Fish pics

[JGoslee]

Here's a few pics of my fish. For some reason I really struggle with taking pics of fish. If anyone has any pointers or tips please feel free to share them.

This is my spotted Mandarin Lou

This is my blue hippo tang Capt. Awesome

with flash

 

[fishes2889]

Yay! Finally out of QT.

Hippo looks great...

 

[JGoslee]

Yay! Finally out of QT.

Hippo looks great...

Thanks Steve! 8 long weeks in QT. I ended up losing my arc eye hawk fish and starry night blenny during the hypo treatment.

 

[Kigs!]

great pixx! that is one fat mandarin

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Nice man, nice! Beautiful fish!

 

[MarvinsReef]

hehe.. nice fishezzz..

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Here's a few pics of my fish. For some reason I really struggle with taking pics of fish. If anyone has any pointers or tips please feel free to share them.

My two cents on the matter of taking good shots of fish in the aquarium

Most important ingredient to a quality photo of a fish in a reef environment is that you must be patient. Most people will try to follow the fish around with the camera and take pictures as they go. To me, this is the wrong approach. Here are the steps I would recommend for above average pictures.

1. Pick out an area within your reef or tank that has a pleasing background and use that as the “backdrop†for your fish picture.
2. Mount the camera on a tripod and get your camera settings correct for the amount of light available as well as the depth of field you want in the shot. For those of you using digital, take as many practice shots as you need to get the settings just right.
3. Wait for the fish to come into frame….
4. Wait some more….
5. Wait….hey there it is…perfect…take the picture. If it isn't the pose you want, repeat from step three.

 

[JGoslee]

2. Mount the camera on a tripod and get your camera settings correct for the amount of light available as well as the depth of field you want in the shot. For those of you using digital, take as many practice shots as you need to get the settings just right.

Now this is the part I have alot of problems with. I usually set my camera settings the same way for every shot. Aperture priority mode, iso 400, f20. Sometimes I use flash but I always use those same settings.

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Now this is the part I have alot of problems with. I usually set my camera settings the same way for every shot. Aperture priority mode, iso 400, f20. Sometimes I use flash but I always use those same settings.

There is your problem. In Ap priority mode, the camera will choose the shutter speed for you. If there isn't pleanty of light available, at f20 the shutter speed will be too slow to freeze the movement of the fish and you will end up with blurry pictures.

When doing fish it is better to have the fish in sharp focus and the background softer. This will make the fish stand out from the picture better. Try lowering your f stop to about 5.6 or even 4. This will allow the camera to use a higher shutter speed and you should see much less or no blur in the actual fish. Keep in mind the depth of field will be much more narrow at 5.6 so exact focus on the subject will be paramount.

Here is one I did of an Oscar at f5.6. The fish is in focus and the background isn't. This makes your eyes focus on the fish.

Hope I'm not boring you!

 

[JGoslee]

Great looking oscar! Thats a really good pic. If I lower my f stop to 5.6 should I still be in av mode?

 

[MarvinsReef]

ahhh... nice Bryce...

awesome tips.. now I'll have to play around some more.. LoLz..

Thanks again...

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Great looking oscar! Thats a really good pic. If I lower my f stop to 5.6 should I still be in av mode?

Sure, but, check and see what the camera is selecting for shutter speed. Anything below 60 most likely will not give you satisfactory results. On a moving object over 100 would be better.

 

[JGoslee]

Thanks for all the great tips. I'll mess around with camera today and see if I can get some better shots.

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Just for grins, I did an info scan of your image of the mandrin.

This is the report.

[Image]
Make = Canon
Model = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
Orientation = top/left
Software = DxO Optics Pro Elite 4.2 (WIN32) W1BMVDDCW2TFG
Date Time = 2007-03-18 17:40:49

[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/8"
F Number = F9
Exposure Program = Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings = 200
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2007-03-19 06:13:46
Date Time Digitized = 2007-03-19 06:13:46
Shutter Speed Value = 3 TV
Aperture Value = 6.34 AV
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction mode
Focal Length = 100mm
Maker Note = 2880 Byte
User Comment =
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 900
Exif Image Height = 647
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Auto white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal

[Thumbnail]
Thumbnail = 160 x 115

[MakerNote (Canon)]
Camera Settings 1 = 92, 2, 0, 3, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 6, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 32767, 3, 2, 0, 3, 65535, 65535, 100, 100, 1, 95, 320, 0, 8200, 0, 0, 0, 65535, 65535, 0, 0, 0, 0, 65535, 0, 32767, 0, 32767, 65535, 65535
0002 = 1, 100, 907, 605
0003 = 17, 16, 0, 0
Camera Settings 2 = 68, 0, 192, 108, 203, 96, 0, 0, 3, 0, 8, 8, 0, 65535, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 204, 256, 112, 0, 0, 252, 0, 65535, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
Image Type = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
Firmware Version = Firmware 1.0.3
Owner Name = unknown
Camera Serial Number = 2320705159

A couple of suggestions from the above information:

A shutter speed of 1/8th of a second is way to slow to freeze movment. Get it up to at least 1/60th. Try changing to shutter priority and see what that does for you. You may have to raise the ISO in order to do this.

Get rid of the red eye reduction feature. This delays the time from the pressing of the shutter and the time the picture is taken.

When using a flash, switch to the manual flash white balance and when not select the shade setting.

One more thing, when taking a picture of a fish that you want to be the main focus of your image, use spot metering rather than pattern metering.

There...That ought to keep you off the streets and out of trouble for a while!

 

[JGoslee]

Thanks for all the help Nikon Guy! Here's some new pics. I changed the settings using the info posted above. I think these came out pretty good.

 

[JGoslee]

 

[JGoslee]

This is my 6-line wrasse. He's missing his left eye.

Some more shots of my hippo tang.

 

[JGoslee]

 

[Nikon_Guy]

I like. Really like that second and fourth ones of the mandrin.

 

[Azurel]

The colors on that mandarin in the second and fourth pics are really awsome...Great shots Jesse...