Numismatic Photography

by Goodman, Mark

• ISBN13: 9781933990040
• ISBN10: 193399004X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-04-22
• Publisher: Zyrus Pr

Summary

In this second edition of Numismatic Photography, author Mark Goodman has fine-tuned the secrets to quality digital coin photography through a structured, systematic approach that is easy to apply, simple to learn and guaranteed to produce spectacular results. The chapters are divided into two parts: Essentials and Advanced, allowing beginning photographers to learn without being overwhelmed while still providing more advanced photographers with the information needed to enhance and improve their skill sets. Whether the coin you are photographing is encapsulated or raw, deep mirror Proof or dark copper, Mint State or circulated, the skills and techniques outlined in this book allow even the beginning photographer to capture the true essence of each coin, with life-like brilliance, contrasting devices, sharp detail and perfect bands of luster.

Author Biography

My journey into the world of coin photography was a slow and step-wise process. I collected coins as a child and, like many people, had a long hiatus during high school and college. I started collecting again around the year 2000. A couple years later, I discovered the Collectors Universe online forums, which I found to be a valuable tool for learning about all aspects of coin collecting.Posting pictures of coins on the forum was the best way to get questions answered or to just show off a new purchase. I had an older Sony Mavica digital camera at the time that did a decent job of close-up photography, but it just did not have enough resolution to take the quality pictures that coin photography requires. I then purchased a Nikon Coolpix 5400. It was with this camera that I started to develop my own set of techniques. As these techniques evolved, I discovered the limitations of point and shoot cameras and made the jump to a digital SLR camera. I am a radiologist by trade, which means I spend most of my day in a dark room looking at images. Radiology teaches you to be very critical of your images and also to understand what makes an image look the way that it does. Attention to detail has, in part, fueled my obsession with image quality in coin photography. Moreover, given the near complete lack of information available in print on how to photograph coins, nearly all of my techniques are self-taught. Coin photography is very different from other macrophotography disciplines and requires the development of a completely different set of skills and techniques. The idea for Numismatic Photography grew out of the myriad coin photography questions I answered in the online forum. After writing the same advice over and over to people, I began the process of consolidating all that information into one place. This resulted in two published articles on coin photography. Both appeared in Longacre's Ledger, a journal for Indian cent collectors, and online at my website. Then, about three years ago, I decided to expand upon those articles and write this photography book. In the meantime, I have turned a coin photography hobby into a busy part-time business, coinimaging.com, where I take coin photos for collectors and commercial clients. Today I live in Southern Oregon with Ellen, my loving wife of 16 years.