Aquarium photography 101

[Rick]

Here's a shot I took earlier this morning when the lights were still off just to demonstrate what is possible using high ISO settings. The lights for this picture are two 14w flourescent bulbs (track lights) in a vaulted ceiling about 8 feet above the tank. I.E. Low room lighting. Obviously I'm not going to win any contests with this picture however I think it's impressive considering the low lighting conditions.

 

This is taken using a tripod with the following settings:

ISO @ 6400

Aperture @ f4.5

Shutter @ 1/15s

[andy]

:

ISO @ 6400

 

Insanity :-P

[CA2OR]

Re: Aquarium photography 101

 

I think this whole thread should be stickied....I am sure there will be more valuable information to come.

 

So what would you guys recommend I do differently? Seems my P&S can only hit an aperture of 8.

 

Here are a few of things I never tried to shoot before...what is to be said about white balance? I have that on auto still...

 

 

 

 

 

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[KMiller]

Wow this is an amazing thread! I have started using these tips with my DSLR also!!

[andy]

The white balance on the shot of the hermit crab looks fine -- the problem is that the foreground is blown out (over-exposed). Getting a balanced exposure in an aquarium can be very challenging; the combination of bright white substrate, deep shadows and odd lighting is a real PITA. I find that spot metering really helps. Also, slightly underexposing the shot then boosting the exposure in post-processing can work really nicely (remember, digital photography is a lot like shooting slides... overexposure results in total loss of data in the overexposed area, there's nothing to be salvaged... better to underexpose and correct in "the darkroom"/photoshop)

[Rick]

I think this whole thread should be stickied....I am sure there will be more valuable information to come.

 

So what would you guys recommend I do differently? Seems my P&S can only hit an aperture of 8.

 

Here are a few of things I never tried to shoot before...what is to be said about white balance? I have that on auto still...

Watch out for washed out images. Once they are overexposed the details are gone forever. (trying using a slightly faster shutter speed)

 

Does your camera have a zoom lens? If so try a different zoom level to see if that will allow a wider aperture. Unfortunately you may need to look for a different camera to get the wider apertures. Personally I think your ready to take the leap and get a DSLR so you can be more creative.

 

I thought you might still be using auto white balance (some of your images have a slight blue tint). Read up in your camera documentation to see how to set the custom white balance and try that. You can use either a coffee can lid (a neutral color) or even a white dinner plate. Put it inside the tank and take a picture of it and then set the custom white balance using that image.

[andy]

Yes, or just shoot in RAW mode and handle white balance in post-processing.

[CA2OR]

Re: Aquarium photography 101

 

Can't shoot in raw with my P&S.

 

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[Rick]

Can't shoot in raw with my P&S.

 

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That's kind if a bummer. You can still set the custom white balance though. Here are the instructions:

[Kshack]

My Nikon D40 will not register the custom white balance. It does not see the Radium 20K for some reason. Tried the white lid from salt container. Any suggestions? Just shoot RAW and try to change then? My photo program that comes with the Nikon does not go up to 20K when adjusting the RAW files. I think the highest setting is 9800.

Trying to dial in the colors.

[CA2OR]

Re: Aquarium photography 101

 

And you said to shoot at a coffee lid to set?

 

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[Rick]

And you said to shoot at a coffee lid to set?

 

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Or anything else that is white.

[CA2OR]

Re: Aquarium photography 101

 

But not the sand?

 

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[Rick]

But not the sand?

 

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Only if you can fill the entire picture with just the sand and if the sand is completely white. Even if it isn't quite white you could try it however I would just grab a white plate or bucket lid or something that you can hold in the tank. (I used a white dinner plate) I do plan on trying the coffee can lid if I can find one as it's supposed to be a neutral color close to that of an 18% gray card but otherwise I'll stick with white since the average gray object isn't completely neutral. (An 18% gray card is supposed to be more accurate than using a white object)

[Rick]

My Nikon D40 will not register the custom white balance. It does not see the Radium 20K for some reason. Tried the white lid from salt container. Any suggestions? Just shoot RAW and try to change then? My photo program that comes with the Nikon does not go up to 20K when adjusting the RAW files. I think the highest setting is 9800.

Trying to dial in the colors.

 

I'm hoping someone with your camera has a better answer. Until then you can shoot Raw (which I would do anyway) and then find a different program that goes higher. I know Photoshop does and I assume Photoshop Elements does as well however I'm sure those are not the only options.

[CA2OR]

I see.....ok I will give it a shot today. What am I looking to see differently?

[CA2OR]

Here was this morning shots before reading this thread

 

Exposure: 1/6 seconds

Exposure Program: 0 ()

Fstops: 8.0

ShutterSpeed: 1/6 seconds

Aperture: 6.0

MaxAperture: 4.34

Compressed BPP: 3.0

ISO speed: 400

 

Exposure: 1/60 seconds

Exposure Program: 0 ()

Fstops: 8.0

ShutterSpeed: 1/60 seconds

Aperture: 6.0

MaxAperture: 4.34

Compressed BPP: 3.0

ISO speed: 80

 

Exposure: 1/6 seconds

Exposure Program: 0 ()

Fstops: 8.0

ShutterSpeed: 1/6 seconds

Aperture: 6.0

MaxAperture: 4.34

Compressed BPP: 3.0

ISO speed: 400

[Rick]

I see.....ok I will give it a shot today. What am I looking to see differently?

 

The color will shift a bit to remove some of the blue cast some of your pics show. All of the colors will shift slightly (hopefully to be more accurate) at the same time. It's often hard to see in the bright colors of the corals so you need to look past them at the parts of the picture you wouldn't normally notice. Look at areas of the picture like the sand or rocks that should be white or grey (or brown if your tank is like mine right now) and see if they look right.

[andy]

On the second shot, your flash fired --was that intentional?

[CA2OR]

Yes should I now be using the flash? I was just trying to show the actual color of the polyps and rock.

[Rick]

Yes should I now be using the flash? I was just trying to show the actual color of the polyps and rock.

 

There is nothing worng with using the flash if it helps get a better picture. If you do use the flash though don't use a custom white balance. Keep in mind though that the flourescent colors will appear flat with the flash compared to the available lighting from the tank.

[CA2OR]

Re: Aquarium photography 101

 

Ah....that makes sense

 

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[Rick]

Geez, I think we all forgot to mention cleaning the aquarium glass before taking pictures. Do it at least a few hours in advance to give the water a chance to clear afterwards. Now I just need to clean mine as it looks terrible. (I have an outbreak of coraline on the glass so all of my pictures have spots in them)

[CA2OR]

Re: Aquarium photography 101

 

Nah I mentioned it in one of my posts

 

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[andy]

Flash from the front reduces three-dimensionality by eliminating background shadows, resulting in an unpleasantly "flat" image. I'm a big fan of top & side flash illumination though -- both add to the image by increasing shadow.