# Tips on Taking better photos



## kmurphy (Dec 15, 2004)

Hello

I wanted to see if I could encourage anyone to suggest any tips to take better photos.

I am currently using a Nikon Coolpix 8700. This photo was taken with the lanscape auto setting.

Any tips would be great.

Thanks


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## gnatster (Mar 6, 2004)

Have you seen the articles written by Niko in this same sub forum. He has written some incredible article with tips on taking better photos.


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

Well...my first tip is to not use the landscape setting. Well, OK, there may be some use for it, but I wouldn't do it. The typical digital camera will have a good enough depth of field that the landscape setting isn't really needed.

Can you post the exif information?


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## ardvark (Feb 26, 2005)

Hi kmurphy,
Sorry I don't know anything about Nikon Coolpix 8700 but as far as composition, I would definitely think about removing the big heater from the tank before snapping the shot. It's really quite disturbing. Hope this helps.

Cheers,


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## jsenske (Mar 15, 2004)

From my experience, few of the "AUTO" settings on any digital camera ever treat an aquarium correctly from a straight exposure standpoint. I shoot MANUAL mode where you can control BOTH aperture and shutter speed. This way you can really "expose for the highlights"- in other words you can shoot a faster shutter speed- say in the 1/20 to 1/40 range. 
Also you can note where the auto modes are setting shutter speed and aperture and stop down from there. When you have leaf surfaces overexposed (blown out) you know you need to shoot FASTER. The auto mode is allowing to much light in when you take the shot. 
In my opinion some computer editing is just part of the digital photography process- especially when working with a subject as tricky in terms of dynamic range as an aquarium. To get really clear fish in the shot also takes a degree of "underexposure" with most digital cameras. You then bring up the brightness and other aspects that might have been comprimised in the original shot in Photoshop or some other image editing software. I think to get good aquarium photos, you need to gain experience witth such software almost as much as the camera itself.


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## defdac (May 10, 2004)

I take i picture in full auto (P-mode on my Nikon Coolpix 4500). I remember the shutter and aperature-settings. With my 10K Aqurelles I mostly use the normal Daylight-setting as whitebalance.

If the leaves are burned I switch to S-mode and shift to faster shutter speed, if the picture is too dark or want to burn my background to whiteness I lower the shutter speed in steps.

I usually take 2-20 different exposures of the same scene.

As Jeff says underexposure is often better than vice versa, but remember you will loose *alot* of color information making the picture often look kind of "monochromish":


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## jerseyjay (Jan 25, 2004)

Not sure if you are referring to Tank photographs or Fish / Plant photographs. Both should have different settings, techniques etc. Please be more specific and you should get more detailed feedback.


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