Taking FTS

[E_Aquatics]

You have to be kidding me!! These pictures look AWESOME!

Hahaha thanks!

 

[Clayalaleona]

Are you shooting with auto focus?

 

[d2mini]

I'm not arguing, but what does a darkroom have to do with lightroom? Or do you mean he should be analyzing in a darkroom?

A darkroom is to film what Adobe Lightroom is to digital raw files.

OP, just to restate, your pics look great other than being a little dark.
Try lifting the shadows a bit either with the tone curve, and/or the overall exposure and then bring the highlights back down.
Another option if you want to get fancy, is to develop the tank separately from the stand and room. I find this easy to do in photoshop.

Another point... none of us know what your tank looks like in person.
I know that I always struggle with getting my pics to look exactly like my tank looks in person, no matter how much I mess with white balance and other things. There's always something that just doesn't looks right.
But to everyone else, they look fantastic. lol

 

[E_Aquatics]

Are you shooting with auto focus?

Sometimes I do. In these pictures posted above I used auto focus

 

[E_Aquatics]

Thank you Dennis! Your pics always look great .

I haven't been using Lightroom that long and haven't really mess with photoshop. I need to watch/read some tutorials so that I can a bit more knowledge on these two programs.

You really should make a video on some basic editing using Lightroom. It would really help out other ametures like myself lol.

A darkroom is to film what Adobe Lightroom is to digital raw files.

OP, just to restate, your pics look great other than being a little dark.
Try lifting the shadows a bit either with the tone curve, and/or the overall exposure and then bring the highlights back down.
Another option if you want to get fancy, is to develop the tank separately from the stand and room. I find this easy to do in photoshop.

Another point... none of us know what your tank looks like in person.
I know that I always struggle with getting my pics to look exactly like my tank looks in person, no matter how much I mess with white balance and other things. There's always something that just doesn't looks right.
But to everyone else, they look fantastic. lol

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Photoshop is really too big IMO for most photographers. Lightroom has all the basic tools a photographer needs that an old darkroom did.

 

[BigJim]

Those are great shots. Thanks for the post because I got some ideas to try to improve my full tank shots. Your shots blow away anything I have taken.

 

[reeferfoxx]

A darkroom is to film what Adobe Lightroom is to digital raw files.

Thank you. I had no idea.. :rolleyes:

Photoshop is great for that one photo or competition photo. Lightroom is great for the amature and professional to make quick correction in batches. In production however we don't use either. Photoshop is slow and lightroom can still be burden. My software are kodak digital production, davinci resolve, redcineX and speedgrade. My tools are a tangent element and a kodak wheelman.

 

[d2mini]

Photoshop is really too big IMO for most photographers. Lightroom has all the basic tools a photographer needs that an old darkroom did.

Lightroom is awesome for organizing your shoots and doing all major edits quickly and efficiently.
But like I said above, PS is good for the more advanced stuff.
Maybe it's because I've been using it since the early 90's, before it even had layers, but I find it easier than Lightroom to do things like dodging/burning, sharpening techniques, anything requiring the healing tool, anything that requires layers, and advanced color correcting.
Every photo I end up posting goes through photoshop after Lightroom for final tweaks, adding my watermark, resizing and sharpening.
It's just the workflow I prefer.

 

[d2mini]

Thank you. I had no idea.. :rolleyes:

Photoshop is great for that one photo or competition photo. Lightroom is great for the amature and professional to make quick correction in batches. In production however we don't use either. Photoshop is slow and lightroom can still be burden. My software are kodak digital production, davinci resolve, redcineX and speedgrade. My tools are a tangent element and a kodak wheelman.

That's video editing software.
Lightroom is the go to software for most still photographers.
Photoshop is awesome for anything you want to do with it.

 

[Clayalaleona]

Your lens doesn't appear to be focusing properly, try shooting with manual focus. Also add a little bit of red to your WB it should take care of your color problem
This is an old picture

This is a reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy old picture

 

[reeferfoxx]

That's video editing software.
Lightroom is the go to software for most still photographers.
Photoshop is awesome for anything you want to do with it.

Kodak doesn't make video editing software, to the best of my knowledge. The rest of it, yes. Im a colorist. There are photographers, videographers, and then editors and colorists. With kodak dp2 i can analyze(correct) roughly 800 photographs an hour, respectively. Though, it doesn't give me the option to augment images like dodge and burn. But then again a well exposed photograph shouldn't need it. Within seconds i can load a directory and apply red, green, blue, density, gamma, general contrast, shadows, mid tone and high tone contrast corrections. I use the kodak bremson color wheel to make speedy corrections. Though the video software is different, in the digital world, it really isnt. I can apply the same corrections and layers as I could in photoshop.

 

[E_Aquatics]

Your lens doesn't appear to be focusing properly, try shooting with manual focus. Also add a little bit of red to your WB it should take care of your color problem
This is an old picture

This is a reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy old picture

Really nice pictures! I will be taking a few more pictures tomorrow or the next day and I'll try all the things you guys have suggested.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Really nice pictures! I will be taking a few more pictures tomorrow or the next day and I'll try all the things you guys have suggested.

Keep up the great work! The only thing I can suggest is, your lens costs more than the camera(which is how it should be), but color is subjective and nobody takes an amazing picture overnight. Although I personally think your tank and pictures are beautiful. I wouldn't stress about color so much as clearity. Your images aren't that sharp. The Nikon D300 is a great entry level camera, but even in the reefing hobby, we don't always buy entry level equipment.

 

[E_Aquatics]

Keep up the great work! The only thing I can suggest is, your lens costs more than the camera(which is how it should be), but color is subjective and nobody takes an amazing picture overnight. Although I personally think your tank and pictures are beautiful. I wouldn't stress about color so much as clearity. Your images aren't that sharp. The Nikon D300 is a great entry level camera, but even in the reefing hobby, we don't always buy entry level equipment.

Thank you! I've had this camera for about 8yrs now maybe more. I know when I bought it was the best Nikon Body available at the time, so it might be time to upgrade lol

 

[reeferfoxx]

Thank you! I've had this camera for about 8yrs now maybe more. I know when I bought it was the best Nikon Body available at the time, so it might be time to upgrade lol

That is completely up to you. The way I look at it, is how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? If it becomes a passion, go for it! If you find yourself taking weekend excursions just to photograph? Do it! You dont need to dump a ton into the camera. But 12MP is little lacklustre. I would balance the camera with lens purchase. I've seen people do commercial/professional work with a $400 to $500 camera but with a $800 lens.

 

[E_Aquatics]

That is completely up to you. The way I look at it, is how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? If it becomes a passion, go for it! If you find yourself taking weekend excursions just to photograph? Do it! You dont need to dump a ton into the camera. But 12MP is little lacklustre. I would balance the camera with lens purchase. I've seen people do commercial/professional work with a $400 to $500 camera but with a $800 lens.

Yea you're right, for what I use the camera for this still works fine for me. I think once I get more efficient using Lightroom and apply some of the tips you guys have suggest the pictures will improve a bit more.