Coin Photography for eBay

A Work in Progress

I'm working on a new guide about coin photography to add to my ongoing series of guides on eBay photography (to be found at www.camerajim.com).  I'm going to use this blog as a sort of notebook as I put the guide together. Since the blog is posted chronologically, you should read these posts in reverse order as I post them.

While I know quite a bit about photography, I don't know much about coins.  I would appreciate any comments or corrections you could offer about this work in progress.

The Coin as a Photo Subject

Before I get into the different ways to photograph a coin, I'd like you to think about the coin as a photo subject. The mistake I think many people make when photographing coins is to think of them as flat objects. That is far from the truth. In fact, a coin is a small three-dimensional sculpture, with depth, dimension and texture. To complicate matters, this sculpture is made of a material which reflects light in ways  not often encountered with most objects.

This is why I think it's a mistake to use a scanner to illustrate coins for sale on eBay. A scanner is optimized to reproduce flat objects. While it may give a sharp, recognizable image, a scanner can't do justice to the look and feel of a good coin.

For this subject, you need a capable camera, proper lighting and good technique.

Selecting a Camera and Camera Basics

Throughout this guide, I will assume you have a good digital camera, but you could take your photos with a film camera instead of a digital camera. Your photo processor can then give you a CD with digital images which can be uploaded to your computer. However, for eBay use, it is much more economical and convenient to shoot digitally.

If you need more help with selecting a digital camera, you can find some general guidelines and a few model recommendations in this section of my eBay Photography Guide...

Selecting a Camera for eBay Photos

Before proceeding, I'd also suggest you read this section about camera controls and settings...

Cameras Controls and Settings for eBay Photography