Ready to take some pictures

[Doug]

Okay guys, I'm a blatant rookie on photography to say the least. Name your appropriate Lincoln rpm as a "personal project" for me (hopefully I have it) to learn and I'll give it a try. No doubt, countless efforts on my part will be "light years" below CC's criteria but I need a challenge to test all my new equipment and begin the endeavor. So darned many to shoot and no idea where to start! Give me an assignment and I'll wade in on making the mistakes and learning from them as well over time. Gotta start somewhere.

[joeyuk]

If you have a coin that Chuck has photographed for the site try that one and compare. The exact coin would be best as opposed to a diferent example of the same variety.
I picked up a Nikon coolpix 8700 over the weekend. I hope to eventually learn to use it properly. Joe

[Bob P]

It is really great to see you guys taking the interest in photographing the coins. A couple of notes if you don't mind;

1.) The lighting will most likely be your problem area (if any). It has taken me over a year to finally get the light right. I am sure that when you look at some of the pics on the site, you can tell which ones are recent compared to the others. Try to illuminate the coin as evenly as possible, but the light should come from a direction that shows the variety without either saturating it with too much light, or forming a shadow that takes away from what you are trying to photograph.

2.) Don't get frustrated! There are a lot of things to consider such as backlighting, focus, contrast etc. The higher the pixel rating, the better the pic for editing and posting purposes.

3.) Sometimes, it is best to place the coin on a dark background, and one side should be wedged up around 5 degrees or so. Position the coin so it best shows your point of interest...preferably centered.

4.) Do not use the camera zoom if possible. Use the auto focus feature and macro settings, and zoom with the microscope.

5.) Remember that some minor problems can be edited out using editing software. Problems such as hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and sharpness can be adjusted.

6.) I would recommend trying to photograph the entire coin first, and move in to the subject a little further each time. You will find that once you master one, it is easier to adjust the other.

These are only suggestions. Chuck has his way, and although he taught me, the setup each of us has determines how we take the pictures.

If you would like me to have a look at what pictures you've taken, email me first and let me know. I will add your email address to my address book so the spam blocker won't put your pics in the never world.

Good Luck!!