What does it take to take a fish pic???
- Thread starter beth
- Start date
rabid frog
Active Member
hey beth I feel your pain, do you have a camera that has manual settings? If so just adjust the shutter speed, I think, back me up rye. the faster the shutter speed the better chance I think. I am still in the novice stage of taking pictures. I know you can slow the shutter speed down also and use more light and that may help also, if you slown down the shutter use a tri pod though. I hope this helps, maybe some one whie is a bit better can help you more.
ryebread
Active Member
Hey Beth,
The key to stopping your fish in a photo with your camera will probably be using the flash. You don't really have any manual settings to play around with but, you do have control over your flash and Macro mode.
I would turn on the macro mode and the flash. Make sure that the flash is set to the force-flash mode (not the one with the eyeball.....that is red-eye mode). This will make sure that your flash goes off when you shoot your picture.
You will want to be as close to the glass as possible because this will reduce the chance of glare from the flash. Try to keep the camera even with the glass.....if you tilt the camera up or down it will decrease your sharpness and overall image quality.
When you find a subject that you want to take a picture of, hold the shutter button halfway down to where you see it focus.....if you keep that button held halfway down, you will be able to fire a photo more quickly when you are ready, just press the button rest of the way down.
Another tip is to try to follow the fish back and fourth matching the speed of the fish while you are focusing on it. This will help to keep it in focus too. If you just try to shoot as the fish swims by, the camera doesn't have enough time to focus on it and you lose your shot.
Let me know........
Ryan
The key to stopping your fish in a photo with your camera will probably be using the flash. You don't really have any manual settings to play around with but, you do have control over your flash and Macro mode.
I would turn on the macro mode and the flash. Make sure that the flash is set to the force-flash mode (not the one with the eyeball.....that is red-eye mode). This will make sure that your flash goes off when you shoot your picture.
You will want to be as close to the glass as possible because this will reduce the chance of glare from the flash. Try to keep the camera even with the glass.....if you tilt the camera up or down it will decrease your sharpness and overall image quality.
When you find a subject that you want to take a picture of, hold the shutter button halfway down to where you see it focus.....if you keep that button held halfway down, you will be able to fire a photo more quickly when you are ready, just press the button rest of the way down.
Another tip is to try to follow the fish back and fourth matching the speed of the fish while you are focusing on it. This will help to keep it in focus too. If you just try to shoot as the fish swims by, the camera doesn't have enough time to focus on it and you lose your shot.
Let me know........
Ryan
lemonshark
Member
You can use any 35mm film camera as long as you use a fast film. Go to your local
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and buy a Kodak ISO 400 or ISO 800.
Remember that if you use flash it might reflect back on to the film by bouncing off from your tank glass. Try to use a tripod for a sharper photo.
Best results are when your house is completely dark and your tank lights on. Your camera reads the speed of your film and it adjusts its settings. Try different distances since if you don’t have a zoom lens.
If you can describe your current camera type I might be able to help you a bit more.
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and buy a Kodak ISO 400 or ISO 800.
Remember that if you use flash it might reflect back on to the film by bouncing off from your tank glass. Try to use a tripod for a sharper photo.
Best results are when your house is completely dark and your tank lights on. Your camera reads the speed of your film and it adjusts its settings. Try different distances since if you don’t have a zoom lens.
If you can describe your current camera type I might be able to help you a bit more.
broomer5
Active Member
My little Kodak digital can't do it Beth. Even when I use the flash as Rye explained - I just don't think my camera is fast enough.
I've had okay luck just setting the camera up on a tripod - and waiting until the fish is in the frame - then shoot.
Maybe one out of 20 or so actually is clear with little blur.
The only time I could get a shot of my old flame angel, was doing what Rye describes above too. Sort of panning along with the moving fish and then take the shot. Most of these will turn out crappy. This was as good as I could ever get of that old flame, and it's not all that great either.
I think ya just got to take a ton of pics - then share the best and toss the rest.
I've had okay luck just setting the camera up on a tripod - and waiting until the fish is in the frame - then shoot.
Maybe one out of 20 or so actually is clear with little blur.
The only time I could get a shot of my old flame angel, was doing what Rye describes above too. Sort of panning along with the moving fish and then take the shot. Most of these will turn out crappy. This was as good as I could ever get of that old flame, and it's not all that great either.
I think ya just got to take a ton of pics - then share the best and toss the rest.
lemonshark
Member
You will always get a blur shot as long as you keep using an ISO speed of less than 400. If you’re going to use a digital, you need to set the ISO speed to 400 or 800. Been far away or too close to the tank won’t mean anything as long as you SET THE ISO SPEED. Buy a film camera for $10 and a film ISO 400 and it will get better results than your Digital KODAK. If you are at low light with a slow film the shutter will stay open longer and it will blur anything that moves. A fast films more sensitive to light (400, 800, 1000, etc). A film of 60, 100 or 200 won’t do the job unless the room has enough light for the sensor to set the shutter speed. You can set the shutter speed your self but you might not have the camera that will allow you to do that. Either get a Canon EOS 10D or Nikon D100 which are digital and then set the speed manually or use auto. Select the Running little man on the dial. You can’t fallow a fish and then take a picture of it. That will blur the background, which is a cool effect but it won’t display your rock setting or corals.
If you’re away from the tank use faster shutter speed or FAST FILM
If you’re very close to the glass, use as much light possible and a speed setting or film speed of 400
This is really NOT hard at all.
If you’re away from the tank use faster shutter speed or FAST FILM
If you’re very close to the glass, use as much light possible and a speed setting or film speed of 400
This is really NOT hard at all.
lemonshark
Member
WhateverI know for fact... I will never take a photo of a fish and blur the back. I'm a photographer and I only blur moving objects when the background is not part of my subject. If I want a photo of a fish with no background I would place it on a different tank with a black background and directional lighting.
It's your camera. Shoot!
slothy
Active Member
iso 200 1/250th shutter speed 5.6/f with flash.. i shoot all my tank pics on iso 200.. iso 400 will help, but tends to get alittle more noisy .. also try to pan (follow the fish as mentioned)
also f/stop has to do with whats in focus depth wise.. small the f/stop the more will be in focus.. but will need more lighting / slow shutter speed
this pic was taken with my f-100 minolta point and shoot camera
also f/stop has to do with whats in focus depth wise.. small the f/stop the more will be in focus.. but will need more lighting / slow shutter speed
this pic was taken with my f-100 minolta point and shoot camera
sammystingray
Active Member
Everyone has their own theories on fish pics.....I use an ISO of 50, flash at 66% or 100%, a shutter speed of 1/2000 (which is my max). Lower ISO seems to be less "grainy" for me, but I still have a lot to learn. Here's my green chromis who never stops moving, so he is sort of tough to get a photo of.....I took about 30, and had maybe two or three worth keeping....the beauty of digital is that you don't have to pay for film. If a fish won't stay still...I say the more tries the better the odds one is good. For corals and such....I use a MUCH lower shutter speed, and no flash.
If a fish won't stay still...I say the more tries the better the odds one is good. For corals and such....I use a MUCH lower shutter speed, and no flash.
sammystingray
Active Member
BTW, Ryebread turned me on to a VERY quality camera in the "Canon Powershot G3", and I know a lot of "experts" hate to hear it, but almost anyone can take a quality pic with a good camera. If you have a high quality camera, somewhat of an eye for picking subject matter, and the patience to take many shots to get a single "good" one, then anyone can do it. Cheaper cameras are a serious disadvantage to would be photographers. I'm not saying it's 100% camera, and 0% human knowledge and skill when you see a good pic, but it makes a big difference having a quality camera.