# Photography



## urville

I have a great camera. i take tons of great pictures all the time with this camera and I get realistic color and lighting. So why is everytime I try to shoot my the result is absolutely trash?

I really dont get it. And I've tried reading quite a few articles on the net and so far none of the setups or ideas i've read there have gotten me what i have seen here. i mean i dont want to try to rent a camera as big as the one amano uses or anything. but you know i see digital camera pix here all the time that look to me fantastic.

So what are the secrets that maybe I havent already read of tank photography?
IAn


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## fish7days

Read this article in it's entirety, especially sections on lighting, TTL flash, tripod, photographing fish and corals. If you're not using an off camera flash it will be very difficult to get good pictures, because your pictures will only be as good as the lighting you have. The rest is composition etc.

Hope it is helpful

André

BTW - What camera do you use?


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## urville

fish7days said:


> BTW - What camera do you use?


 hey thanks! and thanks for the csm+b that time!!!
i use a Nikon coolpix 5900


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## AaronT

In one of the Aquajournals Amano suggests making a black cardboard frame to fit over top of your tank. This allows the lights to all be on for the photograph, but helps the keep the glare from hitting the lens. It also serves to make cropping the picture later a breeze.


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## urville

grandmasterofpool said:


> In one of the Aquajournals Amano suggests making a black cardboard frame to fit over top of your tank. This allows the lights to all be on for the photograph, but helps the keep the glare from hitting the lens. It also serves to make cropping the picture later a breeze.


how about moveing fish. i have opened my speed to max and it doesnt help.
i even try my sports setting, with some omprovement. my camera seems to have an odd perspective compared to photos i see online.

in addition... it seems to get confused by the glass even if i clean it inside. even with the macro on.

any advice on that?


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## niko

Familiarize yourself with the following controls on your camera;

- Manual focus (camera will not get fooled what to focus on)
- Shutter priority mode ("freeze" movement)
- Exposure compensation (fine lightening or darkening the resulting picture)
- White ballance settings (more natural overall colors)

--Nikolay


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## urville

niko said:


> Familiarize yourself with the following controls on your camera;
> 
> - Manual focus (camera will not get fooled what to focus on)
> - Shutter priority mode ("freeze" movement)
> - Exposure compensation (fine lightening or darkening the resulting picture)
> - White ballance settings (more natural overall colors)
> 
> --Nikolay


is shutter priority mode ISO?
I dont have manual focus, pooey huh? still i did read that site and learned how to turn off all but middle sensor, so know i control what focus's and it's been good so far.


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## niko

ISO is not shutter prority. ISO is the "sensitivity" of your "film" (although you don't have film). Set it to 200 and you should be fine.

If your camer doesn't have manual focus maybe it has "lock focus". Test it by pointing the camera to a distant object press the shutter release button half way down. The camera should focus on the distant subject.

Then without taking your finger off the shutter button (keep it pressed half way) point the camera to a close object. Does it refocus? If it doesn't than it "remembers" the old focus. 

That way you can focus the camera on something small, hold the shutter release button half way down, point it at a fish or plant and shoot.

Most cameras have that feature. But the downside is that besides the focus the camera may "remember" the exposure for the object used to focus first. That will be different from the exposure needed for the fish or plant.

Play with the camera and see.

--Nikolay


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## urville

oh okay! no my camera has that i can make it do both. i can pint far and then point close and it will refocus, OR i can change thes etting and point far and then point close and the focus will remain the same.

sorry, but just find out is that then shutter prioirty, or what is it. it's the only terminology i didnt recognize and understand.

Ian


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## niko

Shutter priority mode allows you to tell the camera how fast you want it to take the picture. You set the speed. Say 1/60 or 1/125.

The camera then chooses an aperture that when combined with your chosen shutter speed results in a nicely exposed picture. So it is called "Shutter priority" because you set the shutter speed and the camera can't change it.

The usual case is different - in "Auto" mode the camera chooses both speed and aperture. It may choose the speed to be 1/15, which is too slow. Or 1/25 which is also too slow. Such pictures will most likely be blurry.

All the special modes - like "Sports" ("Outdoor", "Portrait" and so on)- just allow you to tell the camera "Hey I'm shooting fast moving people. Make sure the shutter speed is fast!". But the camera may not choose a speed that is fast enough. With Shutter priority you set the speed to your liking.

--Nikolay


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## JimM

urville said:


> my camera seems to have an odd perspective compared to photos i see online.


the reason straight lines get distorted in your shots is because at the farthest zoom-out of most cams is sort of a wide angle shot, try to set your zoom about in the middle and step back a bit for the shot.. tripods help alot for this.

also all of the stickys here in the photography forum are very helpful, at least they were for me 

HTH


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## urville

Well i fooled around for hours last night and this was the net result for last night anyway...
it is far better than usual. could still use some tweaking. i'll get the hang of it!
Ian


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## niko

I looked at the information embedded in your image "exif data"). It says that the ISO was 100, the aperture was 2.8, and the mode was "Normal Program".

The ISO is good but you are using your camera as a cheap snapshot one  Try to set your own settings.

The aperture of 2.8 will produce sharp details in only small area of your image. You can see how the stem plants in the middle are blurry, out of focus. Try to shoot with smaller apertures (designated by bigger numbers) - like 5.6, 8, or 11.

Also the camera did not record what shutter speed was used. I guess that is because of the mode being set to "Normal Program". Once again - try to use Shutter priority mode.

--Nikolay


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## urville

well i'm a little miffed. this camera sure wasnt cheap and yet it seems very limited.

in the manual it says under aperture:
Electronically controlled preset aperture.

and there appears to be no way to change shutter speed. all it will tell me is that when shutter speeds are slower the possible blur warning will come on and noise reduction will automatically turn on.

grrrr


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## ringram

I recently bought a Fuji S3100 and so far I've been unable to get good pictures as well (you and me both!) It's always either not enough lighting, blurry, too much noise, too bright, etc...
Not sure whether you did or not, but also try using self timer instead of pushing the flash button as you will reduce movement and possibly cut down on blurriness a bit.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1

I tried a Fuji for about a week, I could not get it to take a good photo.
Returned it got a Canon Powershot A80.. Much better camera, with many more features, took me a week to learn to use it, but well worth it.


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## urville

i had a consumer reports that i of course lost. but in it just before SLR cameras which i think are too expensive for what they do, are what CR called Super Zoom cameras. They had four ratings, compact digital, advanced compact digital, super zoom, and SLR.

In the Super Zoom section the best buy was a panasonic. very nice but expensive. I was looking at the Canon... cant remember the model #. but it was nice for i think around $270, lots of optical zoom, excellent rating on everything but battery life. it also pointed out that unless your printing megapixels in the extremes arent that helpful which i can see to be true. i mean i thought my printed photos looked great from my old 2 Megapixel Kodak DC200.

this camera i'm using now is a Nikon 5900 Coolpix... so i guess that puts it in the advanced compact arena. cant save to RAW though. overall i feel it must be limited as far as shutter speed of which the manual makes little mention and none as far as adjustment. and aperture which is apparently automatically adjusted by the camera... poooooo

i'm gonna keep selling some plants and save for the canon i think. it was a quick pick in CR and it was the cheapest.
Ian


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## fish7days

Ian,

Before you buy, please study this http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=8375 very carefully, and make sure you know why each of the features are needed. That way you can compare different makes and models to get the best camera for your needs. Hope it helps.

André


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## urville

fish7days said:


> Ian,
> 
> Before you buy, please study this http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=8375 very carefully, and make sure you know why each of the features are needed. That way you can compare different makes and models to get the best camera for your needs. Hope it helps.
> 
> André


ok..
i found a camera i can afford, that has some lmitations
it's an Olympus c-765 Ultra Zoom. no longer made but a CR best buy.
the following specs:
*Aperture Range* f2.8 - f8.0 (adjustable in 1/3 EV steps)
*Shutter Speeds * 
Auto: 1/1000 sec. - 1/2 sec.
Manual: 1/1000 sec. - 15 sec.
Night Scene: 1/1000 sec. - 4 sec.
*Focusing Ranges*
Normal mode: 3.9' - 6.6' (1.2m - 2.0m)
Macro mode: 2.8" - 2.0' (7.0m - 60cm)
Super macro mode: 0.5" (3cm)
*Zoom*
Optical 10x
Digital 5x


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## fish7days

From the previous thread: Does it have all of these attributes?

- manual focus mode
- macro ability (either built-in or with a special lens)
- exposure compensation
- shutter priority mode (or manual mode, or aperture mode)
- white balance settings
- ability to turn the built-in flash off
- ability to connect an external flash


IMO you will really struggle if it does not have numbers 2,4, 5 and 6 though the rest are extremely importatnt as well.

André


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## urville

i'll look again but the only ones i'm not sure about is shutter priority, and external flash. 
but i didnt seem to find many cameras that have shutter priority under 250 dollars. and thats my limit for certain. 

I will keep looking!!

Ian


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## fish7days

If you have external flash, then shutter priority becomes less important as you will freeze the motion with the flash, and you can only use the speed at which the camera syncs anyway, or lower for more ambient light. I think the next model up from the one you posted earlier has a hot shoe.

As far as CR goes, keep in mind that the ratings will be what's most suitable for the average consumer, and the average consumer does not take aquarium pics. Ease of use, weight, foolproofness etc are what's important to the average consumer, so I'd not add too much weight to CR's opinion in this case. If I was buying a fridge, then yes!!

André


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## jsenske

From my experience:

1. NEVER use a flash to shoot an aquarium umless you REALLY know what you are doing. I never have used a flash even once in any of my aquarium pphotography- and I have done a lot. 

2. Minimum shutter speed to have even remotely clear fish is 20 (1/20 sec.) 

3. Adding an extra light fixture over the tank when you shoot will allow you shoot at faster speeds and bigger f-stops (apertures). But when in doubt, dial it down to 2.8 and shoot as fast a shutter speed as you can to 1.- not blow out/overexpose highlights and retain maximum shadow detail. (that relationship is called DYNAMIC RANGE). The tank should look way too bright to your eye with the extra fixture- that's fine. 

4. Learn how to use image editing software!! Sorry, but it is an essential component of digital photography-- ESPECIALLY SHOOTING VERY TRICKY SUBJECTS LIKE AQUARIUMS! I have never not had to tweak an aquarium photo in Photoshop. 

5. Every pro photographer I have ever talked to agrees that aquariums are tough to shoot. In architectural photography, there's an unwritten rule that if there is an aquarium in the space--AVOID IT!!

6. Digital SLRs absolutely RULE for aquarium photography over any EVF on the market, in my opinion. I have owned several of both and am now fortunate enough now to shoot with a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II which delivers on every promise, but my Nikon D100 definitely got the job done too. With the new lower priced DSLRs, it is becoming more accessible. Pretty soon, though, I am sure eveyone will have a 17 megapixel point and shoot, rest assured. 

Attached is a recent tricky shot that I managed to pull together through employing many of the above tips + ample time in Photoshop tweaking color. As usual this tiny jpeg doesn't even come close to the 50MB original, but you get the idea. PLease feel free to ask me anythng about aquarium photography. I love to talk about it and want to help folks!


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## urville

so i assume when it says 1/1000 sec - 1/2 a second that means faster speed than 1/20 right?

i totally want an SLR but they are around 800-2000
anyone know some good older older models?
like circa 98 or 99 or something... the older the cheaper i figure.
Ian


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## jsenske

Yes- 1/1000 is super fast- way faster than you can shoot indoors or on an aquarium. 1/2 is a long exposure- too long for aquariums. 
Keep an eye on eBay and related sites, though they do go quickly. Also, you are going to start seeing more and more used DSLRs Nikon D100, D70, Canon Rebels, etc.) showing up in camera shops as peolple tradu-up. So find the cool camera stores in your town and let them know what you are looking for and usually they'll call you right away when they get one in. Though, it's a hot market right now, so you got to quick about it. Some shops may even have a list you can get on for used equipment.


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## fish7days

*Article*

Ian,

This is an excellent article http://www.characin.com/photography/, written by someone who wanted to take excellent pictures of his fish, but was frustrated with his technique/equipment. In addition to the article and he also has a web presentation of the same content which is pretty neat. Hope it helps.

I often use a 2MP Nikon Coolpix 950 with an SB28 flash triggered with a TTL sync cord and it works well for me. YMMV.

André


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## jerseyjay

Let me address some of your comments.



> SLR cameras which i think are too expensive for what they do


It all depends what expensive means to you. 5-10 years ago, cheapest DSLR was about $20K and only professional Journalists and Sport Shooters had a privilege to enjoy Pro Ditigal Photography. Nowadays DSLR are CHEAP "like water" and everyone and their mother have one. I'm extremely happy that technology is moving so fast which at the end will benefit us, the consumers. If you are willing to spend ~$600, you can be the proud owner of Nikon D50. It is not the best DSLR on the market but it will give you enough time to practice and make you better.



> it also pointed out that unless your printing megapixels in the extremes arent that helpful which i can see to be true.


You are right. Megapixels don't mean much but this is still what drives the market. I had a customer who asked me what brand I was using and how many pixels camera had. Thankfully I had a Nikon (* he was a Nikon Fan) and I was able to provide him with either 6MP or 12.4MP camera. He didn't even want to see 6MP although the results would have been almost the same since he wasn't printing 16x20 and above. At the same time, if you do get into high resolution prints, 6MP will not be enough. I photographed a wedding with Nikon D2X and I was pleased to see 16x20 print at the highest quality. With 6MP I would get great 11x14 prints but anything above that would start lacking quality.

Now the actual camera and settings:

A lot of your questions were already addressed by other members.

1. Internal flash is not that bad for aquatic photography if you know how to use it. I used it many times with my old Canon G2. Actually combination of internal flash and external flash in the same photograph landed a cover in FAMA magazine. You just need to redirect that light and bounce it off white board, simple as that.

2. f/2.8 is not what I would use for fish photography unless I was doing more of an artistic project. f/2.8 is NOT wrong but unless you are looking for shallow DOF (ex. only head in focus) then you can settle for that but if you are looking to present the fish in its full glory then I wouldn't go any lower then f/8. Shooting with f/8 will require A LOT of light unless you can settle for low shutter speeds. Jeff mentioned 1/20 for fish photography. At that speed unless you are shooting Corydoras not moving, then you should be successful. With fast flying african cichlids and your camera set at 1/20, you will see nothing else but a colorful blur . FYI. My usual setup for FISH photography is around f/16; shutter at 1/1000, ISO at 100 and 2-3 flashes !

3. Editing is a huge part of Digital Photography. It got the point where Film Photographers are bashing Digital Photography for extensive need of Post Processing. However they are quickly forgetting endless hours in the Dark Room. Post Processing is a must but it has to be controlled. There are many types of software available on the market but Adobe PhotoShop is probably the leader at the moment. I have been using each version since 6.0 but current CS2 is just amazing !

4. Digital Blending / Layer Masking / Bracketing is something that needs to be learned for successful aquatic photography.

Good luck and let me know if you have additional questions.


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## urville

as too price well i'm just talking about what i have to spend and i'm miffed it isnt in that range... hahaha

i do have a question or two.
i'm a graphic designer by trade so believe me i love photoshop, but rarely use alot of the features in it.. i only have CS1 but i am still curious about these features Digital Blending / Layer Masking / Bracketing.
do explain. i never thought to use layer masking on a photo for anything, it just never came up.
ian


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## urville

hah i just reread that and caught the line "Cheap like water"? I dont even pay for water! lol... i asked they guy next door and he pays 30 a month so if you've got the hookup on that let me know, and no one i know has an SLR, everyone says the same thing too expensive.. see you have to understand for me, it doesnt matter how much they were years ago... i cant afford one.

please if anyone remembers any good slrs from back in 98-99 i would like some Model # suggestions.
Ian


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## matthewhyden181

I love photography because Photographs are used to tell stories in many different ways. Sciences use photography to document new plants or to be able to study animals in more depth. Photos are used in text books to teach students about different places around the world. Family portraits hang on walls of almost every home.


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