ryebread
Active Member
TIPS FOR TAKING AQUARIUM PHOTOS
Several members have requested a photo-tip thread to help them achieve better photos of their aquarium. I haven’t wanted to take on this tricky task since there are so many different types of cameras and equipment out there. It is often hard to say that what I do will work for someone else or what JimBob does will work for me…….just like in keeping saltwater fish tanks. There are many different ways to get something that is “good” photo-wise.
I am going to add tips with a little bit of technical info with them. Feel free to ask any questions if you don’t know what something is……we are all here to learn.
•Flash On/Off – This is just a simple feature to play around with that nearly all cameras have. Many folks will say that you have to turn the flash off, but I would disagree with that. Many of the successful shots that I take of the tank actually have the flash turned on. You just have to get around that reflection problem. An easy thing to remember is that the closer you are to the glass, the less chance you have of getting reflections in your photo. Since the flash is located in the top corner of the camera (usually) you should have good luck keeping the reflections away if you are 1-6 inches from the glass…….this will keep the reflection just high enough to stay out of view. If you have a camera that accepts external flashes….this is even better because the higher the flash is from the lens, the better chance you have at keeping those reflections away………..if you have no luck with flash……turn it off.
•Aperture/ AV modes - AV stands for Aperture Value…..this is on many of the cameras that have manual control to them. Aperture is what will primarily control how much depth of field you have in a photograph. The lower the numbers on your camera for aperture (ie: 2, 2.8, 3.5, 4, 5.6) the less depth of field you will get. Smallest number means smaller amount of depth of field and depth of field means how much of the photograph is actually in focus. The higher numbers (ie: 6.3, 8, 11, 13, 16, 22) will get you more depth of field….the highest number gets you the most in focus. The problem that you run into is that you can’t just choose the highest number always……..the higher the number is, the less light you are allowing to come into the camera. It’s all a game of compromise……..more sharpness means less brightness…….more brightness means less sharpness. It’s all compromise.
•Shutter Speeds/ TV modes - TV stands for Time Value. The shutter speeds are what control how fast the shutter opens and closes in the camera. This is also a good feature to play around with because you can achieve many different types of photos by changing shutter speeds. Shutter speeds work in conjunction with your Aperture settings……you can’t change one without directly affecting the other. This is the main reason why it will take some playing around with to understand what each of them do. Digital Cameras are wonderful for this sort of thing……as long as you have the batteries and the patience, you can shoot all day and figure out some neat things.
•Angle of glass- The angle that you hold the camera toward the glass will actually affect your sharpness in a big way. If you are holding the camera at an angle when shooting through glass, your photos are not going to be nearly as sharp as if you hold the camera nice and even with the subject. It is hard to do sometimes, but that is where you will lose a lot of your actual good shots……..try to keep it level with the subject.
•ISO settings - The ISO settings on some of your cameras will allow you to achieve better shots in darker situations.(and better shots in some brighter situations, halides anyone?) You can tune and tweak your ISO settings to see what works best with your particular lighting on your tank. ISO is what film speeds are measured in. The lower the number (50, 100, 160, 200) the more light you need. The higher the number ( 320, 400, 800, 1600) the lower light you need. There is a catch though…….remember that compromise thing? Well, the lower you have your ISO set to, the better your grain and color quality will be. If you have the ISO turned up higher, your photos will be more grainy and less colorful.
•Easy Tip #1 - Turn off your pumps! It is so much easier to shoot photos of the tank if you have the pumps turned off….everything gets to be more peaceful and you actually have a chance at getting shots of some of those corals that sway too much.
•Easy Tip #2 - Clean the glass off! So many people wonder why they can’t seem to focus or why there are always little specs in their photos…..the glass needs to be crystal clear for the best results.
•Easy Tip #3 - Try using a tripod if you have one. If you are shooting some pictures of corals…..it makes it much easier if you have a tripod. You can turn the flash off and get a nice crisp shot of your favorite corals. Fish aren’t quite as easy with a tripod, but it can still help in some situations.
Several members have requested a photo-tip thread to help them achieve better photos of their aquarium. I haven’t wanted to take on this tricky task since there are so many different types of cameras and equipment out there. It is often hard to say that what I do will work for someone else or what JimBob does will work for me…….just like in keeping saltwater fish tanks. There are many different ways to get something that is “good” photo-wise.
I am going to add tips with a little bit of technical info with them. Feel free to ask any questions if you don’t know what something is……we are all here to learn.
•Flash On/Off – This is just a simple feature to play around with that nearly all cameras have. Many folks will say that you have to turn the flash off, but I would disagree with that. Many of the successful shots that I take of the tank actually have the flash turned on. You just have to get around that reflection problem. An easy thing to remember is that the closer you are to the glass, the less chance you have of getting reflections in your photo. Since the flash is located in the top corner of the camera (usually) you should have good luck keeping the reflections away if you are 1-6 inches from the glass…….this will keep the reflection just high enough to stay out of view. If you have a camera that accepts external flashes….this is even better because the higher the flash is from the lens, the better chance you have at keeping those reflections away………..if you have no luck with flash……turn it off.
•Aperture/ AV modes - AV stands for Aperture Value…..this is on many of the cameras that have manual control to them. Aperture is what will primarily control how much depth of field you have in a photograph. The lower the numbers on your camera for aperture (ie: 2, 2.8, 3.5, 4, 5.6) the less depth of field you will get. Smallest number means smaller amount of depth of field and depth of field means how much of the photograph is actually in focus. The higher numbers (ie: 6.3, 8, 11, 13, 16, 22) will get you more depth of field….the highest number gets you the most in focus. The problem that you run into is that you can’t just choose the highest number always……..the higher the number is, the less light you are allowing to come into the camera. It’s all a game of compromise……..more sharpness means less brightness…….more brightness means less sharpness. It’s all compromise.
•Shutter Speeds/ TV modes - TV stands for Time Value. The shutter speeds are what control how fast the shutter opens and closes in the camera. This is also a good feature to play around with because you can achieve many different types of photos by changing shutter speeds. Shutter speeds work in conjunction with your Aperture settings……you can’t change one without directly affecting the other. This is the main reason why it will take some playing around with to understand what each of them do. Digital Cameras are wonderful for this sort of thing……as long as you have the batteries and the patience, you can shoot all day and figure out some neat things.
•Angle of glass- The angle that you hold the camera toward the glass will actually affect your sharpness in a big way. If you are holding the camera at an angle when shooting through glass, your photos are not going to be nearly as sharp as if you hold the camera nice and even with the subject. It is hard to do sometimes, but that is where you will lose a lot of your actual good shots……..try to keep it level with the subject.
•ISO settings - The ISO settings on some of your cameras will allow you to achieve better shots in darker situations.(and better shots in some brighter situations, halides anyone?) You can tune and tweak your ISO settings to see what works best with your particular lighting on your tank. ISO is what film speeds are measured in. The lower the number (50, 100, 160, 200) the more light you need. The higher the number ( 320, 400, 800, 1600) the lower light you need. There is a catch though…….remember that compromise thing? Well, the lower you have your ISO set to, the better your grain and color quality will be. If you have the ISO turned up higher, your photos will be more grainy and less colorful.
•Easy Tip #1 - Turn off your pumps! It is so much easier to shoot photos of the tank if you have the pumps turned off….everything gets to be more peaceful and you actually have a chance at getting shots of some of those corals that sway too much.
•Easy Tip #2 - Clean the glass off! So many people wonder why they can’t seem to focus or why there are always little specs in their photos…..the glass needs to be crystal clear for the best results.
•Easy Tip #3 - Try using a tripod if you have one. If you are shooting some pictures of corals…..it makes it much easier if you have a tripod. You can turn the flash off and get a nice crisp shot of your favorite corals. Fish aren’t quite as easy with a tripod, but it can still help in some situations.
