View Full Version : Photography Lessons ?
OK. All you sharpshooters out there.
Yes you know who you are.
Any chance of passing on some of your pearls of wisdom to us "Disposable Camera" merchants ?
As In, I have yet to get around to reading the Encyclopedia NikonBritannica" that came with my coolpix.
Though am sure it will not cover the specifics/nuances of getting the best shot in the artificial surroundings of an Aq.setup.
As in through glass, under bright M/H's, etc.
Would be great if those in the know could share with the rest of us your tips, and settings you choose for your Dig.Cams.
Would lead to better shots being posted, for all to enjoy.
OK Folks now watch out, I am about to divulge the LITTLE I know with regard to this subject.
Info. I have gleaned from BB posts here and off US BB's
In no particular order
1.Ensure a steady camera to prevent "Blurring" by use of a GOOD Tripod, or by resting the camera edge against the glass( soft material between glass and camera edge ) *
2.Take the pic at an angle to ensure no Flash
reflection off the glass ruining the pic.
3.Ensure all outside/surrounding light is cut out as much as possible, by drawing curtains, turning off room lights.
4.Try to picture moving objects using a higher exposure and preferably whilst they are temporarily reasnobly stationary.
And finally
5.Ensure youre looking through the right end of the camera and the lens cap is off:biggrin::biggrin:
Any more tips and details of camera settings best suited to photographing and Aq.
Exposure setting, Image Sharpenning, Image Size , Lighting Type , Flash setting , etc.etc.etc.
Cheers
Bri. :cool:
(Edited by IrishReefer at 1:15 pm on Sep. 22, 2001)
Hi Bri,
What a good idea, I'm sure my pics would be soooo much better if they were in focus :lol::lol::lol:
Ziggy
Ahh Cmon Guy's
Anyone who has any pointers, info.
Lets Hear It !!:biggrin:
Bri.
Hi Brian,
I was waiting for the king of photography to reply to this thread (I'm sure we all know who that is :wink:) but since he's not I'll give it a go.
Firstly I am in no way an expert on this subject, I just dabble with it really.
Here goes:
For stationary objects (corals etc.)
1. Use a tripod! I find this helps enormously in preventing the blur produced as a result of camera shake. I also use the self timer so that I am not in contact with the camera at all at the moment the photograph is taken. Or use a remote cable release.
2. Set the aperture to be as small as possible. In my case f11 but it can be f32 on some lenses (note. the smaller the aperture the bigger the f number). The small aperture gives you a greater depth of field, and a larger area that will be in focus.
3. The shutter speed will be dictated by the aperture. Normally quite slow hence the need for a tripod.
4. Position the camera so that it is square on to the glass. NOT at an angle since the thickness of the glass distorts the image.
5. I find that in most cases I do not need to use a flash (the benefits of MH lights, which are bright enough and have a pretty good colour balance). If flash is required, such as when the lights are out, use it off the camera and place it at 45 degrees to prevent reflection of the flash light.
6. Turn off the flow in the tank.
7. Cut out any extraneous light in the room.
For moving objects (eg fish)
1.Use a large aperture, f5.6, to give a narrow depth of field and throw the background out of focus.
2. Shutter speed needs to be fast if you are not using a flash gun. Anything over 1/200 should be OK. If flash is being used then apply the 45 degree placement rule as above. The shutter speed is immaterial as the flash duration will freeze the image.
3. Getting the fish in focus is the hard part! As fish move around a lot I don't use a tripod. Focus on the eye to get a great shot. You'll find that this is acceptable even if the fins are not in focus.
That's the basics :biggrin: there are lots of other tricks to try, such the use of two flash guns etc. The rest for me is trial and error :wink:. That's why digital cameras are great!
Here's a couple of my latest attempts
Plerogyra sinuosa close-up
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/028/As/Ed/gz/uU20135.jpg
Montastrea sp. (?) taken at night with flash
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/037/wy/It/mL/uY16815.jpg
Practice, practice, and more practice
:wink:
Regards
Very nice Lisa WOWIve got to get loads of practice in to keep up with the quality of them pics:biggrin:
If you guy's can wait a few days I'll post an article written for another website, about photographing fish. Probably when the site gets updated on the first of Oct'.
Here's a hint or 2 in the meantime.
1. where possible try to use three sources of light at angle ie i above the tank pionting down and one each at either side. This gives the pics an added depth and improves the subject.
2. Depth of feild is controled by f-stops (the numbers around the lens) the lower the number the bigger the apperture setting and the less you have a margine for error the higer the number the smaller the aperture and the more you can get in focus.
Using a small apperture requiers a lot more light to pass through the lens and increases the exposure time.
3. try different film speeds. generaly the slower film speeds( 25/50 asa) give crystal clear images but will use a longer exposure time and are ideal for stationary subjects.
The faster film speeds(800/1600asa) is perfect for fast moving subjects and uses a fast shutter speed but the film is very grainy and gets worse as the film speed increases. I'd recommend using 8oo speed film. the different makes of film give different results as well, it's to do with the chem's in the film.
3. Watch out for any un-natural growths from the subject and pay attention to the background. nothings worse than a competition winning pic of your fish or coral and there is an electric socket/shelf bracket behind the subject.
Lisa & Adeyc.
Thanks
Look forward to the article Adeyc.
Lets keep it goin, anyone else got any pointers, especially relating to Dig.Cams and their settings.
Mmmmm Now lets see who posts loads of great pics and hasnt posted here yet.
Ill be dammed if I can think of anyone in particular:biggrin:
Cheers
Brian.
Now who could you posibbly mean Brian ?Ermmmmmmmmmmmmm
Got it !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on Mr Ridley & Mr Garrett I need this thread for the FAQ :wink::wink:
Ok I’ll take a stab at this one,
First off I’ll explain two very important things, “Aperture and Shutter Speed” these are the only two things that a camera has control over.
Aperture
Aperture controls what is called “Depth of field” this basically controls what appears Sharp (in focus) from any give point. *To control the depth of field within a picture you adjust what a camera refers to as “F” Stops, you will see these marked as F5.6, F11 etc. *When focusing on any point within a picture what appears to be sharp in the foreground and background is solely governed by your “F” stop (aperture). *A shallow depth of field can be referred to as an aperture smaller than F5.6, small apertures require far more attention to correct focusing. *Take care with your aperture as this can make a good picture look Great. When shooting fish, your pictures can take on an almost 3D effect if the fish is the only true sharp image in the picture. This also has the added benefit of drawing your attention directly to the intended subject and doesn’t leave the eye wondering around the picture for a focal point.
Shutter Speed
As a rule of thumb pick a shutter speed equal to or greater than your lens i.e. 100mm = a shutter speed of 100 or greater, 300mm = a shutter speed of 300 or greater and so on. *Don’t even think you have a steady hand; even the slightest movement at speeds slower than 100 with will decrease overall image quality so use a tripod on all shots wherever possible. *Shutter speed is mainly controlled by two factors film speed and light, so select a medium to slow film speed of at least 200 and no higher than 800, you will notice how pictures take on a grainy appearance above 800 and overall quality will suffer. *Aperture has an affect on shutter speed and shutter speed on aperture but I’m not even going down that road here. *
Lighting *
I have in excess of 500w of lighting over my tank and wouldn’t even try to get a decent shot without using flash. *If you can’t detach your flash or swivel it then don’t use it, direct flash (pointed directly at the subject) looks unnatural and washes out colours and reflects badly off the glass. *If you can remove or at least tilt your flash try to keep it at a 45degree angle to the lens this will help prevent flections. *When using flash you still have to watch your shutter speed, as most modern flashes have a flash burst rate of 10,000th of a second, this means the light burst only lasts for 10,000th of a second and if the camera has set a shutter speed of 90 (which is quite normal) then you still have enough time to record blur by camera shake. *The flash may well record a sharp image but the remaining time that the shutter stays open is long enough to record blur by either camera shake or subject movement, so don’t think that using your flash is the be all and end all to a sharp image, USE A TRIPOD!
This is exactly what I do!
Camera on a tripod, flash mounted directly on the camera but tilted at a 45degree angle to the lens. *I normally set the camera to automatically set the shutter speed but set the aperture to F5.6 for moving subjects (fish). For all macro shots (real close stuff) I try and set the aperture above F11 this allows me to focus real close and get a one to one life size shot, but gives a reasonable depth of field. *
The above is only my opinion and it works ok for me, above all enjoy what you do that way your pictures will be better!!
http://www.reefworld.20m.com/ultimate/anthias2.jpg
Blimey I hope that makes sense?
Good thread by the way I'll keep an eye on this one http://www.ultimatereef.net/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
simon garratt
20-10-01, 23:08
Hi all.
Sorry Bri/swayze about the disgutingly long pause in reply......erm 10 days.
But to chime in, yep I agree 100 with the guys above, but would also ad that even with a cheap digi camara you can get fantastic results if you have a decent photo package installed on your putor.
I personally recommend Photosuite4 platinum as it can adjust pics to a very fine degreee in numerous ways from lighting, focus, colour, hue, saturation,,,,,the list is endless......suffice to say that even with an expensive camara its only as good as the packedge you put it through.
Just to disagree with our Lisa on one point though ( sorry Lisa).. I quite often take my shots at a slight angle to the front glass but only slightly pointing down..... the reason is that under certain lighting the true colours can be lost if veiwed from strait on wheras a slightly downward shot will show these colours off alot better....
Remember Macro settings only work up-to about 6-8" away from the lens,,,,so for corals at the back of the tank then take on a normal focus setting (cheaper camaras like mine) at a distance of about 2-3Ft on max res and then wack through a good package to zoom and crop.
Pics taken on a Fuji Finepix 1.3mp, macro setting at a distance of 5" on 1280x960 no flash just Tubes and a slight downward angle.
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/037/rz/hy/Bn/gz29692.jpg
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/011/od/pP/E4/Ak21660.jpg
Cheers all
Si.
Flipping heck Si there gorgeous:biggrin:
simon garratt
21-10-01, 21:20
Cheers Mick....
Not quite on par with our resident expert mr Ridley.....:shocked:
But I do try.....or is that im very trying...:lol:
Cheers
Si.
Hi all
How do you get a pic onto a web site i.e U/reef when you finally take a good one ime at a loss how to do this :shocked:all info will be greatly received.
Mr.Ridley and Garret STUNNING just STUNNING:eek::eek:you both are to be congratulated and of course Lisa(do you know of other female marine keepers??):biggrin:
(Edited by ray at 7:30 pm on Oct. 25, 2001)
Just trying out my first photo!
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/034/LV/vI/Pb/yY60590.jpg
Try a different one
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/030/wP/4U/mk/AW19346.jpg
(Edited by IrishReefer at 7:26 pm on Dec. 14, 2001)
(Edited by tlp at 12:33 am on Dec. 15, 2001)
Hey TLP :biggrin:
Sorry, tried to alter the URL above to show Piccie.
What is the URL of your Webshots site ??
You can post the Pic. as you did with the Plerogyra spp. by Right Clicking on the Pic. , Copying & Pasting the URL into your post and surrounding it with image tags.
BTW, If you do not understand some of the above, ask, I was in you position a while ago and got a reply similar to what I typed above, and hadnt a clue what the well meaning author was on about. :biggrin:
Cheers
Brian.
Hi Bri,
No probs... got the posting working just fine.
The only problem is I use webshot.com & if the image is small enough, there isn't a url for the full size image (which was the broken link above).
Here's another pic...
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/028/nO/4x/zw/yo53741.jpg
BTW. I'm experimenting with resolution & image size to avoid massive downloads for our friends on modem connections. I'm on cable and its bril!
Oh yeah.. the webshot site:-
<a href="http://community.webshots.com/album/27055611DaKgvvggTS
I've" target="_blank">http://community.webshots.com/album/27055611DaKgvvggTS
I've</a> got loads more to upload - just playing about with a new camera(borrowed).
kevin ling
14-12-01, 21:06
hi although iam no expret in photography i am using a fuji 2900zoom digital camera .up untillmy recent tank change.ie 15ml glass results were good, with thicker glass i found it impossible to get shots in focus.iread an article on the garf website about using a magnifying glass in front of the lens.ie against tank for some reason it can focus better the result is amazing
regards kevin ling:devil:
Hmm,
Still struggling :sad:
No flash: Poor colour balance and too slow shutter speeds for anything that remotely moves, coupled with excessive contrast due to Halides (500W total)all directed from above. Maybe a reflector below may help.
With flash: Horrible lighting, and difficulty exposing correctly due to flash either bouncing off glass and cutting out prematurely, or if bounced then the subject is often in shadow.
Perhaps I need to experiment some more :wink:
Now I'm off to buy a flash lead to get the #### thing away from the camera, maybe that'll help..
Rob.
p.s. Lisa, You use a Fuji 6900Z don't you ? Which colour balance setting do you use when exposing with halides only ? Ta.
Ugg,
This gets no easier :lol:
I've decided to forget the flash for now and concentrate on real close stuff, 'cos that's working a little better for me so far..
http://www.btinternet.com/~tiredrob/ReefShack/images/Closeups/buttons2.jpg
http://www.btinternet.com/~tiredrob/ReefShack/images/Closeups/gorgonian.jpg
Hope you like them,
Rob.
Yeeeeeeeeaaaahhhh Rob,
Nice piccies, I like them a lot! :biggrin::biggrin:
I think that it is easier to take pictures of individual corals rather than the whole tank. With regards to the colour balance on my pics, I just leave it all to the camera (on auto). Have you got the same camera as me then?
Keep the pics coming, I wanna see more
:cool:
Regards
Thanks Lisa,
Yes, I have the same camera, the 6900z. I'll agree on the individual coral pics working better than full tank, I've found full tank pics to be particularly horrible :wink: Mind you, my tank has an awful long way to go before it starts to look anything like as good as yours anyway. So far mines just a baby (and still shamed with hair algae probs too :sad:)
I'll stick with the 'You can't see all the rubbish if I get in close enough' shots for a while then :lol:
Oh, one question for you guys: Take a typical scenario where you're trying for a fish (moving) photo - How close to the tank are you sitting ? Across the room a few feet away, or close to the glass ? I've tried both, but I'm still not really sure which worked out best!
http://www.btinternet.com/~tiredrob/ReefShack/images/Closeups/Clondylactis.jpg
http://www.btinternet.com/~tiredrob/ReefShack/images/Closeups/tinyduster.jpg
http://www.btinternet.com/~tiredrob/ReefShack/images/Closeups/Seapen.jpg
Rob.
p.s. Love the Plerogyra sinuosa pic Lisa. Aren't these reefs just choc full of some of the most wonderful shapes and textures, if you only take a little time to look :smile:
(Edited by TiredRob at 9:48 am on Jan. 1, 2002)
Rob, I always sit back about 3-4 feet from the tank and follow the fish around with the lens and snap away. *I find it impossible to wait until a fish comes into the viewfinder.
http://www.reefworld.20m.com/ultimate/Anthias.jpg
http://www.reefworld.20m.com/ultimate/Wrass_jpg.jpg
http://www.reefworld.20m.com/ultimate/Tank 20-7-01_00102.jpg
http://www.reefworld.20m.com/ultimate/Tank 20-7-01_00069.jpg
http://www.reefworld.20m.com/ultimate/flame.jpg
mr ridley,
outstanding:eek::eek::eek:
cant wait until i've actually got something to photograph with my new coolpix (unless you count some brown diatom stuff and live rock doin its stuff):wink:
john
Moved to the Photography forum *http://www.ultimatereef.com/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
OK everybody,this is a bit of an old thread now but it still contains some useful info. If you have any other helpful photography tips to add then please do so. http://www.ultimatereef.com/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Regards
Lisa
Last edited by Lisa Page at Jan. 11 2003,10:28
Mr Ridley,
Is that a type of anthia? Which species is it?
Cheers.
OK
Have read all the above, and to be honest , bar a few good tips still no wiser.
Can anyone give the correct settings to get good quality pics with a dig. camera
As in
White Balance
Metering
Continous
Best Shot Selector
Lens
Image Adj.
Image Sharpening
Image Size & Quality
Sensitivity
Exposure Options
Focus Options
Folders
CD Card Format
Clear Settings
Presume the last three are not relevant.
Camera is a Nikon Coolpix 880 , have tried so many variations of settings , but cant get any consistency in quality of pics.
Help appreciated http://www.ultimatereef.com/ibv3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Cheers
Brian.
Here's what I use most often on my Nikon:
White Balance - Auto
Metering - Centre Weighted or Spot
Continous - Off
Best Shot Selector - Off
Lens - standard
Image Adj. - Auto
Image Sharpening - Auto
Image Size & Quality - Maximum on both and then crop and reduce in editing software
Sensitivity - ISO100 usually or ISO400 if I need a faster shutter speed and want to maintain the aperture without using the flash
Exposure Options - depends on the shot
Focus Options - Auto focus (manual AF area selection)
Brian,
Are you using a tripod?
Regards
Lisa
Last edited by Lisa Page at Jan. 29 2003,09:46
Lisa
No im not. Must get one.
Simon.
Tried all those , though the main problem I get is actually capturing the true coral colour, mostly pics come out duller than to the eye.
Take the Orange Cap I have, it seems to pic a dull Orange whilst the real colour is more vibrant. Also the pics seem a bit " grainy " as in bad quality ?
Brian.
OK. Who wants to fly to Seattle and take some pics of my tank for me? I'm still trying to figure out if my camera sucks or I suck. It's a Fuji finepix1300. Am I wasting my time trying to get good shots with it?
Some great advice however unless I somehow missed it there was not any advice on getting stunning overall shots of the whole tank and contents.
I have one question, I am limited on distance that I can get away from my tanks I.E a 30" gangway with tiers of 72" long tanks each side is there any way you can get an overall shot of a tank at such close range, would a wide angle lens help?
I only have an old Cannon EOS 500N with a zoom lens 28-200 and I use an extension tube ef 12 for close ups.
I will get a dig cam in the future maybe end of this year or the start of next year any suggestion of what to look for at that time I guess I will have saved up around £800.01 by then for a dig cam.
Thanks for any advice.
Regards
Martyn
autumcolours
18-09-03, 11:53
I suffer the same pro, my lounge is very narrow, even with a wide angle lens cant get all my 9' tank in the frame, I have to stand outside and take pic through open window. Maybe a mirror would double the distance for you, any Einsteins out there confirm?
Keith.
Keith, have you tried using some software that allows you to "stitch" photos together? I use www.irfanview.com (http://Irfanview) free to download, which has a 'create panorama image' option.
Mark
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