Available light aquarium photography?

Manfr3d · June 16, 2008

I found a couple of aquarium photography guides on the net,
but they all talk about how to setup flashes to light your home
aquarium. No word on how to shoot fish in available light. Where
I live flashes aren't allowed and I was wondering which lenses
you use for this type of shooting?

Is 85mm/1.8 prime + 12mm Extention tube a good combination
to start with?

Thanks!

ziggy53 · June 16, 2008

Manfr3d wrote:

I found a couple of aquarium photography guides on the net,
but they all talk about how to setup flashes to light your home
aquarium. No word on how to shoot fish in available light. Where
I live flashes aren't allowed and I was wondering which lenses
you use for this type of shooting?

Is 85mm/1.8 prime + 12mm Extention tube a good combination
to start with?

Thanks!

I think that would work pretty well. I also recommend using a polarizing filter and other methods of controlling reflections.

Manfr3d · June 16, 2008

ziggy53 wrote:

I think that would work pretty well. I also recommend using a polarizing filter and other methods of controlling reflections.

Good to hear. I guess a polfilter will cost too much light. But I read
somewhere that a big flexible rubber hood works well when it is
touching the aquarium glass.

Tee Why · June 16, 2008

Yea, I would agree as getting close and cutting off the light coming in from the side will cut the glare off the glass that you are shooting through.

pathfinder · June 17, 2008

Manfr3d wrote:

I found a couple of aquarium photography guides on the net,
but they all talk about how to setup flashes to light your home
aquarium. No word on how to shoot fish in available light. Where
I live flashes aren't allowed and I was wondering which lenses
you use for this type of shooting?

Is 85mm/1.8 prime + 12mm Extention tube a good combination
to start with?

Thanks!

Flashes are not allowed where you live?? Where is that? Or were you jesting?

You could install a flash and a diffusion panel over the top of a tank, or even better, flash through a brick of glass or polycarbonate in the water surface itself, and all the flash goes into the tank.

Shooting fish with available light will be hot with continuous lighting I suspect.

darkdragon · June 17, 2008

Funny I am reading a book that has a tip about shooting aquariums (like at a place you pay to get into).

Heres the tips they give in the book:

use a rubber lens hood and press your camera lens up to the glass
dont use a polarizer, they eat too much light and aquariums are usually dark already
keep the camera parallel to the tank glass
raise your iso
keep your shutter speed fast
shoot in manual mode

Manfr3d · June 17, 2008

pathfinder wrote:

Flashes are not allowed where you live?? Where is that? Or were you jesting?

Yes, but I am talking about the big (zoo) aquariums like the georgia
aquarium in atlanta for example (http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/)

In those there is usualy a no-flash policy because some fish are very
sensetive to light.

darkdragon wrote:

use a rubber lens hood and press your camera lens up to the glass

dont use a polarizer, they eat too much light and aquariums are usually dark already

keep the camera parallel to the tank glass

raise your iso

keep your shutter speed fast

shoot in manual mode

Thats a great list. That and a monopod sounds like a plan. Thanks for sharing it.

aktse · June 17, 2008

darkdragon wrote:

Funny I am reading a book that has a tip about shooting aquariums (like at a place you pay to get into).

Heres the tips they give in the book:
use a rubber lens hood and press your camera lens up to the glass

dont use a polarizer, they eat too much light and aquariums are usually dark already

keep the camera parallel to the tank glass

raise your iso

keep your shutter speed fast

shoot in manual mode

Great Tips! I would add: use the fastest glass that you have.

Skippy and I ended up staying with our 50 f/1.4, 50 f/1.8 or something f/2.8 during our trip last year.

And I like to think we were successful using the tips listed, hand held.

And if a monopod isn't allowed, you can always try the string tension thing.

pathfinder · June 17, 2008

Manfr3d wrote:

Yes, but I am talking about the big (zoo) aquariums like the georgia
aquarium in atlanta for example (http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/)

In those there is usualy a no-flash policy because some fish are very
sensetive to light.

[/LIST]
Thats a great list. That and a monopod sounds like a plan. Thanks for sharing it.

Sorry, I thought you were referring to a home aquarium, not a Municipal Aquarium

I have shot the Aquarium in Chattanooga several times and it is always VERY dark.

Fast glass - f2.0 or faster if you gottem. 35 - 85mm focal lengths are about right. Longer is too slow, f2.8 MAY be too slow. ISO 800 to 1600 or higher sometimes. I shot in Av mode, but you have to monitor your shutter speed, and watch your histogram.

A rubber lens hood is great. I did not use extension tubes - remember they cost light also - the stated aperture is no longer really accurate when the lens is far away from the film plane. Not so much with 12mm, but a significant thing with larger extension tubes.

Bring a micro fibre cloth with you - the glass is always smeared with finger prints.

If they will allow tripods that might help, but most won't let you. Sometimes a string tied to the bottom of your camera and stretched to the floor to step on, to pull up against, can help stabilize your camera some also, the so called "chain tripod"

rpcrowe · June 18, 2008

Stabilizing a camera...
The type of shoulder pod used with video cameras will stabilize a DSLR very nicely and won't cost an arm and a leg.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HANDS-FREE-CAMCORDER-VIDEO-CAMERA-SHOULDER-PAD-SUPPORT_W0QQitemZ350071343641QQihZ022QQcategoryZ23780QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Video-Camera-Camcorder-Shoulder-Pad-Support-Tripod_W0QQitemZ300234301245QQihZ020QQcategoryZ64330QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I prefer the first type which fits "over" the shoulder rather than the second type which fits "against" the shoulder. I bought the "over the shoulder" type used on eBay for just a couple of bucks. It is also nice when using long lenses - especially combined with IS. I am planning to take mine to Alaska this summer to use with my 300mm f/4L IS lens, especially when I have the 1.4x TC attached. I am guessing that it only weighs a bit over two pounds or so.

CHUCKDEE · June 21, 2008

You guys should check out this forum http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=118

Reefcentral is a discussion forum about Saltwater Reef aquariums (that I'm apart of), but they also have a good section on photography. Very interesting and helpful. Check out some of the posted pictures. You'll be amazed. The guys on this forum can help you out.

Available light aquarium photography?

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