Nikon D90!

[cameracorpus]

The biggest difference you'll notice is that you can jack up your shutter speed some with the 50mm f/1.8. Or you can lower your ISO. Either will be a big help. With the D90, I'd leave the ISO high and use the higher shutter speed. I noticed a definite advantage when I used my 50mm f/1.8 instead of my zoom for that reason.

[myjohnson]

lol, I'm trying man. I been on this other forum and learning a lot. No where near you or Donald. Donald is the man when it comes to Nikon.

Since I got the free 50/1.8 all I need is that damn sb 600 flash.

I should have the new (to me) lens on the 6th! So I'm excited to use my first prime lens.

[myjohnson]

The biggest difference you'll notice is that you can jack up your shutter speed some with the 50mm f/1.8. Or you can lower your ISO. Either will be a big help. With the D90, I'd leave the ISO high and use the higher shutter speed. I noticed a definite advantage when I used my 50mm f/1.8 instead of my zoom for that reason.

Can you give me the dumb down version of shutter speed vs. ISO. I get then general idea that shutter speed measures the time the shutter stays open to let light reach the image sensor. I also know that ISO denotes how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor and therefore the possibility to take pictures in low-light situations. But this also means a more grainy pictures. That's about all the know regarding the two.

[ddaquaria]

Turn the flash off.

Those actually looked good for a first timer. I see the flash in the pupil of the fish but not reflected on the glass. The first looked like you shot at a high ISO and the last one has white balance shifts. From the second and third shot, you may be pretty dangerous with a 5-mm and external flash.

[myjohnson]

I know some people say no flash while so many other say use flash. Personally, I like to use flash.

From want I read on aquatic photography forum, they are saying use flash. But the key is to use the flash and point it down into the tank.

Where do you stand on this issue Donald?

[jeebus]

Can you give me the dumb down version of shutter speed vs. ISO. I get then general idea that shutter speed measures the time the shutter stays open to let light reach the image sensor. I also know that ISO denotes how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor and therefore the possibility to take pictures in low-light situations. But this also means a more grainy pictures. That's about all the know regarding the two.

Thats about all there is to know. The key is learning to use the different settings to create the optimal light conditions for your picture. With fast moving and indoor photography you're going to have to lean more on having a larger aperture so that you can increase your shutter speed to compensate for the speed of the objects photographed. Once upon a time you couldn't even adjust your ISO because to do so would be to remove the film from the camera. Now days we can cheat and adjust the ISO to help offset the aperture and shutter when needed - but of course at an incremental cost.

As for the flash - it does have its place. If you can't find the optimal light settings without it, then of course you're going to need it. I just preach exhausting all other attempts before using it. I think it should always be diffused and softened when possible too.

[myjohnson]

Even overhead tank flash?

[myjohnson]

Check this link out....I learn most my stuff on this site for fish only type pictures.

Let me know what you think.

http://aquatic-photography.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4732

[madugo]

I know some people say no flash while so many other say use flash. Personally, I like to use flash.

From want I read on aquatic photography forum, they are saying use flash. But the key is to use the flash and point it down into the tank.

Where do you stand on this issue Donald?

yep..point the flash down with the front glass is the way...
otherwise u gonna get some reflect from the glass...that's a big no with flash..
and jeebus is right..get a diffuser...
i got 2 types...one just a white hood that go infront the flash..
one is like a bigger one that you have to blow air in..i think that one is better..
its like 5 bucks from ebay..

[ssrprelude]

Talk is so cheap Jim.

Check my thread bro!

[jeebus]

Even overhead tank flash?

The light the flash puts off in my opinion is too sharp. If its diffused it will just add more over all light to your picture and not create such contrasting shadows. Now, on rare occasion someone will take a picture of their fish with an on-camera flash and will accidently create a nice dof with shadows that emulate what natural light would do - but its all accidental. All I can point to are the pictures from Quoc's tank we've all taken. Those are the best Tropheus pics I've ever seen. The light on those fish is fantastic. I think you'll get this effect with the setup you're going for.

[jeebus]

The light the flash puts off in my opinion is too sharp. If its diffused it will just add more over all light to your picture and not create such contrasting shadows. Now, on rare occasion someone will take a picture of their fish with an on-camera flash and will accidently create a nice dof with shadows that emulate what natural light would do - but its all accidental. All I can point to are the pictures from Quoc's tank we've all taken. Those are the best Tropheus pics I've ever seen. The light on those fish is fantastic. I think you'll get this effect with the setup you're going for.

Check this link out....I learn most my stuff on this site for fish only type pictures.

Let me know what you think.

http://aquatic-photography.com/forum...ead.php?t=4732

Yeah, this guy is saying the same thing:

Using the on-board flash can only give me limited results as fish are naturally mainly lit from above and not from the side. Harsh shadows, glistening metallic scales, and over exposed areas are often a feature of using built-in flash. Here is an example photograph taken with built-in flash:

[jeebus]

I'm stealing this from that other forum since you have to be a member there to see it. (I've chopped it down for quicker viewing..)

Here's the link again: http://aquatic-photography.com/forum...ead.php?t=4732

I thought it might be interesting to make a pictorial record of a typical fish photography session. I am not saying my methods are the ways you need to adopt to photograph but it is how I do things at present with the equipment I have, as I continue to crawl up the learning curve. Before I dive into the session I will first give you a quick introduction to the tank, after all that is the stage for the pictures.

Preface: The Tank

The tank is a 400 litre Juwel tank (24” (60cms) high and 20” (50cms) deep with black plastic tank background. Tank lighting is quite low at a total of 72 Watts with a Tri Plus tube at the front and an Actinic tube behind. Substrate is a mix of play and coral sand. This pale substrate seems to have an advantage in reflecting some light up below the fish and balancing out the exposure of the pictures (disclaimer: Do not think your discus will look better with some substrate illumination by the addition of some coral sand) . The fish love it and charge round like bulldozers and the coral sand keeps the pH and calcium hardness up. Plants would not last a minute and so decoration is rocks, artificial rock and a reptile cave!!

Thirty-five inhabitants, crowded to reduce aggression, mainly Malawi mbuna and a trio of Haps covering a total of 13 species. It’s a busy and lively tank to be photographing. The other factor I have to consider is that territorial mbuna possess a ‘permanently having a bad day’ temperament , so bumps, scrapes and nipped fins can reduce the number of available fish I have as subjects.


Timing the Session

I’m going for an evening session, for a number of reasons. The fish have been fed and go quieter about 90 minutes before lights out, usually mooching around grazing algae off rocks. Also its easier to darken the room to prevent any reflections in the glass and beats early evening TV any day.

The fish tend to become more active after the weekly water change which and often induces spawning and copious digging. The first couple days after the water change can provide some interesting pictures although made more difficult by the increased activeness of the fish.

Setting Up The Flash

So I have to direct the flash from where I want it, which is mainly from above.

I use an old (you have to light a candle to get it started!!) Pentax AF240Z flash on the camera top, this is angled up towards the top of the tank and its function is to trigger a slave flash to give me a downward light. The slave flash is a Vivtar DF200 which is cheap and functional. I have also found the photographs benefit from a little side illumination and so use a Sunpak Remote Lite II on its arm mount, screwed to the base of the camera. Incidentally the rubber on the flash mount smells like the sole off a hippopotamus’s foot and is stuck close to the nose for long periods.

Here is the kit for the session


Setting the Slave Flash

The slave flash is placed at the top of the tank, at the front, angled slightly towards the back. I have found if you place the flash to far back then you start getting reflection of yourself with camera in the pictures.


As I will be taking the shots directly below the slave flash, the fish will need to be towards the front half of the tank to catch the light. Having the fish nearer the front of the tank aids focusing and requires less zoom. This in turn will aid the depth of field in the shot, meaning that I am more likely to have the entire fish in focus rather than just a part of it.

The placement of the flash along the length of the tank depends on the type of background I am looking to achieve in the shot. Often I will move the slave flash around during a session to get a range of background effects or if there is some interesting activity in another part of the tank.. There are two background checks which are: to avoid any filtration and heating equipment appearing at the back of the photograph and looking for a good contrast between the background (in this case rocks) and the colour of the fish to improve definition in the photograph.

Shooting Zone

I will be concentrating taking the shots in what I call the ‘Shooting zone’ (marked as the green area on the following photograph) which is my selected target area in which to take the photographs. I have tried to explain this with the following photograph.


The overhead slave flash creates a limited downward area of light in which I can take the picture and get correct exposure (marked by overall shape in the example). Fish that are only half way into this area will only partially correctly exposed (these photographs may still be useful for trimming to a head shot of the fish).

This guppy photo gives a good example of the change in exposure on the edge of the downward flash.


The distance of the fish from the surface of the tank is also important. I am going to concentrate taking the photographs towards the bottom of the tank (green area) and set the camera accordingly. If I take a photo in the upper red marked area with the camera settings for my shooting zone, I will end up with the top of the fish over exposed in the photographs due to its closeness to the flash.


To take pictures closer to the surface I would need to reduce the flash power and alter the camera settings to achieve correct exposure.

Looking back to my diagram photo, for my photo session I will treat the red area as ‘forget it’, orange area as ‘might be worth a try’ and green area as ‘all systems go’ , bit like a traffic light really. You will notice that there is a red ‘forget it’ area below the green shooting zone. I want the fish a few inches from the bottom of the tank, as inclusion of too much of the pale substrate in the photograph can cause exposure havoc in the shots (this is partial because I have still got to mix the coral sand in more with the play sand of this new tank, so the bottom of the tank is looking a little too white at present). However, I still want to benefit from light reflecting from the bottom to give some illumination to the underside of the fish.

Finally I will also ‘forget it’ zone for any fish further than half way back in the tank, as remember the flash is placed at the front so this is where my additional light is concentrated.

Flash and Click

The overhead slave flash has an adjustable power output and for this session I am going to set it to full power. By having plenty of light in the shooting zone allows me to use the following camera settings:

1) Have a lower ISO setting increasing the detail of the shot. ISO will be set at 100.
2) Increase the shutter speed. The faster the shutter speed the better chance of getting the fish in focus in the photograph. Faster shutter speeds are of benefit with very active species such as mbuna. I will be using a shutter speed between 1/250 – 1/400.
3) Smaller aperture setting. By using a larger F stop number, the aperture on the lens in reduced and the depth of field of the shot is increased. The greater the depth of field the more likely all the fish is likely to be in full focus. I will be using an aperture between F11 and F16.

A few test shots of the ‘Shooting Zone’ help me refine the manual settings on the camera.


I will be shooting some shots as JPEGs and some photographs in RAW format and will be using the autofocus on the lens.

Getting in position

Two features to note are that when taking the shots the camera is level with the fish or more usually pointing slightly down to it. If I take a picture pointing upwards to a fish that is higher in the tank it is likely I will get the SunPak flash, that provides some side illumination, appearing in the shot. A good example of this is shown in the following photograph.



Also I have not got the camera placed right up to the tank glass but I am holding it about 30 – 40 cms (12 -16 inches) from the tank as I need to take the minimum focusing distance of the Canon kit lens into account.

Cameras roll and action!!!!

Its 26th March 2005, early evening, and the session is going to run for a couple of hours. Generally the session will last about1 to 2 hours depending how cooperative the fish are being.

As I have set the camera up for the ‘Shooting Zone’, I am waiting for the fish to come to into this area where I can expect good exposure on the shots, rather than chase them round the tank with the camera. However, I will not be photographing every fish that enters the ‘Shooting Zone’ as I need the fish to be in a good pose (such as fins spread), correctly orientated (square to the camera or facing towards the camera) or showing some interesting behaviour (displaying, digging in the sand, grazing algae, etc).

Once a fish enters the shooting zone, I quickly autofocus in on it and then keep, then zoom to size, followed by continued refocusing until it achieves a good pose. As a minimum, I will be looking to get at least the head area of the fish in good focus on the photograph.

I take about 100 photographs during the Session. I have deleted some obvious non-starters as I have gone along but. The session was not the best as the fish were in an uncooperative mood but I am sure there will be a couple of useable shots.

The good, the bad and the terrible

The first check and delete of the photographs, I do on the camera LCD screen which saves downloading time. Its now time to sort the potential ‘keepers’, from the ‘waste-bin fodder’. There are some obvious non-starters which include:

Over exposed with flash burn out along the back


Out of focus


Fish swimming away from camera



Other fish obscuring shot which is one of the hazards of a busy tank



Under exposed as the fish is too far back in tank and outside the influence of the slave flash.


Shadow across the head from fish swimming overhead



Output

From the session, I ended up with few photographs that I was happy with. So here are a couple of them.


Young female Labeotropheus fuelleborni ‘Katale’. This fish is actually a cream to white colour on top with a grey head….at the moment!!

and yawning with her under-slung algae nibbling mouth. She is probably bored at looking at the camera!!!



Labidochromis hongi ‘Lupingu’ with a toothy grin for the camera



Cynotilapia afra ‘Jalo Reef’. This is not the greatest picture but the exposure is about right. This young male was brown 2 weeks ago so I am putting this picture here to show his newly acquired colour. A good potential photo subject for the future I think.



So for now its goodbye from me and some waving fins from them


Good to have you along on the session, hope you enjoyed it.

Cheers

Rich

[myjohnson]

Yeah, I don't think we are saying anything different. When I'm talking about getting the sb 600 as a flash, I'm talking about putting that on top the tank just like the guy did in that link.

I'm NOT saying on board flash only is the way to go, it clearly is not.

The Nikon D has CLS which allows of the on board flash to be a master flash and this will automatically trigger off any wireless slave flashes set up to read the signal.

My support for the use of flash is not referring to on board flash alone.

Let me know if I'm miss understanding something.

[ddaquaria]

I know some people say no flash while so many other say use flash. Personally, I like to use flash.

From want I read on aquatic photography forum, they are saying use flash. But the key is to use the flash and point it down into the tank.

Where do you stand on this issue Donald?

I think you get your cleanest photos when using flash. It is a lot easier to stop the motion, and blacking out the background. The con: just takes a little longer to setup. Without flash, I get right to business and hopefully I have enough light. You also don't screw up any coloring when not using flash. As far as where I stand, it depends on how much time I want to give to it. If I plan to enter a photo contest, I usually go flash. If I just want to show off my fish, I usually go without.