# Lighting your aquarium for the picture?



## craynerd (May 21, 2006)

Hi Guys,

I really hope i haven`t missed a post explaining this but i have looked for a while!!

I have really been struggling lately with my photography, my pictures do not portray my tank correctly at all, in both depth and true colour. 
Basically, when i saw this forum i was excited to think that i may find an answer, but was supprised when i didn`t see a "lighting" sticky!! 

I can only presume therefore, that you just make do with the normal tank lighting ? 

With my normal light other than problems with the true colour, i find that i get no shadow effect (or depth in the tank) and also i find that the back of the tank becomes hazy (again making no depth visible). When i try and get the tank more of a true colour i end up with over exposure!!

Reading other peoples picture taking ideas, i presumed that using a different light was the way forward?

Chris


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Hmm, I would be interested in hearing some advice on this particular topic. I always wondered how people get that dark fade to light fade (bottom - up) effect on their aquariums. Ideas?

-John N.


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/30297-46-gallon-pics-56k-warning.html

Im not sure if you like the effect I got, but I fielded a bunch of questions similar to yours. Check out this link. You can see the tank, and then see that many asked some similar questions.

Feel free to ask me any more you might have.

jB


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

_Jason Baliban's 46 Gallon Bowfront_


Jason Baliban said:


> 1)There is no lens filter on the cam. The cam is a nikon d70 using the jpeg setting. The color of the bulbs is actually two 6700k's. I used a remote flash in the back that projected onto a white board behind the tank. I used some color gels on the flash to create the color on the board. Then in photoshop i used a Cooling Filter(blue) to wash out some of the excess reds....I put a white, thick poster board about 4-6" behind the tank. Then I used a remote flash with color gels on it. When the flash went off, it projected the color onto the white board.


Never though of using color gels (color screens) over a flash to get those effects. Very nice idea, and great results.

For those who don't have color gels or external flashes of some sort, what other options does one have to create these effects?

-John N.


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Tupperware lids 

They work great. Especially the cheap one that are almost transparent.

I have used them with great results.

jB


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## billionzz (Apr 9, 2005)

Do you think you get a permanent look like this with a fade background (dark to light - botttom to top) and an extra fl. light shining on it?

Bill


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

I think you could get something similar with that approach.

jB


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## RoseHawke (Jan 4, 2005)

Is there a "Studio Lighting for Digital Dummies" somewhere  ? I do searches for digital aquarium lighting and get how to take photos at commercial aquariums, I do searches for studio lighting, and get how to take portraits. I cruise through some photography forums and most of them are waaaaay above my head talking about this or that light and/or flash, but they will refer to them by model number so I have _no_ idea what it is or what it's used for or if it would even be usable with my camera (Panasonic FZ20).

Er, help?


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## Ibn (Oct 20, 2004)

How are the pictures coming out with the camera on the tripod, Cindy?

For starters, keep it simple. Place the camera on the tripod and shoot with just whatever lighting is on the tank. Oh, make sure that you turn off all lighting in the room which will produce reflections.

Here are some shots taken with whatever lighting there is over the tank (excuse the reflections on the tank; these are quick grabs from different people's tanks).


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## RoseHawke (Jan 4, 2005)

Fairly decent for whole tank shots:










But the speed on this was 1/4 at f2.8, you can see the neons are little blurs. I'd like to be able to take some decent fish pictures, but I think it may be beyond my camera's capabilities (or the operator's  .) ISO was 100, bumping it makes it too grainy and the max ISO on my camera is 400 anyway.

Also, although this one isn't (according to EXIF info), it seems like I usually have to bump the exposure compensation downward or the highlights are blown. I can fix some things in post production as it were, although I'd rather not. I want to do decent photos, not Photoshopped work (although in my case it's Paint Shop Pro.)


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## Ibn (Oct 20, 2004)

There's not enough light to freeze the movements of fish such as neons. Might want to take a look at slave flashes then. They're basically flashes that will fire when they set off by any sort of pulsing light (i.e. the flash unit on your camera). They're quite inexpensive (you can find some for as little as $20) and will allow you to freeze those neons.


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## RoseHawke (Jan 4, 2005)

Ah! Is _that_ what a slave flash is then? I thought it was something that would have to be wired up to the main camera that would be horribly expensive studio lighting (that's why I asked about "Lighting for Dummies"  !) I don't have an external flash yet although I am looking at getting one before too much longer; a Sunpak 383 has been recommended for this camera. But apparently I'm going to have to tinker with exposure times and speeds as my understanding is that this camera does not support a TTL auto-flash (or however it's described.) But, the 383 is a flash that can be bounced and is supposed to be much stronger than the in-camera flash in any case.


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## Ibn (Oct 20, 2004)

RoseHawke said:


> Ah! Is _that_ what a slave flash is then? I thought it was something that would have to be wired up to the main camera that would be horribly expensive studio lighting (that's why I asked about "Lighting for Dummies"  !) I don't have an external flash yet although I am looking at getting one before too much longer; a Sunpak 383 has been recommended for this camera. But apparently I'm going to have to tinker with exposure times and speeds as my understanding is that this camera does not support a TTL auto-flash (or however it's described.) But, the 383 is a flash that can be bounced and is supposed to be much stronger than the in-camera flash in any case.


In short, yes, that's what a slave flash is. It doesn't require cables and a pulse of light is all that you need. Even turning the lights in the room on will cause it to fire for most of them.

The Sunpak 383 will definitely work as a slave unit and will illuminate the tank more than the current built in flash (according to the guide number for the unit). TTL stands for through the lens metering and here's why it's important.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through-the-lens

Without TTL, you'll have to manually figure out the settings. Just take it slow and eventually you'll figure it out.


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