What do I need to do with this?

[pennyhound]

What do I need to do ...

to get this color more like it should be?



Gone down to one layer of milk carton, with black paper on top as was suggested ... now what, can't seen to get it right.

Dual fiber Optic Light

using: Photoshop 5.0 LE

would like to get more of what's natural or what's on this site.

Coop ... how about it or anyone else.

[Bob P]

Pennyhound,
Since you are using photoshop, try the following to change the color on the pics of your coins.

The easiest way for me is to find the 'Hue and Saturation". I use Ctrl/U.

from that box, you can slide the 'saturation' bar to the left to remove some of the orange color. from that same box you can adjust the lightness of the image as well.

Basically, put a pic up there and play with the color adjustments, hue and saturation and brightness/contrast until you get something you like All these controls are under the 'adjustments' features of the 'Image' tab. Let me know how it goes.

[wavysteps2003]

I've got a lot to learn about shooting pics, however, even with simple programs like Microsoft "picture it" and Kodak "easy share" you can come up with something like this.


[img]


Always lots of fun doing these.

WAVYSTEPS2003

[coop]

I agree with the editing, but another question? How many light sources are you using? I see light on upper and lower parts of the letters. If you use two light sources they can give you grief as you may see something that isn't there. The angle of your ramp can affect the orange color, so try making one with a less steep angle. Keep the other one for full image shots, don't toss it. You may still want to use it later. The only time a I use a second light source is on solit lower serifs and I try to keep it far enough away to just give the split a little glow that makes it visible. To me I like the orange color. Better than blue, purple and green ones, but you can adjust the color the way you like it. If your still having problems, let me know and I'll help you out.

[pennyhound]

I use this same setup.



Just took the pic Chuck used to show how it was setup.

On the ends of my Dual Fiber Optic ... it has the focus end caps, which I have tried with and without the end caps.

Befor the storms made me quit, last evening, I came to this:

(posting in a bit ... have to load the picture)

I think what I'm doing wrong:

Trying to focus the light, thru the deffuser (cut milk carten, rolled around the end caps, so I get the most light on the coin.

Give me a minute and I'll add the picture.

[coop]

Ok, that help us see a better of what your working with. Have you tried raising the light just a bit at a time and see how that affects the images. Also with the varieable adjustment on the scope you can raise the settings alowing more light to reach areas that appear dark in your image. So Try raising the light a little and backing out on your settings on your scope. You will help reduce glare and remove dark shadows, and if the glare is too strong yet try adjusting the light setting to reduce the glare you don't want. Keep letting us know how it is coming and what works and what don't as other maybe reading this tread later with similiar problems. The forum is like a book. Those who read these messages that just come in can appreciate the positives and negatives experienced and can lear from our mistakes/sucesses.

[pennyhound]

This is what I was left with last evening.



I got this by turning the light down low (causing the darkness, I suppose)

I think were I'm going wrong is that I'm trying to produce the image on the first shot from camera.

In the sofeware that came with the camera, it has a light sourse, selection but only lists:

Florescent 60 hz
Florescent 50 hz
and
Incandescent

I was using the Florescent 50hz for the first pictures.

I was testing, the Incandescent and moving the light sourse away to even get this one befor I had to quite.

[coop]

Certain times of the day are better for images for me. Early morning is great till about 10:00 AM and it is best in the afternoon or evening are better for me. Why? Because I have a window allowing light to come into the room from the left that I don't want. In the evening I have a light that causes some unwanted light on the right side of my images. You know the glare that shows up on the right side of the devices. So I figured out a way to counter act the unwanted light. First you need to discern where the light is coming from. Right, Left, in front or behind that is giving you unwanted light? You can find out which direction the glare is coming from by moving your hand around the ramp blocking the unwanted light. When you determine what direction it is coming from you can do a few things to block it. On way is to hang a curtain between the light source and the scope. There are several ways to do this, but works best is to keep it closest to the scope, but not be in the way. I've used a facial tissue, a paper towel, or white bond paper or even cardboard to block the light so it won't reach your coin. It can be hung by tape or on an elaborate stand, but the main thing is to block that light or diffuse if so you can still see and not be receiving unwanted light. It takes a few test shots to get the desired results, but it is worth it in the end. You will be able to control your surroundings to get the image you want.

[pennyhound]

OK I think I'm on right road now ... wot cha think?





I think I got the pictures from camera ok enough to then edit them in Photoshop.

Thanks for the help, man I was getting so fustrated ... was going to buy another camera and lights ... hehehe ... think I can manage now that I know were to do what.

Let me know what ya think just a few quicks there, but I think I'm on the right track now.

Also: I left it on the Incandescent and left the settings on the camar alone now that its good enough to edit the pictures in photoshop ... a few more trys and I think I'm there.

[Bob P]

Good progress being made pennyhound. Just remember that when you tone down the saturation to get rid of some of the orange color, you may have to increase the lightness or brightness and contrast to compenstate. As I said before, the best thing to do is to put a picture up there in photoshop and play with all of the adjustment features to see what they do. Once you know that, it will be second nature to go right to the effect and take care of your pics to your satisfacttion.

[coop]

Getting there real good. Now another question? The images look a little bit too grainey? Is this the way the coin is or are you using a little too much sharpening? What I do with the sharpening is to sharpen and then hit CTRL+SHIFT+F key. This puts you to a screen where you can reduce the sharpening and I usually reduce it by 50%. If you are using this feature you may want to reduce the sharpen as it will help the image loose some of the grainey look. Other than that your on to your next problem. There is always the next problem

[pennyhound]

Ya copy that ... and will post after I try and fail to correct it.

Yes that is one of the things I was playing with last night:

the sharpness setting on me camara ... I have it set all the way up. I have to and will cut in at least half.

Didn't want to change to much as I put up those two sets of the numeral 2 in the date of that 2006P-1DO-004, that wavysteps had ask me to look at.

The main problem I was having in the begining was I was trying to make all these adjustments inside the camara shot itself ... now I know to get the shot then work on the proccessing of the picture after the shot ... it's comen along.

Just somemore fine tuning after the shot now.

(main thing is to get the right picture first ... then proccess it)

I will turn down the sharpness befor any other pictures and again ... (to both of ya'll) ... thanks for the point, in the right direction.

Shows again:

The only stupid question, is the one that is not asked.

Thanks again.

P.S.

I'd like to add:

If ya look at the pictures being posted both here and on E-Bay and other places ... there are alot of us that needed this little tid bit of information.

Thanks again.

[coop]

I was refering to the sharpness setting in Photoshop, but the reduction on the camera would also do the same thing. It a fine art acomplished after taking several images. Some good, some bad, but concentrate on what WORKS and what doesn't. Down the road you will look at your first images and WILL take them all over again. But your making fine progress. Keep commenting and all will learn from the concerted effort of this hobby.

[pennyhound]

Got that ... am already taking note of how many need to be edited ... lol.

Will be seeing more pictures from me now as I like the out come much more now.

Come to think of it ... since getting the new camara and lighting settup ... I haven't posted that many so maybe not to many to correct and only after I get tired of looking thru more cents ... hehe. (ya'll know the deal there)

[coop]

I guess I like to talk about how things in Photoshop work and what else it can do that I haven't used yet. Its a joy to have a tool that really works for you. I can image what you next question will be? Guess I will start preparing an answer for it now.