Primer/Guide for taking photos of fish with problems?

[Jay Hemdal]

I've been handling fish disease issues here on R2R since last summer. One big issue for me is people posting out-of-focus images of their fish taken under blue light and then asking what disease do their fish have. I'll ask them to reshoot, but the results are often not much better.

Most of these folks are just taking pics with their phones. Do you all have any hints or tips that I could compile and add to my FAQ for fish diseases.


Thanks,

Jay Hemdal

 

[WIReefer]

I actually was given this advice today might be something your interested in!

Chromatic aberration - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Bumping this up! One thing I've seen is that people often try to take pics in blue light. Turn up the whites for better photos especially when trying to get a clear pic of a fish.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Btw, @OrionN @maroun.c @fabutahoun and others who take really good fish photos might be able to help with this question.

 

[josephxsxn]

Given that most are using the phone perhaps videos would better? Allowing for alot more data to be shared then just an image. Anyone can setup a free youtube account.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Bumping this up! One thing I've seen is that people often try to take pics in blue light. Turn up the whites for better photos especially when trying to get a clear pic of a fish.

I read one note that said to place the camera phone right on the tank glass - I think to reduce glare and to hold the phone steady.

Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Given that most are using the phone perhaps videos would better? Allowing for alot more data to be shared then just an image. Anyone can setup a free youtube account.

I'm going to add that to the notes also - I like video because the focus is better and I get a better sense of the fish's overall demeanor.

Thanks,

Jay

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I read one note that said to place the camera phone right on the tank glass - I think to reduce glare and to hold the phone steady.

Jay

Yes. That's a good tip.

 

[najer]

Iphone 7 something.
Flat against the glass and horizontal, any angle adds distortion so aiming down and not horizontal means you are snookered from the start.
Clean glass.
Take loads as they are easy to delete, I took seven to get these two.

(I don't use my phone camera normally.)

 

[maroun.c]

Indeed its tricky to get good pics to show disease, it is also crucial to get a good diagnosis.
Here are couple of articles I had posted that help with general settings for fish shots ifnshooting with a DSLR, as well as tips for getting good shots with phones:

Your Guide to Aquarium Photography #3 - Settings for Fish, Coral, and FTS Photos

In our previous article in this Your Guide to Aquarium Photography series, we looked at how you should prepare for a photoshoot of your reef. In this third installment, we will be focusing our attention on camera settings/parameters and how to get them right for fish, coral, and FTS photos...

www.reef2reef.com

Your Guide to Aquarium Photography #5 - Taking Better Pictures with Mobile Phone Cameras

In our previous article in this Your Guide to Aquarium Photography series, we looked at the differences between using DSLR cameras and mobile phone cameras for aquarium photography. This week, we will continue that discussion by answering the question: How can I take better pictures with my...

www.reef2reef.com

A few tips on the topic:

To see detail on the fish you need:
-good focus on the fish
-enough depth of field in the picture ie large aperture number to see all of the fish in focus.
Smaller aperture (larger aperture number) means less light going into ur picture and more chance for blurr or dark pics
- fast enough shutter speed 1/60 -1/125 would be minimum to avoid motion blurr on fish shots unless fish is not moving
-Iso try to increase ISO as it allows u faster shutter speeds. Too much is will give noisy images but that might still be better than a blurred image. Different cameras or phones have different level of noise from.high is so experiment and see the best compromise.
Flash doesn't really work.on fish shots due to reflections and washing out colors..if u have to use flash on a phone tilt phone a bit down to decrease reflections. Too much tilt and u get distortion. On camera using an external flash that tilts a bit up and adding a small diffusor helps a lot..
-Try to stabilise ur camera or phone to decrease ur movement
-shoot perpendicular to glass to avoid distortion.
- shoot fish while they're swimming from side to side of the tank and not swimming towards you as that gives less distance to have in focus, unless fish has an issue on the head.
- some phones have a pro mode to allow control over aperture l shutter speed and iso, make sure to use those. Some.apps can be downloaded to provide control if built in camera app doesn't.
-burst mode.on phones takes multiple images in rapid succession and u can find the shot that has less motion or shows disease more.
- make sure to focus properly, we typically focus on fish eye for general shots but for disease shots focus on diseased area, most phones will focus automatically and then by tapping on area of interest will focus again where u tap.
-track the fish and try to take ur shot while fish is still in a position that shows disease well.
-clean glass before shooting and allow for stirred algae to settle before u take pics.
-increase white lights as they allow for faster shutter speed so less motion as well as narrow aperture which means more depth of field in ur pic.
-dont zoom picture or reduce size too much in post processing before posting as that leads to distorted shots.

 

[kev.2013]

I've been handling fish disease issues here on R2R since last summer. One big issue for me is people posting out-of-focus images of their fish taken under blue light and then asking what disease do their fish have. I'll ask them to reshoot, but the results are often not much better.

Most of these folks are just taking pics with their phones. Do you all have any hints or tips that I could compile and add to my FAQ for fish diseases.


Thanks,

Jay Hemdal

If no orange filter, turn off the blues.

Shoot perpendicular to the glass to avoid any distortion. If the app allows quicker shutter speed, it could be helpful for fish that move quickly.

Lastly, ask them “can you see the issue you’re talking about in the photo provided”. If they can’t see what they’re talking about in the picture, it’s not likely that someone else would be able to identify the issue.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

If no orange filter, turn off the blues.

Shoot perpendicular to the glass to avoid any distortion. If the app allows quicker shutter speed, it could be helpful for fish that move quickly.

Lastly, ask them “can you see the issue you’re talking about in the photo provided”. If they can’t see what they’re talking about in the picture, it’s not likely that someone else would be able to identify the issue.

Real good last point! I had somebody post a photo of their fish with fin rot, but the end of the caudal fin was out of frame (grin).
Jay

 

[adittam]

Turn off the flow in the tank while taking the photos, and turn up all spectrums of light to equal intensities.
As others have stated, put the lens right up to the glass to reduce glare. Turning off room lights helps too.
Also as others have stated, a fast shutter speed is necessary to capture moving fish, but since most phones adjust the shutter speed automatically based on the brightness of the subject, the only way to make the shutter speed faster when using a phone is to crank up the aquarium lights as bright as they go.
Using a camera instead of a cell phone isn’t going to help much if the person only knows how to use the camera in full auto mode anyway. Cell phone cameras have gotten pretty good, and most entry level cameras and lenses that non-photographers might have at home aren’t much better on full auto mode, tbh.

Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help!
Matt