Photographing coins is what you want it to be
66RB
Posts: 2,516 ✭✭✭
In other words, when you shoot a coin, you're capturing one 'view' of the coin. Tilt the coin a little, move the light a little, and you can end up with images that are markedly different.
When you have a coin in hand, you can rotate the coin around and see it from all angles. Even in hand, looking at the coin from different angles will give the coin a different look.
I can hold a coin under the light, at a sharp angle and see colors. Tilt the coin a little and the colors are gone.
Is there really any way to say that 'this image best represents the coin in hand', when there are so many variables when actually holding the coin in hand?
I say there is not, for you are capturing just one 'view' or 'angle' of the coin. The best thing I ever saw in regards to 'best represents the coin in hand' was a thread Airplanenut did a while back that had a video of a coin being turned under a light.
Photos of coins are what you make them to be. Any coin can be made to look better than it actually looks, and conversely, any coin can be made to look worse than it really is.
Am I making any sense?
edit:Hereis Airplanenut's thread I was referring to
When you have a coin in hand, you can rotate the coin around and see it from all angles. Even in hand, looking at the coin from different angles will give the coin a different look.
I can hold a coin under the light, at a sharp angle and see colors. Tilt the coin a little and the colors are gone.
Is there really any way to say that 'this image best represents the coin in hand', when there are so many variables when actually holding the coin in hand?
I say there is not, for you are capturing just one 'view' or 'angle' of the coin. The best thing I ever saw in regards to 'best represents the coin in hand' was a thread Airplanenut did a while back that had a video of a coin being turned under a light.
Photos of coins are what you make them to be. Any coin can be made to look better than it actually looks, and conversely, any coin can be made to look worse than it really is.
Am I making any sense?
edit:Hereis Airplanenut's thread I was referring to
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Comments
Ken
Some people manipulate their coin pics. "juice" em, so to speak. To me this is a travesty. Others like Mark and many others on this board who have the talent do not try for pretty, that's not what they want nor desire. The goal is the most accurate depection of the coin possible. No small accomplishment.
Another forum member sent me some pics. of a few of his coins to play with. He enclosed one he called his glamour shot. Now it was a real pretty Pic. but not an accurate depiction of the coin. He knew this and that was not the one he wanted. Sure it hid the flaws and made the coin look great. Also hid the history of the old Morgan. Not his goal.
I have absolutely no problem with glamour shots. They do have a place. We restore old photos all the time, get rid of the creases, the spots, etc. We turn grey hair black, we make that smile really shine. No problem. We have absolutely no problem indulging a customers vanity. That's our job and we try real hard to be good at it.
I wanted a Giclee of an ASE, I wanted it without the milk spots so I removed them and it looks great. No problem. The coin looks dang close to the way it did before those pesky milk spots appeared. No problem.
The problem would be if I was to use that Giclee, no milk spots, to sell it. Not the Giclee, but the coin. That's just plain wrong. That's, dare I mention the F word, fraud.
There are those in our Hobby who try extremely hard to give the most accurate depiction possibe. None are perfect, but a fair depiction of the coin. The really good ones go the extra mile and give an accurate written description. I love that.
Bottom line: They build a good reputation over time that will IMO make them a winner. The loosers are the ones who manipulate to deceive. They should be run out the hobby and they will be in time. jmo. jws
In the BST forum there has been some problem receiving coins recently from someone.I surely would not risk any downloads from any new sellers.
Lincoln set Colorless Set
I don't know if the pictures are worth it as of yet... the problem with that was it was really hard to convert to a better file type. The detail, of course, is reserved just for images as of now.
Jeremy
You are making perfect sense.
A proof or toned MS coin usually has one "sweet spot", an angle that displays all its colors in full bloom.
Very hard to find, and the major reason why the suicide rate of toned IH photographers is quadruple
the national average.
Is there really any way to say that 'this image best represents the coin in hand', when there are so many variables when actually holding the coin in hand?
I think there is. Take a full slab image of the coin. These images get you back to basics. The best coin images are cut out of full slab
images.
<< <i>A proof or toned MS coin usually has one "sweet spot", an angle that displays all its colors in full bloom.
Very hard to find, and the major reason why the suicide rate of toned IH photographers is quadruple
the national average. >>
Jeremy, no need to apologize, it was a great idea and a valiant attempt. Let me tell you, I wouldn't know the first thing about how to make a video and post it online
Lincoln set Colorless Set