Flash will not buy you anything, in general. There will be horrible glare from the reflection on the glass. In any event, every aquarium I have ever been to prohibits flash.
Most of the time, you will be shooting in very low light, so a fast lens and high ISO will be required. Take a number of test shots and look carefully at the histograms to make sure your camera settings are appropriate. Depending on your lens and camera, auto-focus may not work at all, so be prepared to go manual. You may be using some very slow shutter speeds, but if you rest your lens hood up against the glass of the tank you can reduce camera shake a lot. A monopod would be very helpful if they will let you use it.
In my experience, the most important thing is to realize that many shots are simply not going to work because of the lack of light, so you need to focus your efforts on those tanks that are better lit. You also have to be constantly aware of the reflections on the glass--your camera will notice them even if you don't. You can avoid many reflections by changing your camera angle or shooting very close to the glass. Try to avoid those parts of the tank that are scratched or very dirty.
Flash will not buy you anything, in general. There will be horrible glare from the reflection on the glass. In any event, every acquarium I have ever been to prohibits flash.
My experience has been just about the same. If you've got an external flash and you're lucky enough to be in a place that does allow a flash (zoos for example), one trick I've found is to use an off camera cord and place the flash head right against the glass, out of frame - it'll really help with glare.
If you're stuck with ambient light (which will most likely be the case), grab the fastest lens you can use while still maintaining enough DoF and bump the ISO way up. Good luck
Comments
Most of the time, you will be shooting in very low light, so a fast lens and high ISO will be required. Take a number of test shots and look carefully at the histograms to make sure your camera settings are appropriate. Depending on your lens and camera, auto-focus may not work at all, so be prepared to go manual. You may be using some very slow shutter speeds, but if you rest your lens hood up against the glass of the tank you can reduce camera shake a lot. A monopod would be very helpful if they will let you use it.
In my experience, the most important thing is to realize that many shots are simply not going to work because of the lack of light, so you need to focus your efforts on those tanks that are better lit. You also have to be constantly aware of the reflections on the glass--your camera will notice them even if you don't. You can avoid many reflections by changing your camera angle or shooting very close to the glass. Try to avoid those parts of the tank that are scratched or very dirty.
Hope this helps.
My experience has been just about the same. If you've got an external flash and you're lucky enough to be in a place that does allow a flash (zoos for example), one trick I've found is to use an off camera cord and place the flash head right against the glass, out of frame - it'll really help with glare.
If you're stuck with ambient light (which will most likely be the case), grab the fastest lens you can use while still maintaining enough DoF and bump the ISO way up. Good luck
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