I wanna Share Better

[o2manyfish]

Hey Guys,

So I need some help in 2 non-major issues. I would like some assistance for Clam placement and photography. My clams look great and are doing well. Yet the green clam is blue, and I can't take accurate photos of their colors.

I am using an Olympus c720 2 megapix camera. The pics above were taken with and without Actinic.

The tank is a 125H. Lighting is (2) 175w MH German 10K, (2) Hamilton 110w VHO Actinic, (2) Coralife 12K NO 48" Tubes.

The clam on the left is an Ultra Electric Crocea, it is Turquoise and Purple with Orange Insets. The Clam is also and Ultra Electric Crocea which is Electric Green and Turquoise.

Tips, Tricks, and advice sought to show them better in the tank, and to be able to share the photos of them with others.

Thank You,

Dave

 

[cromax]

Dave, there is only one way to photograph clams. From the top! Not from the side, not from an angle, always from the top, looking directly down on the mantle. Best way to do this is to somehow position the clam as close to the water surface as possible. This is because your auto-focus will hit the water and focus the distance from the camera to the water surface. So, your clam must be as close to the calm water surface as possible.

Experiment with and without flash - it really depends on the clam. Just know that with flash, there will be glare on the water - so you might have to move your camera around a bit until you find the right position where the glare will not hit the portion of the picture with the clam in it.

Then, be sure to post pics! :bigeyes:

 

[wizorik]

non-digital

non-digital

If you really want the best pic... follow the instruction from cro about positioning the clam...but use an SLR camera with a polarizing filter (circular polarizing if auto focus). The filter will filter out the glare from the water and the circular polarizer (if used on auto-focus) prevents the auto-focus mechanism of the camera from focusing on the water (also works when photographing through glass). Experiment with lighting....including fill flash, etc. Use a very high-quality film that will give you rich color saturation. Something like Kodak's Royal Gold is easily found and affordable. Buy the lowest speed you can get your hands on. The lower the film speed the smaller the grain on the film so you will see a crisper picture. However, you will need to provide more light for this...but for what you're doing I would think the light you are already providing to bring out the clam's color will be enough. Take the whole roll slightly varying the lighting or angle... Turn off your filter for a minute and let the water settle so you get good clarity. Have the film developed at a place you can trust (not the local drug store) - once the negs are developed, you can't go back and redo it. Make sure to instruct the person doing the developing of exactly what you have photographed and ask them to take the time to get you a color rich photo during printing. When you get the prints, take the time to look over them and don't be afraid to ask the developer to reprint a photo if you think it needs a little more blue or green or whatever. If you want something fast to post on-line for a question, inexpensive digital cameras are usually fine, but if you want something to show off...you need to take your time with it...where's the clam gonna go? Good photography is alot like a good saltwater tank...it takes patience and attention.

 

[OscarBeast]

When using slower speed film, it is always wise to use a tripod as well.

 

[o2manyfish]

I understand

I understand

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the help so far. I totally understand the concept of topdown viewing. However, with the top of the tank open then the halides are out of the way and so the clams don't illuminate.

This morning I took a couple of shots using the flash and before any of the tank lights had turned on.

With the photo of the 2 large clams using just the flash on my digital camera I get the true colors of the clams. This shot was taken just by walking up to the front of the tank.

So what is wrong with my lighting etc, since the clams don't look anything like this during normal viewing.

 

[wizorik]

Tripod

Tripod

I agree with Oscar about the Tripod...unless you are VERY steady or can rest the camera against something. Also, is it just me, or can no one else see those pics?

 

[zenya]

Can't seem either:eek1: