Multi part newbie questions.

[Roy G. Biv]

1. Do external flashes come in different K ratings?

2. When taking pictures in the fish tank with a lot of action and you want everything in focus is the flash the answer? For example..

I wanted everything in focus so I thought the aperature was the answer. If I do this, the picture blurs because of the action. If I set the shutter speed higher to capture the action, its darker. I prefer not to use the flash because it messes with the colors underneath the halides.


3. On the camera, when I go to a saved photo it shows the settings that were used when taking the picture. Is that info availabe when I download the pics off of the camera?

4. I was maybe 8 inches away from this when I took it. The center is in focus but the upper area is not. Would it have been better to be further away and to crop the image?

 

[Roy G. Biv]

5. How do you make those borders in pictures that I see all the time?

 

[moze229]

Re: Multi part newbie questions.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13708177#post13708177 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pmolan
1. Do external flashes come in different K ratings?

2. When taking pictures in the fish tank with a lot of action and you want everything in focus is the flash the answer? For example..
I wanted everything in focus so I thought the aperature was the answer. If I do this, the picture blurs because of the action. If I set the shutter speed higher to capture the action, its darker. I prefer not to use the flash because it messes with the colors underneath the halides.


3. On the camera, when I go to a saved photo it shows the settings that were used when taking the picture. Is that info availabe when I download the pics off of the camera?

4. I was maybe 8 inches away from this when I took it. The center is in focus but the upper area is not. Would it have been better to be further away and to crop the image?

Which camera are you using?

1 - Simply - No. If your interested in reef photos, don't focus on flash photography just yet. It's really difficult to tune in good pics with a flash unless you really know what your doing and you have the right type of flash. Built on flashes are good in a pinch but that's about it.
2 - Aperture, ISO, and shutter speed are what you need to focus on. Using a flash is usually not the look you'll be going for with aquarium photos. Reef photography can be tricky at first. READ, READ, then read some more about Aperture, ISO, and shutter speed, and how they are all related. SO MANY variables go into photo taking it's not even funny. We haven't even touched on lenses yet, which is a whole other topic of it's own Use the camera's auto settings at first (without flash) and see what type of EXIF info the camera sets up for you. Then you can learn to fine tune for the best shots.
3 - Yes - EXIF info is stored into the file. (Depending on the camera)
4 - Depends on the look your going for and the variables presented in answer number 2.

Read up and enjoy! It's like learning reef tanks all over again.

-Matt

 

[moze229]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13708188#post13708188 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pmolan
5. How do you make those borders in pictures that I see all the time?

This is usually a function of image editing software. Photoshop, Fireworks, etc.

-Matt

 

["Umm fish?"]

1. You can use different color gels to change the color of the flash. A great example is: http://www.nightsea.com

2. Yes. Flashes suck when you are trying to take photos of some corals (the color gets weird), but that's not really the case with fish. Our aquariums are low-light environments and if you want to decrease the aperture in order to increase the depth of field and still have the exposure fast enough to freeze the action of a fast-moving animal like a fish, then you need to increase the light. That's the only option. Be careful on how you place your flash, though, or you'll wind up with lots of glare issues.

3. Yes, the info is available. It depends on the program and platform you are using, but whatever program you use to categorize the info should give you a way to view the data.

4. What lens did you use?

5. Photoshop, or something similar.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13709883#post13709883 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by "Umm, fish?"
4. What lens did you use?

Canon Xsi kit lens 18-55. Im trying to take all sorts of photos to see what additional accessories I am actually going to use.

 

[H@rry]

Pmolan, I'm in the same boat as you. On the surface it seems like a lot of things to keep up with at the same time. When you change one setting it has an effect on the others. I was thinking the other day that it can be compared to learning to play golf. When you hit a golf ball you need to keep up with a lot of things too. Foot position, grip, shoulder turn, club selection, straight arm, watch the ball, follow through, etc. I still think learning to take good pictures is easier than learning to hit a golf ball.

I think they both are pretty hard to learn but I've seen some pretty dumb people do really well at both!