Critique my picture round 2 - three lights!

barrytrot · June 8, 2011 6:12AM

My wife wasn't able to find any suitable "real lights" thus far so this picture is using 3 LED's.

What do you guys think? I like the picture, but I want comments on additional ways to improve. (We are looking at finding "real" lights.)

Here is the giant version of the image in case you need more clarity:

https://secure.0si.com/limages/20110608152623843.jpg

relicsncoins · June 8, 2011 6:22AM

Excellent photo and not a bad coin either.

canadanz · June 8, 2011 6:25AM

Great photo! You should try to polish the slab though. I see some scuff marks in the bottom right.

barrytrot · June 8, 2011 6:38AM

<< <i>Great photo! You should try to polish the slab though. I see some scuff marks in the bottom right. >>

I ordered a couple bottles of http://slabrenew.com just now to clean this and other holders.

messydesk · June 8, 2011 6:57AM

I see a hazy spot almost dead center on the braid, too, that should be polished.

Over all, this picture is an improvement over the first.

keyman64 · June 8, 2011 7:54AM

I like a brighter face on Merc Dimes. The entire front of the face and front of the head is in a harsh shadow. The bottom of the coin could use a little more light as well. I would look into repositioning the lights.

Here are two styles that show a brighter face:

keyman64 · June 8, 2011 7:58AM

Here's another style that accomplishes less shadow

keyman64 · June 8, 2011 8:48AM

Oh, just to clarify...the three examples I posted...I am not saying they are perfect or right...but each one does allow for a brighter front of the face and head and that is what I like and would have you aim for....so you can see the definition in the lips, nose, forehead hair etc...

The 31-D is the worst image. (Heritage Photo)
The 28-S is the next best image. (A Photo I Actually Took)
The 43-S is the best out of the ones I posted...in my opinion. (A Photo BlueCC/Todd Took)

barrytrot · June 8, 2011 10:18AM

<< <i>Oh, just to clarify...the three examples I posted...I am not saying they are perfect or right...but each one does allow for a brighter front of the face and head and that is what I like and would have you aim for....so you can see the definition in the lips, nose, forehead hair etc...

The 31-D is the worst image. (Heritage Photo)
The 28-S is the next best image. (A Photo I Actually Took)
The 43-S is the best out of the ones I posted...in my opinion. (A Photo BlueCC/Todd Took) >>

You are right, I'll play with the light on the face tomorrow!

cheezhed · June 8, 2011 10:26AM

I like it, you're on the right track.

Try increasing the exposure or use exposure compensation (+).

pmh1nic · June 8, 2011 10:28AM

<< <i>Great photo! You should try to polish the slab though. I see some scuff marks in the bottom right. >>

Or just crack it out

.

mgoodm3 · June 8, 2011 11:02AM

nice pics. The LEDs have a little too much contrast, even with 3 lights for me.

I would also like more light from the top - big shadow across the top of the bust.

Very sharp picture.

rmpsrpms · June 9, 2011 6:16AM

LED's are very "small" sources. Basically all the light comes from a single point about 1mm across that is expanded to a wider area with a diverging lens. This creates local shadows and hot spots on the coin surfaces, especially ones with lots of luster like the OP's, creating the high contrast that mgoodm3 mentions, and also causing the blue/speckly/red effect that blu62vette mentioned in a previous post. A solution is to make the source look "larger" by adding some diffusion. the easiest method is to put some translucent white paper over the LED lens. The farther away from the LED the paper is placed, the "larger" the light source will appear. Basically the LED light hits the paper and re-scatters as it passes through the paper, so that it now appears to come from the paper, which is much larger than the LED. Less of the light reflects specularly off the "luster mirrors" due to the light hitting the coin from multiple angles, and more light hits the shadowy areas.

Keep in mind that the so-called "LED lights" being sold today are in reality "super-compact fluorescents". The LEDs are actually narrow-band blue/near-UV, and are covered with phosphorescent material similar to that used inside fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs. Until recently LEDs have suffered from too much "blue-bleed", ie the phosphors have not been efficient enough or thick enough to block all the blue/near-UV light coming directly from the LED, so they have had a spike in the spectrum around blue. The more recent ones have pushed the emitter frequencies up, increasing phosphor efficiency and creating a much better spectrum.

Ray

Critique my picture round 2 - three lights!

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