fish

iliria

iliria

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does anyone have some good tips etc about taking pictures of fish, in an aquarium setting?
went to the london aquarium on sunday and most of my pictures are just manky in some way, especially as they have banned tripods and flashes...
anyone able to help?
 
Get a rubber hood!

This will allow you to hold your lens right against the glass, killing off a lot of the reflections. Use manual focus, and presto!

Depending on light condition, adjust your ISO .. most are well lit to allow a relatively low ISO; also watch your white balance, water has a tendency to cast a blueish colour.
 
Oh, and at all expense do not use flash!
 
Wail said:
Oh, and at all expense do not use flash!
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I disagree with this, if flash can be used use it off camera and at a 45 degree angle to the glass.

I also shoot fairly close to the glass and have used a piece of black card with a hole cut in it the size of the lens and but that on just behind the lens hood as this can stop the reflection of the camera and you if you can not get that close the the glass.

an example of a shot taken at the sea life center in Great Yarmouth with flash.

_DSC2545026_edited-2.jpg
 
Another tip, frame your shot and wait for the fish to swim in, chasing them around will get you frustrated quickly!

http://www.sealifethroughthelens.com/page4.htm These were taken a couple of years ago when I first started underwater potography, the pool was closed when I had the workshop booked so we went to Bournemouth Aquarium instead not the best in the world but taught me a good lesson not chasing the little so and sos!

Fish trend to repeat their behaviour regularly, watch them for a while, frame your shot and wiat for them to come around again :)
 
Davec223,

Nice shot you have there :)

I have to say, thank you for the tip on the flash. I've never been able to get it right, hence why I do not use it. I also think the OP may find it very hard to use one off camera while in London Aquarium. Still, a very good tip :thumbs: to have.
 
Wail said:
Davec223,

Nice shot you have there :)

I have to say, thank you for the tip on the flash. I've never been able to get it right, hence why I do not use it. I also think the OP may find it very hard to use one off camera while in London Aquarium. Still, a very good tip :thumbs: to have.
Click to expand...

No problem Mate, Camera was in one hand and I held the flash in my other hand.
 
Now that would be impossible for me to do. I need both hands to hold a camera steady, so I figure the only alternative for me would be to hold the flash between my legs :p
 
Hi I've got the best results with flash off camera above the tank but if you cant use flash

then a short focal length such as 50mm so that you can use a low shutter speed handheld at a high ISO and get the camera as close to the glass as possible
 
Ricky,
I had no problem using flash at Great Yarmouth, there were a couple of sections with signs up asking for flash not to be used, IIRC one of them was the sea horses.
 
You shouldn't really use a flash around fish, they are very sensitive to changes in light and most do not have contractile pupils. The more hardy fish can take it but don't particularly like it. Sensitive animals like octopus or sea horses may die if they have a flash fired at them.

A CPL is a good tool to reduce glass reflections, as are rubber hoods and Dave's suggestion of a card surround
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
You shouldn't really use a flash around fish, they are very sensitive to changes in light and most do not have contractile pupils. The more hardy fish can take it but don't particularly like it. Sensitive animals like octopus or sea horses may die if they have a flash fired at them.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure the bold bit is correct.

I'm an underwater photographer and shoot with a number of U/W togs who are all very respectful of the environment in which we shoot. I know all of us have used strobes when shooting seahorses and have never been advised this has the potential to kill them otherwise we wouldn't do it.

We don't repetitively shoot any animal to respect distress that could be caused by strobes, but I have never heard of seahorses and octopii dying as a result.
 
Tazzie said:
I'm not sure the bold bit is correct.

I'm an underwater photographer and shoot with a number of U/W togs who are all very respectful of the environment in which we shoot. I know all of us have used strobes when shooting seahorses and have never been advised this has the potential to kill them otherwise we wouldn't do it.

We don't repetitively shoot any animal to respect distress that could be caused by strobes, but I have never heard of seahorses and octopii dying as a result.
Click to expand...

Having seen the effects of any stress on octopii and seahorses several flashes in quick succession (1 or 2 flashes from multiple togs) would certainly fall under the heading extreme stress. Male seahorses often die after brooding; they don't eat for many hours and if they are disturbed during this period it often has fatal consequences

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to back this up aswell
 
Ah right yes possibly if they're being shot from all angles in rapid succession but I read your reply literally - having a flash fired at them

Would love to do some reading about it if you have any links to the "plenty of anecdotal evidence" please?
 
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