settings on a Nikon D80

[mfinn]

What is the best/easiest way to brighten my pictures.
Many of my pictures end up looking as if only the actinic lights are on.
When in fact the 250 watt Radium bulb is on and the 2 x 75 watt 454 actinics are on.
I'm using a Nikon D80 with the 18-55mm lens.
I set the white balance by putting a 2" white pvc pipe in the tank and taking a picture and I used that picture as a white balance preset> use photo.
What else can I do?
I am absolutely new to a slr camera.

 

[gparr]

Post a couple of examples. It'll be easier to tell what's going on.

My guess is that they're underexposed if your white balance is set correctly. However, if the images are blue, your white balance preset is probably not right. Are you filling the frame with the white PVC pipe? If not, you're probably not getting a true white balance reading. A flat surface is better for preset white balance readings because you'll get a constant light across the surface. A curved surface, such as a pipe, will have brighter and darker areas across its surface, throwing off the reading. If you can shoot RAW, or are willing to learn, you'll get better results and not have to mess with setting a white balance.

Are you using automated camera settings? Please include the settings with each shot, if you know them.

Gary

 

[mfinn]

Here is one, that was just a hand held picture with no particular care for content.

 

[mfinn]

Is it better to use a white piece of paper taped on the outside of the tank glass, or get a white, flat object inside for WB setting?

 

[returnofsid]

Use a white styrofoam picnic plate, IN the tank. It's important to have the white object in the tank, under the lighting. It's also important to totally fill the picture with the "white," and have it in focus.

I've also used a white cutting board.

 

[mfinn]

Looking for a white stryo plate now.

 

[gparr]

As return stated, white surface in the tank. It's preferred if you can position it at the same angle as the rock wall surface so you get the same relative reflection of light.

The image you posted has settings of 1/80 sec. @ f/5.6, ISO 400. There also is another number of -0.67, which I assume is an exposure compensation number. Assuming I'm correct, that tells me that your camera is set to underexpose every shot by 2/3 stop. That will contribute to a dark image. Exposure compensation should be set to zero. It's best if you adjust aperture and shutter speed manually, if you know how.

Your white balance is definitely off. If you put a white styrofoam plate in the tank and fill the frame, you'll get a more accurate reading. I'll reiterate that shooting RAW will give you better results for less hassle.

I made some minor curves adjustments and cropped all of the tank wall out to get the result below. You have what appears to be a nice zo garden. Move in closer and take some pictures of some of the zo colonies.

Gary

 

[returnofsid]

Martin definitely has a beautiful Zoanthid garden!!! Seeing it in person is even more impressive!!

Do away with your exposure compensation, set it to 0.

I typically shoot in manual mode, adjusting shutter speed AND aperture setting, as I go. You can also shoot in Aperture Priority, adjusting shutter speed as you go, but this may not work for fish, or your soft corals, if there's fast movement. For this, you'd want to shoot in either Manual, or Shutter Priority.

Are you totally confused yet!!??

Take TONS of pictures, with different settings. Upload them and view them, along with the EXIF data. Pretty soon, you'll begin to see patterns in how each setting (viewed in EXIF) effects the picture.

 

[mfinn]

I looked for the exposure comp in the custom settings menu and it was set to off.
I turned it on, now I just need to find which dial or button changes it and how to do it.

I found a large white corningware plate and tried that in the tank. Took a few quick pictures and they are still very dark.
So first I'll work on that exposure comp setting and go from there.

Thank-you.

 

[mfinn]

Ok, here is one more with the exposure comp changed one click to the positive from 0.0

 

[returnofsid]

Looks better! Turn Exposure compensation to 0, and adjust aperture setting per picture. You should have a bar, at the bottom of your view, that shows aperture setting. Center it or keep it 1 or 2 clicks left of center. Do do this, you'll either need to be shooting in Manual Mode or Aperture Priority...I think...lol.

The Custom White balance won't help adjust "darkness" of picture. It will just adjust your colors to appear more accurately.

 

[gparr]

Your white balance is still not accurate. I'm not sure what "return" was saying. Not clear to me. For this shot, set your ISO at 400, your aperture at f/8, and adjust your shutter speed so the "needle" indicator in your viewfinder is at plus 1, then take a picture, Adjust the shutter speed so it's at 0, and take another picture. Then adjust so it's at -1 and take a third picture. One of those will be the proper exposure. You should have the camera set on manual with autofocus turned off. If you don't have a remote release, use the camera's timer to trip the shutter so you don't move the camera. Turn off all flow so things aren't moving around.
Gary

 

[mfinn]

Your white balance is still not accurate.
Gary

This is what I did.
I placed the plate in the tank, like this.

Then I moved the camera up close to fill the viewfinder up with the plate.
Then in the shooting menu, went to WB, then down to WB preset, then to, Use Photo, then picked the picture of the plate( close up picture ). Highlighted the picture, then clicked OK.

I also changed the exposure compensation back to 0.0, but it seems like that setting made the picture darker.
I found something in the D80 manual that said to lighten the picture change the exposure compensation to the positive, and that is what I was trying to do.

 

[gparr]

Let's back up the truck a bit. Exposure compensation is typically used when you are using automated modes. If you are manually adjusting shutter speed and aperture, that's what you use to adjust the brightness or darkness of the image. You should have seen the difference if you did the three shots I recommended.

Not sure why your custom white balance isn't working. I'm assuming you're photographing the white portion and not including the shaded portion of the plate. You can see the variation in coloring in your image. Nonetheless, your white balance should be much closer to accurate, regardless of what part of the plate you use. Since you're seeing no change, I would suggest there is a reason that the camera is not capturing/using the white balance image. Maybe you're missing a step in the process?
Gary

 

[mfinn]

Let's back up the truck a bit. Exposure compensation is typically used when you are using automated modes. If you are manually adjusting shutter speed and aperture, that's what you use to adjust the brightness or darkness of the image. You should have seen the difference if you did the three shots I recommended.

I did the 3 shots and it seemed the +1 was the lightest.

 

[mfinn]

Not sure why your custom white balance isn't working. I'm assuming you're photographing the white portion and not including the shaded portion of the plate. You can see the variation in coloring in your image. Nonetheless, your white balance should be much closer to accurate, regardless of what part of the plate you use. Since you're seeing no change, I would suggest there is a reason that the camera is not capturing/using the white balance image. Maybe you're missing a step in the process?
Gary

I am seeing a huge difference in overall brightness from this morning to now.
One thing that maybe affecting the color is my background.
It's a bright blue.

But I will seach again for a flat white object.

 

[gparr]

Yes, +1 should have been the lightest and likely overexposed. The 0 or -1 shots should have been usable. Is your camera set to shoot jpg images or is it shooting in the RAW mode?

 

[mfinn]

I'm shooting in jpg fine.
I don't have anything to process the pictures in RAW.
I'm just using the Nikon View software that came with my Nikon 8700 P&S camera.
I't just so familar to use. I can look at the picture, use a auto contrast without changing any color and a sharpen feature.
Seems most people I talk with about this uses CS4.
I don't have that kind of $ being unemployed atm.

Have lots of time:)

Once I get some progress with the stock lens, I'm going to start with a Tamron 90mm
I have and see where that takes me.

 

[gparr]

One of the CDs that came with your DSLR has a program on it for processing photos and converting RAW files. That program will have tools for manipulating photos. I'm not sure what Nikon calls it, but I know it came with the camera.
Gary