Reflective collectibles fail in photos for one reason: the light source is visible in the reflection. Fix where the light sits relative to the lens and everything else falls into place.
The setup
- Kill the overhead lights; they are the usual culprits in dial glare.
- Use one soft source — a lamp through a white bedsheet works — placed off to the side at roughly 45 degrees.
- Shoot from slightly above the reflection line, never straight on.
Coins and slabs
Tilt the coin a few degrees instead of the camera. Luster photographs as a moving band of light, so take three frames at slightly different tilts and keep the one where the band crosses the device you want to show.
Watch dials and glass
Cup a piece of white card around the lens with a hole for it to peek through. The dial then reflects the white card instead of your room, which reads as clean and bright rather than mirrored clutter.
For your vault records
Take one glare-free beauty shot and one honest raking-light shot that shows scratches. The pair documents condition far better than either alone.