 Marilou Olejniczak |
How to Shoot in Aquariums? Should a flash be used while photographing in an aquarium? I have a Fujifilm S5000 and have tried desperately to get good photos in aquariums. They either come out extremely dark or very blurred, and if I use the flash I get mostly the reflection of the flash on the glass. Thanks.
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Diane Dupuis |
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Diane Dupuis |
Oh yeah - I was in Macro mode also... I hope this helps!
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Marilou Olejniczak |
Wow, thanks, Diane. Would it be the same for the fish tanks? Or maybe for those I should stand further back and wait till no one or hardly anyone is in front of me.
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Diane Dupuis |
If you stand back, the flash is just going to get in the way of your picture. The camera lens cover has to be right up against the glass. I think if you search the Internet for tips on shooting through glass you'll come up with some suggestions. Here is another question thread... http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/qnaDetail.php?threadID=7982 Hope this helps!
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Marilou Olejniczak |
That does help. I also went to the thread you gave me, and that helps even more. I have been shooting through glass at a zoo and the pictures came out OK, but was all hazy or fuzzy, so that also helped me out. Thank you, Diane. Oh one more question, :) do you have the telephoto converter lens for your S5000? I just ordered one and was wondering if you had it how you liked it? Again thanks.
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Diane Dupuis |
You're welcome. I don't have one. Let me know how you like yours. (Is that for getting closer or for far away?)
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Marilou Olejniczak |
I ordered the one for getting closer, the telephoto converter lens. I am hoping it will help me get just that much closer without having to walk closer. They said it could take up to three weeks to come in. So when I get it I will test it out and let you know. It can be ordered thru Fujifilm but it is more expensive that way, I went to Wolf Camera and got it at a lower price. I'll up date you as soon as I can.
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Pamela K |
Because you're extending the length of your lens without expanding the width, you'll be lowering your light gathering ability. Telephoto converters work best in bright sunlight with a well-lit subject. You'll probably notice a loss in your depth of field with the converter, so be careful that you're focused exactly where you want to be. (When I focus in automatic using my converter, I often put it on "spot focus" and focus with my subject in the center of the shot before moving it to one of the powerpoints.) Also, you'll notice that the reduced light gathering ability will reduce your contrast even when you have a well-lit subject. On a happier note, I have gotten a lot of great pictures using my converter. I do mostly wildlife photography and I think it's a great way to get closer without spending thousands of dollars on a DSLR and the appropriate lenses. Also, adjusting levels and/or contrast in PS will often remove the problem with lack of contrast. I'm attaching two pictures, one taken with the converter and one where I moved closer to the subject physically taken in the same lighting conditions and of the same subject. I've left both as they came out of the camera. Pam
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Marilou Olejniczak |
Thanks Pam. I knew that I would be loosing some depth of field and light because of the converter, so mostly plan on using outdoors. Seems that is where I will need it the most. You and Diane have been very helpful
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Pamela K |
Thanks. Also, for aquarium shots, a lens hood can be helpful. If you can't press all the way up against the glass, this will keep the glare off from the overhead lights. Try to find the cleanest portion of glass that you can (getting above where the kids can reach helps). Hold the camera lens right against the glass and you can even use a flash without glare. You can use your hand to block some of the reflection right above the lens if not using a flash. As far as I know, there's no good way to get shots of poorly lit aquaria with the whole aquarium and people in front, because using the flash will cause glare and not using it will cause everything to be blurred. One thing you can do is to take the shot right with an animal that is not moving much or is in a bright spot in the aquarium and meter for that animal. This will probably cause the people in the shot to be silhouetted. The best way is to take pictures of aquaria that are brightly lit from inside the tank. Pam
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photosbysharon.com - Sharon E. Lowe Contact Sharon E. Lowe Sharon E. Lowe's Gallery |
Please, *don't* use your flash in the aquarium! Many don't allow it and if you shoot with your lens up next to the glass, the flash can really scare the fish! Use a higher ISO, either digital or film, so you can avoid flash alltogether!
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Marilou Olejniczak |
Thanks Sharon! I tried it with a dark room in my house and the higher ISO brightened the picture quite a bit. So I will use a higher ISO in the Aquariums.
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Rachel T. Hammer |
Try shooting with the aperture wide open, and use a tripod and a fast film. Also, try for slower-moving or resting fish (sea horses usually stay still for a while) so the picture will not be blurred by their motion...
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- Shirley D. Cross-Taylor Contact Shirley D. Cross-Taylor Shirley D. Cross-Taylor's Gallery |
I use flash with a soft rubber lens hood that can be pressed against the plexiglass without scratching. No one has ever complained about my using the flash in a public aquarium, and it does not seem to bother the fish in the least.
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Pamela K |
I docent in an aquarium. There are some fish, such as sea horses and sea dragons, that are extremely sensitive to flash and usually live in low light areas. Our aquarium has signs by these fish telling visitors not to use the flash. For most fish, however, the flash does not seem to bother them. It probably just seems like a reflection off of a wave to fish that are used to living in high light conditions. So, you're probably ok using a flash for fish that are in well lit tanks (where you may or may not need the flash). However, it's not good to use a flash in dark exhibits because they are usually kept dark for a reason: e.g. cave dwellers, deep sea fish, nocturnal fish, etc. Most aquariums will tell you which exhibits should not be photographed using flash. A nice thing about these species: they usually move around a lot less than the ones active in high light conditions, so a slow shutter speed is possible with most of them. Good luck! Pam
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Marilou Olejniczak |
Thankyou all so much for your help! I will be careful about using a flash with the low light tanks. Will try all suggestions. Will update (when I get the chance to get to an Aquarium) to let you know how I did.
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