First attempt at Aquarium shots. C&C please.

[Flurry]

C&C Please.



Especially need help with this one. Had such a hard time getting the focus right.

[ktuli]

Ginny,

I *love* that aquarium! I got to dive in it once! Even had a nice close encounter with that manta ray. I looked up and she swam about 8 inches above my nose... if they hadn't told us there was a strict no touching the animals rule, I would have reached up and scratched her belly!

The first one is great - the colors really pop, the composition is nice (though I'd consider trying some crops to make the manta the focus and remove some of the other fish). The bubbles are a distraction though. Kind of an unfortunate part there.

The second one is good too - the colors again pop really nicely, you've avoided any reflections from the glass. Unfortunately, as far as focus goes, it is always going to be a challenge - these things never hold still, so you just have to anticipate and be lucky. Additionally, since the seahorse has turned away from the camera, it makes it a much less engaging photo than if you had good eye contact with the seahorse.

- Bill

[Flurry]

Thanks Bill for the advice. I was afraid to crop much more on the manta because I thought my shot was already too noisy and it was hard to find a place to crop without cutting a fish in half. I will play with PS and see what happens.

The sea horse shot is indicative of the problems I had with just about every shot I took. I did not have time to change lenses between shots, and no matter how nicely I asked, these guys would not hold still I was using a 50mm prime because it was the fastest lens I own. What lens would you recommend that might have worked better in the variety of situations that you run across in an aquarium?

[Dave Humphries]

~ and it was hard to find a place to crop without cutting a fish in half. I will play with PS and see what happens.

Crop and then clone out the remaining half a fish

These are nothing to be ashamed of Ginny, better than my first attempts.

What camera settings, e.g. iso, shutter speed and aperture were you using?
I am wondering if the softness is a combination of narrow DoF and movement blur.

Cheers,

[Flurry]

Dave, I was using ISO 1600, F4.5, s-1/50. Part of the problem with that tank is the walls are 2' thick acrylic, the room you stand in is dark and I was about 15-20' back from the glass/acrylic. I appreciate your suggestions!

[Dave Humphries]

Dave, I was using ISO 1600, F4.5, s-1/50. Part of the problem with that tank is the walls are 2' thick acrylic, the room you stand in is dark and I was about 15-20' back from the glass/acrylic. I appreciate your suggestions!

Yeah, you're fighting a losing battle there

I have tried myself and have all but given up shooting in this kind of situation.

As I said though, yours are better than mine.

I'll tell you another thing that aquarium designers tend to do - use coloured spot lights
Just to ensure that you get nasty multi-coloured shadow edges in addition to all the other problems
Have you encountered that?

Here's an example.

Cheers,

[Flurry]

Well, I need to learn Photoshop better before I can do anything with the Manta. The more I work on it, the worse it gets. Clone out fish...unbalanced bubbles...clone out bubbles...background looks fake.


Maybe you guys can help me with this one as well? Bright lights, reflective skin. Should I have used a CPL or is there something else I can try in PS?