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Imaging Luster and Color....
LucyBop
Posts: 14,001 ✭✭✭
I don't really have any tips, as I am hardly a photographer to say the least, but I have developed my own style when it comes to imaging a coin.
I try and capture what my eye see's, if I can do so, I feel my images will truely represent any given coin.
I don't prefer strong lighting and I don't use anything fancy. I do like dark spots on the coins in my images (many probably don't) as these further enhance luster and color as it glimmers, and is typically how the eye see's the coins. I have flooded a coin with many lights and wound up with a nice bright image, but how often is this how the eye see's a coin?
So my style, capture detail, color, and that elusive luster, that glimmers and sparkles as the coin is being rotated, this one, has very very strong luster,
I try and capture what my eye see's, if I can do so, I feel my images will truely represent any given coin.
I don't prefer strong lighting and I don't use anything fancy. I do like dark spots on the coins in my images (many probably don't) as these further enhance luster and color as it glimmers, and is typically how the eye see's the coins. I have flooded a coin with many lights and wound up with a nice bright image, but how often is this how the eye see's a coin?
So my style, capture detail, color, and that elusive luster, that glimmers and sparkles as the coin is being rotated, this one, has very very strong luster,
Be Bop A Lula!!"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
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I think they are about as realistic as you can get, and are right up their with the other top coin photogs on this board!
Do you have your toned Frankie images displayed anywhere? A registry set or "virtual coin album" display of you toned Frankies would be a real treat to see!
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
That is what I do, take multiple photos using multiple settings until I see on the screen what my eye sees. If I cant nail it, I post the least visually offensive image.
<< <i>As always, beautiful images!!
I think they are about as realistic as you can get, and are right up their with the other top coin photogs on this board!
Do you have your toned Frankie images displayed anywhere? A registry set or "virtual coin album" display of you toned Frankies would be a real treat to see! >>
a 'virtual coin album'......
hmmmm.....
Now there is a idea....
My Camera is the Cannon Powershot Pro1.... a 8 megapixel point and shoot...
I often used the auto setting, or the setting on P which allows me to use super macro mode and also play with the white balance. No special lens and no filters.
Pics are often shot in a sunlit room, however the above were shot minutes ago, lighting is normal house lighting with one flood lamp using a sylvania daylight flood lamp.
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
the Hepcats know...
No SQUARES were used in the making of this thread.
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
But I must tell you there is nothing like a well photographed toned Frankie
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
<< <i>Nice pics, as always, Lucy. Curious on one point. Are you shooting in jpeg or raw? Just got a new camera and couldn't find a new Pro 1 so got the Canon Powershot S5 IS. It has a lot of good features but only shoots in jpeg. >>
I only shoot in jpeg....
Cause its easier....
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
Slightly brighter image compared with original
U.S. Type Set
<< <i>Nice photos. You probably should raise the gamma a bit (1.3 or so) to bring out the details that will be too dark on some monitors, particularly LCDs,which don't have the contrast range of CRTs. You sort of have to aim for an image that looks OK on MOST monitors rather than perfect on just a few.
>>
All my images are edited on a LCD monitor, I haven't used a CRT in a good 7 or 8 years ago.
Again, I am not seeking anybodys advice, and the dark spots are their by design. They help emphasize the luster and color, this is how my eyes would see it.
So no, no raising gamma for me, whatever that may mean. Your image started to wash out the color, as can be seen in the two images side by side, the Orange highlites in Frankies head are somewhat lost in your image, this isn't better.
I am aiming for a image that captures the coins true likeness, and not concerned with 'most' monitors.
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
<< <i>this thread has been brought to you by HepKitty productions..
the Hepcats know...
No SQUARES were used in the making of this thread. >>
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
<< <i>
I am aiming for a image that captures the coins true likeness, and not concerned with 'most' monitors. >>
Well unless you have run the gamma calibration on your video card, you are not seeing what the image really looks like to others. Making a picture that looks right to YOUR eyes on YOUR
monitor is not good practice. It's best to be slightly bright than slightly dark.
Your pics are very nice Lucy,but as my monitor shows your coins tend to look
to be on the dark side and maybe over-blown on the highlights.
To see this affect adjust the contrast up and back an notice the little
detail becoming lost as you adjust +/- on the contrast.
Frankcoin`s `gamma-corrected` pic, to me, looks probably closer to what
the coin looks like in hand as oppsed to your slightly darker colorful pics dear.
Its a give and take thing with showing highlights and not having a pic that looks washed out.
Trying to find that best middle ground area is the trick I think.
–John Adams, 1826
Great thread!
Lucy's stylee is way-out! She has an artisan's eye and is a gifted photographer. Her images, like her personna, just SHINE!
Some great constructive criticism here too! That black background trick..very cool Mescalito!
and they're cold.
I don't want nobody to shoot me in the foxhole."
Mary
Best Franklin Website
Very cool. Thanks for the tip Mesquite.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
<< <i>Lucy, great photos of a really fine coin. I do have a suggestion for presentation. If you import the images into something like paint.NET (that is freeware you can download off the net) you can straighten up the images and get a uniform background. I think that makes the presentation complete. Just a suggestion. Here are your images 2 and 4.
>>
I can do this in photoshop, my images were at angles or different rotations on purpose, to show the luster and color as the coin is being rotated.
My eyes see the coin in a certian manner, I look to capture that on my LCD monitor on my lowly laptop, if this doesn't look good on other monitors, then so be it.
I am not seeking input, I enjoy how they come out, and I'll continue to do what I do.
In photoshop I merely crop and resize a image, then compress it to a jpeg that is a reasonable file size, and thats it.
Depending on the coin, I purposely want it dark or dark areas, or I need it rather well lit and not so much dark areas.. I examine a coin and I decide how I want to try and capture what
I see in the coin, and sometimes more light is what I want, to produce a brighter image, but coins with monster luster and color I tend to want darker areas in the coin..
These examples, needed a more lit brighter image, it looks sweet on my LCD monitor, which it may or may not on other monitors and if so, oh well. So I let the coin speak to me and I then proceed with how I want to image, again, this is my style of imaging coins, and it isn't changing, it may not be for everybody, and thats ok.
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
<< <i>Not dissing the HepKitty but, I have to agree with Frankcoin on this.
Your pics are very nice Lucy,but as my monitor shows your coins tend to look
to be on the dark side and maybe over-blown on the highlights.
To see this affect adjust the contrast up and back an notice the little
detail becoming lost as you adjust +/- on the contrast.
Frankcoin`s `gamma-corrected` pic, to me, looks probably closer to what
the coin looks like in hand as oppsed to your slightly darker colorful pics dear.
Its a give and take thing with showing highlights and not having a pic that looks washed out.
Trying to find that best middle ground area is the trick I think. >>
The difference being, I have the coin in hand, and the gamma corrected image doesn't portray the coin as accurately shot by me under the lowlit light conditions that were purposely used.
This coin has incredible luster, amongst the best my eyes have ever seen, and it truely glimmers and sparkles when it is rotated, and those images show that.
I could easily use some more lights or even shoot during daylight, which I often do, and create a brighter image which would still look good, but this monster was yelling at me to capture the luster/color that my eyes were seeing, and this isn't a easy thing to do. And it is my opinion, that this one came to life in a lowlit setting..
I have held 5 ms67 PCGs Frankies in my hands at different times, owning 4 and making the grade on 2 of them, and this 57 rivals those coins as far as luster is concerned.
A MS67 PCGs Frankie, or atleast the ones I have personaly owned, made, seen, have tremendous knockout luster, and this 57 has that type of Ultra GEM Stunning luster, so what may seem
like the luster/color areas are over emphasized isn't the case, rather it is a very accurate capture of the beauty and monster luster of this Franklin.
the Gamma corrected image, atleast on my monitor, loses some of the Orange highlites found in Frankies head, and loses some of the golden/yellowish neonish rim color found on the Obverse, which simple sparkles and glistens as this one is being rotated.
Again, I have the coin in hand.
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
<< <i>
That's a sexy Franklin. The toned '51 a couple posts up, too
Box of 20
....how'd you like to do your thing on this 61-D 'lil boop ?
green is very very sweet!
"Senorita HepKitty"
"I want a real cool Kitty from Hepcat City, to stay in step with me" - Bill Carter
Love the colors and the pictures you take. Hope the foot gets better.
<< <i>i dig the dizzy color on that one..
green is very very sweet! >>
the color of money and emeralds ..........