Your views please!

[Dave_P]

Ok people, I will start this off. Constructive critism on this picture please.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/IMG_1119.jpg

[dan-the-man]

Can it be darkened? And maybe a hint of the yellow hue taken away?

[SCOOB]

I'm with Dan, maybe if the exposure was stopped down a bit.

and have you tried holding the camera portrait style to get the flash bouncing from an angle when not using a cabled gun held above? i find i get crisper edges like that.

now to make way for people that actually know what they are talking about :laugh:

[dan-the-man]

Lol, too right fella! :laugh:

[muzzy]

i read somewhere that when taking pics of fish you should always take the left side, no idea why!

[dan-the-man]

Thats their best side! Usually the colours are brighter on the left, but it depends... I once had a damsel that was red on one side and blue on the other - no idea how it happened, must be a special sub species.

I should've fragged it...

[SCOOB]

i thought it was due to familiarity of the mind. if you draw a fish, most people will start with the head and start to the left. therefore, a picture of the left hand side of a fish will appeal to more people than a picture of the right hand side.

[Reef bloke]

Nice sharp main subject,the background is a little distraction though and the flash has produced unatural background colour.
Couple of things i would do,
Stick the camera in manual,expose for ambient light of the background and crank open the aperture so you get shallow dof.Bounce the flash to the side and let ettl/flash expose the fish correctly.You may have to play with the iso,aperture and shutter so you dont get a a drag effect if the fish is moving i.e sharp fish shot from the falsh coupled with a ghost blurred image of the tail end of a slow shutter.
To save the image is photoshop,you could cut around the fish and save as a layer,adjust the background exposure and colour and add some lens blur filter.Sharpen the fish layer and adjust as you see fit(remember to feather the fish layer a little around the edge) on plop it back into the main picture and flatten the image.

[clippo]

save as a layer,adjust the background exposure

I wasn't aware that this is possible Tony.... surely to adjust the exposure the image would have to be in RAW format, and as such not possible to manipulate using layers?

[Reef bloke]

Im no expert with PS as you can tell but you could faux expose in Adjustments.Im just giving a few pointers.
How would you do it mate,as i say im no expert in PS so any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

[clippo]

sorry yes, you could adjust 'levels' to simulate reduced background exposure using 'layers' but true exposure is not adjustable in this manner (unless some of the more recent version of PS support this function - I'm still using PS7 btw!). However, anything but the smallest difference in levels between the layers will result in an unnatural halo around the fish (even with careful feathering) IME. Best to re-shoot completely if such intensive PP work is required.

[Reef bloke]

Yep totally agree re shooting is the way to go.Just trying to think of a better way of trying to save a shot without getting the halo effect.I quicky and crudely mucked about with Daves but yes the halo is there.Not a proffesional solution in the slightest but i suppose it would be o.k for a personal album if you wanted to save a diving picture or something.
Heres my quick effort
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/daves fish.jpg
No finnese i grant you
Perhaps someone else more photoshop capable would like to take a crack and share tips?

[Andythescientist]

Depends what you are going for, for a picture recording the fish it's nice. But from an artistic point of view, there is nothing to draw your eye into the center of the picture. The focal point will usually be the fishes eye, however this is right over to the side of the image, which draws your eye away from the image.

[Dave_P]

Thanks people, taking everyones comments in. :thumbsup:

This new area going to be good! learnt loads already. :)

I can't take another shot of the fish as it was in Craig's tank. But the points being raised are valid. I will need to go and get myself a sync chord.

[Paul]

Depends what you are going for, for a picture recording the fish it's nice. But from an artistic point of view, there is nothing to draw your eye into the center of the picture. The focal point will usually be the fishes eye, however this is right over to the side of the image, which draws your eye away from the image.

Hmm, there is no right and wrong as far as art is concerned, but i feel in this case .. you're wrong ... :P

When composing a shot, the most aesthetically pleasing pictures are those with an 'acentral focus'. When we look at stuff our eye naturally falls towards the centre of the pic, if you have your focal point in the centre of the pic, your eye goes straight there and doesn't bother looking elsewhere. If you have your focal point away from the centre (ideally sitting on one of the golden means or by using the rule of thirds) the eye initially falls to the centre of the pic, but when you realise the focal point isn't there the eye is forced to wander and explore the rest of the pic in search of the true focal point.

Constables Highwayman and the Mona Lisa smile use the golden mean as a focal point ... who am i to argue? Seems to work for me too.

PS. I had a quick fart about with it in PS and even did a quick 'pseudo' HDR technique on it, but the image is a bit noisey to be post processed a large amount.

All that said, the image looks fine to me :)

[Aleela]

If you are basing your images soe;y on "ART" then the basic rule of thumb is to think in THIRDS.
When lookin gthrough your viewfinder, imagine two vertical line splitting the screen into three equals, then again imaging two horizontal lines againg splitting the screen, now (if you can see through al those anoying lines) the focal points will be where the lines cross

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Thirds-2.jpg

As for there being too much info in the picture, I'd beg to differ, it can give a better understanding of the fish, i.e. size, but lets face it fish like cats, WILL NOT POSE FOR YOU!!! Alex

[Paul]

If you are basing your images soe;y on "ART" then the basic rule of thumb is to think in THIRDS.
When lookin gthrough your viewfinder, imagine two vertical line splitting the screen into three equals, then again imaging two horizontal lines againg splitting the screen, now (if you can see through al those anoying lines) the focal points will be where the lines cross

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/Thirds-2.jpg

As for there being too much info in the picture, I'd beg to differ, it can give a better understanding of the fish, i.e. size, but lets face it fish like cats, WILL NOT POSE FOR YOU!!! Alex

Didn't i just say that above ^^ :P

Nice visual illustration tho ;)

[wookie7062]

Subtle rework to bring the background and foreground nearer in exposure. Slight blur of background and flipped the fish.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/IMG_1119rework%20copy.jpg