I ever need and more, for taking Images of coins.
Otherwise I use the lowest cost Canon Body ( usually it comes with a 55mm lens and some other goodies and is under $ 400)
and a 90 mm Tamron true Macro lens
use an old Darkroom enlarger.. check second hand stores. should be 20-25 $. this provides me with 2x focus possibilities, the enlarges and the cameras.
use two goose neck OTT lights from costco for $ 20 each.

the advantage of the Canon DSLR is very clear:
a: it also comes with an excellent array of Photo software. more than enough for coins.
B: it provides the opportunity to not just download your images from the camera, but to have your object on your computer monitor while you focus and make changes... a great advantage.
will post a photo later once I have my desk organice, perhaps on the weekend.

AUandAG

If you do not have Photoshop try the free PhotoScape.



bob

Stork

Free is good! Well, I guess I should buckle down and just learn how to do it. The software recommendations are helpful too. I think there are some old threads to look for that can show me the set ups physically. This would make much more sense financially. My coins are not valuable, but at least with the Albanians I have several 'top pops' that have been hard to find. I'd rather leave them in one place rather than have them go traveling.



Thanks for the advice everyone!

YQQ

Weiss,
just wondering where and how you obtained a 1964 liberty silver Dollar as shown in one of your pictures above?
does photo-Shop make that possible?
I guess miracles do happen?
are these 1OZ rounds?

CIVITAS

If you intend to DIY, get Mark Goodman's book: Numismatic Photography. It's well worth it.



http://www.amazon.com/Numismat...Goodman/dp/193399004X/

Weiss

Originally posted by: YQQ
Weiss,
just wondering where and how you obtained a 1964 liberty silver Dollar as shown in one of your pictures above?
does photo-Shop make that possible?
I guess miracles do happen?
are these 1OZ rounds?

That's a genuine Daniel Carr original. You can do a search and pull up multiple threads on these. The long and short: our own member dcarr, who is a skilled technician, bought a decomissioned US mint press to augment his medal striking business. He then created dies for what a 1964 peace dollar would look like. Then he struck limited quantities of them. Ordinarily that would be a serious no-no (without the word "copy", at least). But dcarr ingeniously struck his fantasy pieces over actual peace dollars. As an overstruck coin, there is no requirement for the "copy". They're not fakes. They're not copies.

There is much debate about the ethics and legality of these pieces. I'm in favor of them. This is a matte finish example. He also struck a few other surface variations. All of the dies have been defaced now and they have become very collectible.

YQQ

thank you,
very, very interesting that it is not illegal. I guess here in Canada it would be illegal, defacing legal currency , government property or whatever...

Aethelred

My suggestion, and I am certainly no expert as a quick look at my photos will show...

Get a cheap Canon DSLR like a T5 or T5i (about $600 with an 18mm-55mm kit lens that is actually pretty good) and get a set of macro rings (about $200 for a 3 ring set, mine are 13mm, 21mm and 31mm and have sensors so they work with the camera and lens. You can use just one or stack them and they add worlds of usefulness to your camera). You can also use it for so many other things and have a lot of fun with it. You will also need Photoshop (the current version of Elements should run about $99) if you don't already have it.

The DIY route will cost the same or less and be so much more fun!

techwriter

Well, first of all for full disclosure I am not a coin collector as such, more of a researcher and student of dies and varieties. With that said, here are a few examples taken with my Plugable USB 2.0 Digital Microscope attached to my laptop:

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For my purposes the microscope works okay. Personal preference. Total cost for microscope and stand less than $100.