my pics are getting better?
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I am no expert but I do know a little. Try taking the shots with out the flash it tends to make the colors more bland. The tank lighting makes nicer shots with better color. If you have to use the flash make sure you are at enough of an angle so the flash bounces away from the lens.
A tripod and longer exposure times work very well. For the longer exposure shots you may have to turn off the pumps to keep the focus sharp. You might have to play with the ISO settings to get the proper exposure. Hope this helps.
A tripod and longer exposure times work very well. For the longer exposure shots you may have to turn off the pumps to keep the focus sharp. You might have to play with the ISO settings to get the proper exposure. Hope this helps.
cybrsufr
In Memoriam
What type of camera are you using. I use a Canon A640 right now, looking to buy a 5D in the next year with a housing and strobes for underwater photography. I have been taking UW pictures since getting getting scuba certified 4 years ago. I have quite a collection on my website, you can see a progression from starting out with a 2.1 MP SeaLife and several others before getting the 10.1MP A640. Anyway back to the subject. When I shoot pictures of my aquarium I do not use a flash, but Johny is correct about the glare and angle. You will need to take the pictures at approx 45 degree angles up or down to allow the flash to reflect out of the lens view. If you can subdue the flash then try f8.0 and shutter speed around 1/8s - 1/20s and ISO100-200 (less grain)for corals (you will need a tripod as at these shutter speeds it is almost impossible to shoot with your hands, it will be blurry. For fish shots or anything moving try f2.8 - f4.0 and a shutter speed between 1/120 - 1/160 and still use a low ISO setting 100-200. Automatic modes on cameras can get OK pictures but you will need to use Full Manual, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Speed Priority modes to get the best shots. Here is an example from my tank
You can check out some other picts here
Aquarium
Under Water Photography
You can check out some other picts here
Aquarium
Under Water Photography
hey guys thankyou for the advice all my shots are just trial and error. cybrsufr I will try what you guts are saying. The camera I have is no gem its just a kodak dx7590 with no special lens. I have to see if my video camera tripod will work?All my shots are top downs because there is no veiwing glass.
cybrsufr
In Memoriam
If you are shooting from the top of the tank, try a little less of an angle then so you wont get the glare from the lighting. The MH or other lighting you use, will cast a strong reflection on the top of the water so you will have to use trial and error to see what angle will give you the best shot without the glare. They do look a lot better and have more detail than the first posting. It will just take practice and experimenting to get the shots right. The third picture looks the best, hardly any reflection and good detail. I was amazed at how much different the shooting was on an aquarium compared to shooting underwater when I started taking shots of my tank. so keep it up and you will get some great shots..
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