Shooting Fish

NOJ75

NOJ75

Messages
760
Name
Jon
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all,

A friend of mine would like me to shoot his tropical fish (in a tank). This would be nice I think because of the rich colours.

I am trying to think how best to tackle (excuse the pun) the shoot because of the glass etc.

Anyone give any suggestions and pointers on the best way to go about it?

Many thanks :)
 
I've taken a few of my fish with varying success here are the ones I put on my facebook http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235395&id=630857049&l=f93fe00df5

I've found the best way for me is to bump the ISO up to 3200/6400 as using a f-stop it's very difficult to nail the focus going through the glass.

Also I think the nature of the glass/water throws the metering off a bit and I usually find that under exposing by about a stop gives the right exposure.

Best of luck :)
 
Hi Russ77,

I have checked, nice album. Thanks for sharing. I haven’t idea about fish shooting however, after see your work, I think about going to Aquarium and shoots some incredible photograph. Thanks!!
 
Russ77 said:
I've taken a few of my fish with varying success here are the ones I put on my facebook http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235395&id=630857049&l=f93fe00df5

I've found the best way for me is to bump the ISO up to 3200/6400 as using a f-stop it's very difficult to nail the focus going through the glass.

Also I think the nature of the glass/water throws the metering off a bit and I usually find that under exposing by about a stop gives the right exposure.

Best of luck :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Russ. Nice of you to give me that info. Seems like I will just have to trial and error the shoot and see how it goes. Will post the results once he gets me round to do the shoot.
Thanks for the examples too. Some nice shots there :)
 
It's quite a good film, Kate Beckinsale is very watchable in it............
 
lawrie29 said:
It's quite a good film, Kate Beckinsale is very watchable in it............
Click to expand...

:) thought that would have been cracked before now. I knew it would come eventually though. Thanks for not letting me down :) :)
 
lawrie29 said:
It's quite a good film, Kate Beckinsale is very watchable in it............
Click to expand...

:lol: :lol: :lol: Beat me to it!!!

Hi Jon,

I think it's going to be a case of trial and error until you find the method that works for you.
It's something that I've done quite a bit of, but my method is very different to Russ's.

I tend to avoid using a high ISO, as with the dark backgrounds noise becomes an issue with the 450D. Aquarium lighting combined with the need for a high enough SS to freeze the movement is a problem though, so I tend to use the 50mm wide open and rely on my technique and reactions to get the shot.
Of course, nailing the focus at F1.8 isn't easy especially with small fast moving objects. (not to mention being hampered by shooting through glass and water), but it is completely doable with practice. These days I usually get around a 75% keeper rate.

My other tip is to have the tank lights on, but draw the curtains and darken the room as much as possible to minimise reflections. Get up as close to the glass as possible, and position yourself at a slight angle to it rather than straight on to avoid getting a reflection of the camera in the shot.

A couple of my favourite shots below. These were from my 6' tank so I was shooting through 8mm glass. Some more here if you want to have a look. (EXIF data intact on Flickr)


IMG_0086 by SarahLee1001, on Flickr



Shoal of Tiger Barbs by SarahLee1001, on Flickr:lol:
 
Sarah thank you very much fir your tips and lovely photos. I too was a little concerned when seeing the high ISO usage. I thought the grain would be an issue (didn't mention it as I'm a newbie lol)

Many thanks again :)
 
Good luck with it Jon - and let us know how you get on.

Don't be afraid to try out some different settings and techniques. It took me a long time to find the method that worked best for me, and it might not be the best method for everybody.

Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't get the results you want first time out either. They're not easy things to shoot and practice makes perfect, so if your friend's willing you might want to go back a couple of times and refine your technique each time.
 
+1 many thanks for the kind words Sarah. Will def post the results :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top