Pictures of geocoins found "in the caching field"

[+Fiery Searcher]

Greetings, coining community!

 

I am trying to get better about posting pictures of the trackables I find in the field. I like to receive pictures from my travelling coins, and so I figure one gets back what they give.

 

My frustration is that when I try to get a panoramic shot with a TB/coin in the shot as well, I find I have to choose which one is in focus: the scene or the coin/TB. Is there any way around this problem? I typically use a Nikon D40x, or a digital point-and-shoot if I'm in a high muggle area.

 

Also, does anyone have a "favorite" way to photograph travelling coins? Or is there a picture-type that you really look forward to receiving from your travellers? For example, your coin with other cachers, your coin with a GPS, your coin with a map/sign, your coin with scenery, etc...

 

Just looking for ideas here, so feel free to weigh in! Thanks in advance, and happy caching you coiners!

[+anne.and.eli]

The smaller the f/stop, the more that will be in focus (higher depth of field). of course that also means that you will have to use a longer shutter speed because the aperture (the hole that lets the light in) is smaller.

 

Oh yah, and because it confused the heck out of me when I started photography, f/stops are actually fractions. so f/stop of 5.6 is actually 1/5.6, and an f/stop of 22 is 1/22. So the bigger the number, the smaller the fraction, and the smaller the aperture.

 

On a point-and-shoot, try the landscape setting. That usually forces it to a smaller f/stop. The flower setting generally uses a larger aperture so more will be out of focus.

 

I love photography, so I can blather about this endlessly, so perhaps I shall just stop here and save you.

 

Okay, editting to add, the closer the coin is to the background, the easier it will be for it all to be in focus. The depth of field refers to the range of area that is in focus. So the smaller the distance between the coin and the object, the smaller that range needs to be. Alright, really shutting up now.

Edited May 6, 2010 by anne.and.eli

[+Fiery Searcher]

Thanks, Anne! I've been absent from the forums for a while and have been wondering if you were still around! And I see you've got a little somethin somethin in the works...looking forward to seeing it!

 

These suggestions are great. I think my problem has been trying to get a great vista that's usually far away with a geocoin in the bottom corner. I guess this isn't going to work out too well all the time. Keep the coin close to my background will be my new strategy, and monitoring my f/stops as well.

 

I'll post my progress here, IF I ever find a trackable! It's beginning to feel as though geocoins exist only in my collection and seldom in caches, but that's a whole other discussion.

 

Feel free to "blather" away, Anne. It is appreciated!

[+Droo]

The difficulty trying to shoot an up close and personal image of a coin in front of a panoramic background is deciding what you'll focus on. To see the mountain/sunset vista in the background you have to sacrifice focus on an object that up close and personal-like. Sure, you can hope that a stopped down aperture will open up the depth of field but it won't be tack sharp.

 

Unless you take the coin pic separate from the background and combine the two after removing the coin from it's original background.

 

Fortunately coins are round and easier to remove from their backgrounds than, say, a person with big hair!! You can use GIMP, a free online photo editing program, and do your edits there if you don't want to invest in Elements or Photoshop. But use the Round Marquee tool to remove the coin from the background and then add it to your pano. There are tricks you can use to micro adjust the marquee tool for the purrrrrfect selection that just involve using the spacebar key to move or nudge the selection... but I digress.

 

There are tons of tutorials on YouTube on how to use GIMP and Photoshop.

 

Edited May 7, 2010 by Droo

[+aka Momster]

I use a tiny Canon Elph. My best results come when the TB or geocoin can be placed, or held by a partner, at least 3-4' from the camera. Use the landscape mode on the camera. If the background is across the street close, as with the Paris Las Vegas photo, focus on the TB or a few feet behind. The background focus will be acceptably sharp. The farther the background is in the distance, the farther behind the traveler I will focus, if I want everything to be fairly sharp. Sunny days help. Photo #2 was focused on the water's edge.

Sometimes the background doesn't need to be in focus to retain the feel of the location. I might use close-up focus then. (Photo 3) When there is no place to put the bug, and no one to assist, I just hold it in the sky in front of the camera, and the owners get the best I can do. (Photo 4) No one has ever complained. I know I am thankful for any photos geocachers take the time to add to their logs for my trackables! If a bug is about to be dropped, and there is nothing interesting in the area, get creative. I once resorted to photgraphing a Pumba TB with a beetle on the ground. It beats what they get when I am at an event table.

[+BOA3532]

Droo, Those pics are AMAZING!