Best TIPS and ADVICE for taking good pictures of aquarium, coral and fish!
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Lionfish hunter
Valuable Member
Buy a kit on Amazon for taking pictures of aquariums. Comes with different color lenses that you just clip over the camera on your phone. Pick the best lense and clip it on your phone. Does a good job.As we continue on with this week's Aquarium Photography and Video theme let's start a topic that hopefully will benefit those who are learning to take better photos!
What are some TIPS and ADVICE you would share with someone who wants to learn to take better aquarium photos? SHARE AT LEAST ONE THING!
We also have some amazing articles on aquarium photography here!
Aquarium Photography
www.reef2reef.com
image via article by @maroun.c here
How close to the subject do you have to be with the Avast and macro lens? Thanx.I am still rather new to photography but I have been learning.
Tripod Picture at night through the glass holding a flashlight above the coral
- Take your time as you might need to take 100s of photos before you get the "shot"
- Take aquarium side pictures perpendicular or straight on to your aquarium glass or acrylic when possible. When you take pictures from an angle to glass or acrylic it will create distortions in the image.
- Top Down shots turn the pumps off, use a viewing box, or use a porthole for camera lens
- Don't be afraid of manual camera mode. Take some time to learn F-Stop, Shutter Speed, ISO, white balance to see how they change your photos. Then experiment with these settings with test photos to find what you like.
- For fish auto focus works well for fast moving fish or free hand pictures but for corals a tripod and manual focus makes all the difference.
- Lighting - I don't use a flash but I do use flashlights and light rings. The first photo below I was holding a flashlight above the stereonepthea. You can create some cool effects with lighting
- Basic photo editing - GIMP is a great free editor
- You don't need a professional level camera to take good pictures. I worked up to a high end camera but I still take great pictures with my phone
- Remember to have fun taking pictures
Top down shot through an avastmarine portal with 90mm macro lens - manual focus
Top down shot through an avastmarine portal with 90mm macro lens - manual focus
Top down shot through an avastmarine portal with 90mm macro lens - manual focus
Cell Phone picture
Cell Phone picture
October Sky
Active Member
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I just want to salute the humility of the audience here and their voting.
I voted Poor, because I'm better than the people taking out of focus shots through salt creep stained glass.
I voted Poor, because I'm better than the people taking out of focus shots through salt creep stained glass.
AlexG
Valuable Member
It really depends on the lens/camera. My 90mm macro has a minimum focus distance of 11". So with the avast on I will dip the lens into the water enough to frame the shot i am looking for ( just dont dip the lens too deep to overflow the avast porthole). Of course you can always move the distance out further depending on how you want to frame the shot.
I personally don't think you need a macro lens to take good photos, of course it helps. Here's a tip for anyone with a zoom lens that doesn't want to break the bank on a macro lens, search for macro adapters for your model camera, this will allow you to get as close as a few inches to the coral instead of the 2-3 feet away that traditional lens' focus to, practically turning any lens into a macro.
Roatan Reef
Valuable Member
Tampa Bay Reef Keepers
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I use the orange Aquashella glasses over my android camera...works great!
Dburr1014
7500 Club Member
I go in pro mode and keep toggling and adjusting in the settings until I think it looks good. But my pics still don't look sharp for whatever reason. They have that green hue so I know it's focused.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
@ReefStache did his new tank up right! Go check out his YouTube channel. Awesome content and basically his build thread in video! All the cool gizmos and gadgets. He's also doing a Cade giveaway right now with some great sponsors!
ReefStash
Well-Known Member
Thank you both!! @Dburr1014 & @tbrown3589@ReefStache did his new tank up right! Go check out his YouTube channel. Awesome content and basically his build thread in video! All the cool gizmos and gadgets. He's also doing a Cade giveaway right now with some great sponsors!
RUKelly
Community Member
Thank you for sharing some excellent photog info.I am still rather new to photography but I have been learning.
Tripod Picture at night through the glass holding a flashlight above the coral
- Take your time as you might need to take 100s of photos before you get the "shot"
- Take aquarium side pictures perpendicular or straight on to your aquarium glass or acrylic when possible. When you take pictures from an angle to glass or acrylic it will create distortions in the image.
- Top Down shots turn the pumps off, use a viewing box, or use a porthole for camera lens
- Don't be afraid of manual camera mode. Take some time to learn F-Stop, Shutter Speed, ISO, white balance to see how they change your photos. Then experiment with these settings with test photos to find what you like.
- For fish auto focus works well for fast moving fish or free hand pictures but for corals a tripod and manual focus makes all the difference.
- Lighting - I don't use a flash but I do use flashlights and light rings. The first photo below I was holding a flashlight above the stereonepthea. You can create some cool effects with lighting
- Basic photo editing - GIMP is a great free editor
- You don't need a professional level camera to take good pictures. I worked up to a high end camera but I still take great pictures with my phone
- Remember to have fun taking pictures
Top down shot through an avastmarine portal with 90mm macro lens - manual focus
Top down shot through an avastmarine portal with 90mm macro lens - manual focus
Top down shot through an avastmarine portal with 90mm macro lens - manual focus
Cell Phone picture
Cell Phone picture
Agree with the tips above - these are some of the things that help me
*Fast Macro Lens (not required)
*Fast Focusing System (not required)
*Turn off auto mode and use the appropriate manual settings for your subject, if fast moving you're likely going to need a high ISO to accomodate a fast shutter speed, if shooting still or slower moving objects you can relax your ISO and shutter speed.
*Tripod
*A longer focal length will usually compress your subject and and will be more pleasing to the eye - just like people - think portrait mode and not landscape. If you use a giant wide lens you will get a distorted subject. A longer focal length will also allow you to setup further away from the tank making skiddish subjects more comfortable to swim about.
*Get your subject's eye in focus
*Shoot in raw if possible
*Practice on a static objects in the tank first to develop your technique
*The beauty of digital photography is you can take hundreds of shots for one keeper and delete the rest.
*Dont forget that a majority of those jaw dropping photos you see are not right out of camera.
What I consider a fun portrait of my Kole Tang - nothing too fancy but nothing too hard to achieve. Theres a lot of uncontrolled chromatic abberation in this photo created by trying to get the color balance right.
*Fast Macro Lens (not required)
*Fast Focusing System (not required)
*Turn off auto mode and use the appropriate manual settings for your subject, if fast moving you're likely going to need a high ISO to accomodate a fast shutter speed, if shooting still or slower moving objects you can relax your ISO and shutter speed.
*Tripod
*A longer focal length will usually compress your subject and and will be more pleasing to the eye - just like people - think portrait mode and not landscape. If you use a giant wide lens you will get a distorted subject. A longer focal length will also allow you to setup further away from the tank making skiddish subjects more comfortable to swim about.
*Get your subject's eye in focus
*Shoot in raw if possible
*Practice on a static objects in the tank first to develop your technique
*The beauty of digital photography is you can take hundreds of shots for one keeper and delete the rest.
*Dont forget that a majority of those jaw dropping photos you see are not right out of camera.
What I consider a fun portrait of my Kole Tang - nothing too fancy but nothing too hard to achieve. Theres a lot of uncontrolled chromatic abberation in this photo created by trying to get the color balance right.
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