Toners and how to photograph.

[eaxtellcoin]

I have a beautiful 1938-S/S RPM#1 Stage "D" that has golden tone around the rim with red tone in the center. I cannot photo the coin - always comes back looking brown with spots. Using a Nikon with one of Rays set up for close ups and three lights all dimmed with coffee filters to dim the pics. Any suggestions how to get the red/golden color. What the coin is trying to do is turn brown - I get it - just would be nice to have a good pic and find it a home. Eric

[Maineman750]

I'm no expert, but one thing to try is different color backgrounds....it makes a difference

[Roller]

Not an expert either but there is way too much exposure in my op. Are you using indirect lighting? If not, I would suggest a try.

[eaxtellcoin]

I've tried many different backgrounds no help. As for the exposure - that is the only way that I can get a true color- on my screen. Remember your LED screen has a lot to do with that. A picture looks different on everyone's screen. That is why it's so tough.

[Maineman750]

Send a PM to Ray Parkhurst...I'm sure he can help you

[jfines69]

You can ask Stoneman227 also... He gets some awesome photos of his toners!!!

[Amos 811]

I use full spectrum lights (6500).

[stoneman227]

These coins usually show their best color when the coin acts like a mirror angled to reflect the light source directly to your eye. Imagine a little round mirror and it's tilted to see the bulb in it.
Put a single diffused light source as close to the body of the lens as possible. Pick a small aperture on the lens for a larger depth of field. Put your coin on a white background and slightly tilt the coin to the light source . The colors should pop into view and the white background will give you a reference for true colors . The white background will also help your cameras auto white balance pick a true color temperature.
Hope this helps !

John

[ray_parkhurst]

These coins usually show their best color when the coin acts like a mirror angled to reflect the light source directly to your eye. Imagine a little round mirror and it's tilted to see the bulb in it.
Put a single diffused light source as close to the body of the lens as possible. Pick a small aperture on the lens for a larger depth of field. Put your coin on a white background and slightly tilt the coin to the light source . The colors should pop into view and the white background will give you a reference for true colors . The white background will also help your cameras auto white balance pick a true color temperature.
Hope this helps !

John

Excellent advice. John is describing what I call "pseudo-axial" lighting. Only tricky part is to diffuse the light so that you get even illumination.

If you're using small lights like Jansjos, using small aperture, you can put the light between the lens and the coin. Not directly between of course, but you can move it closer than you would expect without blocking any light from getting to the sensor. The closer to vertical you can make the light, the less tilt you will need on the coin.

[eaxtellcoin]

Well with John's advise from above. I re shot the coin in question. Still cannot pull the full red i'm looking for but it is closer. What do you guys think? This IS the same coin photographed in the first picture.

[ray_parkhurst]

Looks pretty good.

Note that if you can see what you want with the coin in-hand, you can photograph it. You just need to get the lights and the angles of the coin the same when taking the picture as you did when holding it in hand. If the pic doesn't come out the way you want, it's simply because you're not lighting it the same way you did when you liked what you were seeing.

[Ordinary Fool]

I'd try polarizing the light source and your objective lens. Pop the lenses out of a cheap pair of sunglasses, if not sure verify they are polarized by rotating them at angles to each other. If they are polarized, they will block all light when rotated into phase with each other.

Borrow the hands of others. Maybe your camera has voice control. If nothing else, at least try polarizing the light source OR the objective and play with their phasing/rotation angles.

Under-exposed better than over-exposed.

The full spectrum light is also a good idea.

[Maineman750]

It's hard to say for sure without the actual coin in hand....but I think both pics are better, with the reverse pic really nice.

[jfines69]

I agree... Those pics are great... A little more practice and you will be a full fledged Coin Photographer!!!

[stoneman227]

Hi Eric ,
I hope you don't mind but I played with your pics and adjusted the background to somewhere close to white . Is this anywhere closer to what you see in the coin ?

John