Coin Photography: New Lighting Method

I have been working with my coin photography for a long time now and I have been working with lighting in particular. In recent days I have found a “new” method of lighting that I am very pleased with. The coin on the left was photographed using the new lighting technique.

I have a ceiling fan with a light kit attached in the room where I photograph my coins. I removed the light cover from the fan and inserted a fluorescent bulb in the mount and left the cover off. The copy stand I use is about six feet from the bulb. I have shot quite a few photographs over the past few days and I am very pleased with the results.

Of course, one could use wherever ceiling light fixture one has. Mine happens to be the fan with the light kit. Also, I have one window in the room that faces west and I do get some light through the window when I shoot during the day.

The color balance is good and I am very pleased to this point. I am shooting about f/8 at a very slow shutter speed. I have my camera pretty much locked down so I am not concerned with the shutter speed since I am shooting aperture priority. The depth of field seems to be fine. If interested, give it a try and let me know what you think and let me know what kind of results you get. Thank you for reading and God Bless.. Jerry..

Transition From The Ordinary To Art

The photograph above is of a "Star Gazer" my wife has. I shot the flower several times and made the decision I accomplished what I wanted with this photograph. I attempted to elevate the subject matter to something more than the ordinary. One could apply the term surreal. Look carefully and you begin to see imagery such as a sunrise and small animals. Also, remain loyal to your taste. I do not ask you to like, I only ask for you to appreciate. I believe it is incumbent on the artist to show his/her world to the viewer. I hope you enjoy.. God Bless.. Jerry..

Patinated Coin: Before And After

A member asked to see one of my coins before and after patination. I had several coins already Zapped and I chose the one you see to the left because I did not mind polishing it a bit. I used my 800 mA power source as opposed to the Pyramid 26 KX. The smaller unit with a smaller container is much more convenient for my patinating needs.

The coin has a bit of pitting and shows up in the photograph. However, the thrust of the article is to demonstrate what can be done using my technique. I Reversed my leads as I wrote about in my last patination article. I placed the coin in the solution for 10 seconds, pulled the coin and rotated the clip to another position.

I repeated three times for a total patination time of 30 seconds. I could have continued with the process until the coin was much darker but stopped at the point I thought the coin would look best. Perhaps I should have chosen a much better coin but this coin suffices to illustrate my point. My e-mail is as follows and if you have questions please feel free to ask. jceaus@yahoo.com I think it is good to ask questions openly so the entire group benefits. Thank you and God Bless.. Jerry..

Zappers: Patinate Your Coins Using Reverse Electrolysis

About three years ago I developed a technique for artificially adding patina to a Zapped coin and I am sharing with each of you. The technique works best with bronze coins as opposed to copper. I use the method to patinate coins I have had to Zap for long periods of time.
The process is very simple and if you follow my directions you will have good success. First of all, make sure your Zapped coin is clean and devoid of all debris. Next, I want you to reverse the leads to your zapper. The negative lead is connected to your anode and the positive lead is connected to your cathode.
It is best to work with a “dirty” solution or a solution in which you have Zapped coins. Place the coin in the solution the same as if you were preparing to Zap. Turn the current on and leave the coin in the solution for about 10 seconds. Immediately pull the coin after 10 seconds and rotate the alligator clip to another position on the coin. Otherwise you will have a bright spot on the coin where the clip was attached.
Allow the coin to remain in the solution for another 10 seconds, pull the coin, and rotate the clip again. Repeat this process until the coin is as dark as you like. Once the coin is the value you like then wash with running water and allow the coin to dry. The patinating process may take one to two minutes or even longer using this process but the results can be really great. Give it a try and let me know if you have questions. You can e-mail me at jceaus@yahoo.com One other thing, be sure and return your leads to the normal Zapping position so things will be ready for your next zapping session. Thanks for reading and God Bless.. Jerry..

A Safe Way To Store Your Zapped And Cleaned Coins

This article is for all you Zappers who want to know how to store your coins once they are zapped. This is a question I am often asked. Please read and if you have questions, write me. You can reach me at jceaus@yahoo.com

I am assuming you are zapping your coins as we teach you to do on CoinZappers. Pull your coin from the solution and drop the coin in a small container of white vinegar. You should see your coin fizz for 30 seconds or so. Once the coin ceases to fizz, move to the next step.

Wash your coin in water using a mild dishwashing liquid. I think most all the liquids are mild. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft towel.

Place your coin(s) on a window ledge and allow the coin(s) to dry. You may want to place your coin on your deck where it will be in direct sunlight. Turn the coin over at least once while drying. I think a couple of hours in sunlight are sufficient.

If you plan to wax your coin, wax the coin with Ren Wax. The last time I looked Tony and Tom had Ren Wax at commonbonze.com

I suggest a thin layer of wax. The wax can be applied with your finger or with a very soft toothbrush.

You are now ready for storage. I recommend an archival flip made from prolar polyester. Be certain your flips DO NOT contain PVC. I personally like the 2”x 2” size flips.

I hope this information helps. Please write me at jceaus@yahoo.com if you have questions. One other thing, if you are not a member of CoinZappers I suggest you join. We have great members with a vast knowledge of coin zapping. The URL is as follows: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coinzappers and simply state that Jerry sent you.

Don’t forget about our new group, CoinPhotography. We have great members with a wonderful knowledge of photographing coins. The URL is as follows: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coinphotography Simply say that Jerry asked you to join. God Bless.. Jerry..

My New "Green" Solar Hot Plate

Should one dry one’s coins after zapping? The answer is yes and I have a very simple solution for drying your coins. I have created what I call my “Solar Hot Plate”. I will call it the “SHP”. Now just what is the SHP and why do I need it? The SHP is an area of metal or plastic painted with glossy black paint and is used to dry coins.
Locate a piece of metal or plastic such as a large lid one finds on a gallon-size container. The bottom side of an empty margarine tub will work really well also. Buy a can of WalMart’s .99-cent glossy black spray paint and paint the surface of your metal or plastic really well with the paint. A couple of coats should cover well and allow the unit to dry for a day or so.
You have now “built” my new fangled SHP! Not rocket science but you will love the way the unit dries your coins. I left my plate on the back deck and the surface temp rose to 120 degrees and higher. You can place the unit on a windowsill or on your deck.
The concept of the SHP is to dry your coins so place your coin(s) on the unit’s surface and allow the coins to dry for an hour or so. Be sure and leave at least 50% of the unit’s area open to the sun. In other words, do not cover the entire area of the SHP with coins. You want the sun to reach at least 50% of the SHP’s surface area.
A quick note. After zapping, place your coins in white vinegar for a few minutes and allow the vinegar to neutralize the sodium carbonate we use in our solution. Next, wash your coins thoroughly with a soft brush, water and a mild dishwashing detergent. Dry with a paper towel and you are now ready to enjoy our new “green” SHP! I think simple things such as the SHP makes this hobby much more enjoyable. I hope you agree.
I bet many will readers will create units much more clever than mine. For example, one could create an SHP oven! Please share with us.. God Bless.. Jerry..

Zapping A "Concrete Crusty" Coin

Hannah, one of our CoinZapper members, asked if I would make an effort to clean the coin you see pictured above. I agreed and as soon as I saw the coin I realized it had a terribly hard crust. There is no way to recover this kind of coin and maintain any imagery without zapping.

Please look at the bottom two images and you will see the condition of the coin upon arrival. I tested the crust and I rarely find coin with crusts as hard as was on Hanna’s coin. I zapped the coin most of the afternoon using my large zapper and my now well-known Bamboo Tools to help prod the crust loose.

From experience I knew the coin would most likely have pitting and as you can see it does. However, the beauty of the obverse especially strikes me. The coin reminds me of a piece of renaissance art. I am reminded of a piece from a frieze that has been exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. I love the character of the coin and I hope Hannah enjoys it. I am particularly open to critiques of my photographs. I enjoy receiving constructive criticism.

I would prefer the cleaned coin images had less of a brassy look but that is the result of having to leave the coin in the zapper for an extended period of time. If you enjoy my blog, please bookmark. God Bless.. Jerry..