I want to take photograph of a coin to illustrate a web page!. It is a nickle/silver coloured coin and I particularly need the engraving to show clearly!.
The article is about the person commemorated on the coin!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>Visual Arts> How do I photograph a coin?Question: How do I photograph a coin!? I want to take photograph of a coin to illustrate a web page!. It is a nickle/silver coloured coin and I particularly need the engraving to show clearly!.
The article is about the person commemorated on the coin!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Unfortunately shooting any shiny object with harsh light will give you highlight reflections that will burn out and obliterate any detail!. The trick to shooting coins and jewelry is to use a flat light!. The best by far is a light tent, these are cheap to buy on eBay or you can make your own!. You can still use directional lighting with a light tent to cross light all the engraving, but you will avoid the dreaded flares!. A flash gun or two external to the light tent is the best way to go!. If you use two one is setup above the coin (outside the light tent) to give an overall soft illumination the other is setup to the side and by moving it closer or further away (the inverse square Law q!.v!.) determines the amount of shadow you have cast by the engraving!. If you use one flash alter its angle to mix the diffuse overall lighting with an angled direction, using two gives you total control!. Using a polarised filter on the both the camera and light source also works, but is more 'fiddly' to set up!.You have to set the polarisation angle to 90° to each other on the light source and camera!. Of course you will need a camera/lens that will enable you to fill the frame with the coin, the best is a DSLR with either a macro lens or bellows attachment, but you can get good results if your compact has a macro setting (usually indicated by a tulip as its icon), check your manual to determine how close your camera will focus, you have very little Depth of Field to play with when you are so close to your subject!. ChrisWww@QuestionHome@Com Strong side lighting to make the engraving(s) stand out!. Be in a dim room as well so the side away from the light source is darker!. For a special EFX you "could" try 2 different colored lights on each side of the coin!. The colors would light up different parts of the engraving, making them stand out in colored contrast!. Think of our Moon!. When the Sun light is at a angle to the Moon, all the craters and mountains stand out in high detail!. When the Moon is full, the Sun light is straight on and the features are lost!. A Gooseneck high intensity desk top lamp would work, maybe even a multi cell Mag light (flash light) twisted to give the spot light setting and not the wider flood light setting!. Of course, you will need close up equipment (macro lens, bellows, etc!.!.) or if you have a Point n Shoot, one than can or has close up ability, this may work!. If you have access to a flat bed scanner you may try scanning it!. However, flat bed scanners shine their light on the object like the Sun and full Moon, giving a rather washed out and detail lacking image!. But if one is handy, try it, you may like the results!. Bob - TucsonWww@QuestionHome@Com Set your camera on MACRO, you should get a very good photo in high definition!.!.!.Good Luck!.!.!.P!.S Place your camera on a tripod to eliminate camera shakeWww@QuestionHome@Com obviously use a digital camera, go close up and use the macro setting for sharp detail and then slightly blurred background!. good luckWww@QuestionHome@Com If you have a digital camera with a macro mode, I've had pretty good luck using that!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Good macro lens!. Preferably place it in a light tent and use diffused lighting!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |