Question about gold coin pictures.
 

This is probably for you camera experts but I thought I would throw it out there and see if I could glimmer any knowledge.

Why is it that some pictures of gold coins, look gold and others, look like copper?

I'm thinking it's the light but I'm not sure. Any camera bugs have an answer for me?

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

Light source and white balance of the camera but TomD has the final word on that one

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

TomD is our in-house camera guru. Give him a holler. :36_1_32v:

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

Lighting is everything. Here is a 50 cent half dollar. You can make it look like gold with incandescent light.

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

I think background has a lot to do with it also - take a gold coin and photograph against a black background and then a white one, see what you get.

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

Good point but I think that is still just lighting, either reflecting it back with a white or absorbing it with black

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

The color balance of the light has large effect on the image; after all, what you are recording with the camera is the result of the color of the source light "filtered" by the objects in the scene.

When you take a photo in a room lit by fluorescent lighting, you may notice a greenish cast in the image which you did not notice with your eyes. Similar thing with rooms lit only by tungsten light; you may notice images taken in such rooms tend to be very warm, or orangish in tone.

Your visual system is very adept at compensating for these effects; each room appears to you to be illuminated by white light. The camera however does not compensate (unless other means are used); it records the colors that are actually there.

Try illuminating your coins with different light sources to find one that works best. Failing that, you may have to resort to a filter, or tweak the camera's color response (white balance), if possible.

And then, there's always Photoshop.

R.

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

In regards to all the comments about white balance, you can always try the manual white balance on your camera.

1. Get a piece of solid white paper (take one from your printer).
2. Set your coin where you wish to photo it and turn your light source on.
3. Put the paper over your coin and put the camera where you will be snapping the picture from.
4. Now, aim at the paper and hit the button to set the white balance.
5. This should make the colors appear normal now.

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

A little late.

The earlier guys are right, it's white balance due to light source. In the picture below, all of the bulbs are 100 watt equivalent CF exterior floods. More importantly, they are "daylight" bulbs (5500K). Using daylight color temperature means I really don't have the problem. But if I did, as the other guys say, I'd have to correct it using the white balance adjustment. (there are a couple of ways to correct in photoshop too,)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3418/...f228208ce0.jpg

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

F--na TD, I'm sending all of my coins to you for photographing. Insured of course. This is the best that I can do.

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

Or maybe this one. Just not the studio that you have.

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

If the coins are different (Kruggerrand, American Gold Eagle and Canadian Gold Maple Leaf), the different colors mirror the different composition of the coins.

1. Kruggerrand: 22 karats gold, 2 karats copper --> reddish gold
2. AGE: 22 karats gold, 3% silver, 5% copper --> silverish gold
3. Maple: 24 karats gold --> golden gold

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

The easy way to get great lighting is to work out doors in open shade. That means you can see the sky but not the sun. Everything you do inside is attempting to provide a light source that good. It gets expensive.

Halogen lamps are fairly good, but some are no better than flashlights. Incandescent is so common that your digital camera probably adjusts for it automatically. Lots of people shoot with two 110W incandescent lamps and not much else. Or you can get actual color balanced bulbs for about 20 bux on Ebay and use a light box. You can make a light box by cutting holes in a cardboard box and covering the holes with white organdy. Organdy is the stuff in curtains that looks like window screen.

I found a lot of useful information HERE, most notably a recommendation for a good cheap camera. You can get more info by searching "coin photography".

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

I started out shooting outside and got some good shots but I had to work for them compared to the regularity of usable shots that I can achieve under lights. Occasionally though, daylight would REALLY work------

The pictures below are obv and reverse of a 1995 Austrian commemorative 1/2 oz gold coin.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/...4ef16c1de7.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/...c9bbdaf526.jpg

Re: Question about gold coin pictures.
 

I agree the daylight works. I tried many times for some of coins at home, but the images are horrible. Photshop works a little but can not make me satisfied. But I hate to take them outside my door. wow, really nice coin!!!