Need tips for taking pics of fish

[ataylo13]

I have taken hundreds of pics of my fish. I very rarely get a shot that I think looks good. I have given up on macro shots and tried using the Canon efs 18-55 lens. I have been trying to get a good shot of my Purple Tang. He comes out really dark. I have tried using shutter priority, with no luck. I have read alot of different techniques, but I seem to be missing something.

Today I decided to cheat and break out the flash. I have the Canon 550ex. Oh... I have the Canon 400D ( I am sure you are noticing a pattern with Canon . I tried varying the angle of the flash and different diffusion methods. I also tried to not be directly in front of the tank when I took the shot, because all of those came out poorly.

The is the best shot I was able to get tonight. Thoughts/opinions?

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/btaylor66/MyReefTank/photo#5114317019438200754"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/btaylor66/Rvm0O3xZN7I/AAAAAAAAAv0/8wo2o7IaKIQ/s800/IMG_5137.ac.jpg" /></a>

 

[FOSELONE]

^ looks good to me...

 

[jwedehase]

That's a photo that most would be completely satisfied with, but it sounds like you're possibly like me, and always want more.

It's very possible you're limiting factor is the lens. The kit lens is always just "good enough for everyday shots," but generally regarded by the experienced photographer as an inadequate lens. There's a whole slew of great glass out there, with an equally great amount of dollars to be had on them. I'll leave that topic alone for now.

A couple tips that I would consider necessary for shooting fish:

* Shoot at ISO 400 (I really don't like going any higher, even though it helps shutter speeds. It comes at the cost of image quality)
* Shoot in aperture priority at your lowest f/stop. This will allow the greatest shutter speed.
*Track with the fish as you shoot. Remember to follow through with the motion, even as the shot is already captured. It's not a "follow and stop catch" action. It's a smooth sweep, keeping the fish in the viewfinder even after the trigger is pulled (or shutter release has been pressed, in this case).
* Keep the lens perpendicular to the glass at all times. This will require you to move your entire body in two dimensions, (up/down and side/side) rather than pivoting around with the fish.
* Digital post processing is absolutely required to achieve the same results as most of the shots (and ALL the good shots) you see here.

Try those out, your mileage may vary. Keep posting and sharing for more feedback!

 

[clippo]

two words - over-head flash (or is that three?)

 

[RevHtree]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10852351#post10852351 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jwedehase
That's a photo that most would be completely satisfied with, but it sounds like you're possibly like me, and always want more.

It's very possible you're limiting factor is the lens. The kit lens is always just "good enough for everyday shots," but generally regarded by the experienced photographer as an inadequate lens. There's a whole slew of great glass out there, with an equally great amount of dollars to be had on them. I'll leave that topic alone for now.

A couple tips that I would consider necessary for shooting fish:

* Shoot at ISO 400 (I really don't like going any higher, even though it helps shutter speeds. It comes at the cost of image quality)
* Shoot in aperture priority at your lowest f/stop. This will allow the greatest shutter speed.
*Track with the fish as you shoot. Remember to follow through with the motion, even as the shot is already captured. It's not a "follow and stop catch" action. It's a smooth sweep, keeping the fish in the viewfinder even after the trigger is pulled (or shutter release has been pressed, in this case).
* Keep the lens perpendicular to the glass at all times. This will require you to move your entire body in two dimensions, (up/down and side/side) rather than pivoting around with the fish.
* Digital post processing is absolutely required to achieve the same results as most of the shots (and ALL the good shots) you see here.

Try those out, your mileage may vary. Keep posting and sharing for more feedback!

Great post and info.

 

[ataylo13]

RevHtree: Tanks for the tips.

*I don't believe I kicked it up to 400 ISO. I will try that
*The highest F/stop on that lens is 5.6. I have the 100mm Macro but it gets me a little too close to focus in time.
*I was on a rolling chair and sliding back and forth in front of tank trying to stay perpendicular ( That can get frustrating when they go from top to bottom). I am sure I looked crazy darting around an aquarium and sweating just taking photos.
*Post processing helped a little.

The hard part I have with aperature priority is the fish is a dark color and when he is swimming low there are lots of shadows and caves that cause the camera to "average" the scene and takes a fraction of a sec too long, but I have not given up on it yet.

 

[edwing206]

Actually it's Sherms advice. :lol:
Some good advice.
FWIW What I do is use a really fast shutter speed and bring the brightness up when post processing. But not too fast of a shutter speed or else it looks fake when you bring up the brightness.