Photographing Your Reef

[comycus]

Let's share tips on how to improve on our photo taking skills! For a start, I will be posting up some articles written by others (me noob, leave it to the pros) I hope the experts here can chime in on how to improve our photo taking skill.

For a start, let's start off with an overview

Setup

- Turn off all pumps and powerheads that provide water movement in your tank.

- Put your camera on a tripod or other sturdy support.

- Clean your tank, inside and out.

- Shoot parallel to the front glass (point the camera straight into the tank). Shooting at an angle will cause distortions.

Settings

- Shoot at the highest, finest, largest setting possible. For P&S cameras, that means the largest JPG set to Fine. For DSLRs and advanced P&S cameras, shoot in RAW.

- Start with auto white balance, it will often yield acceptable results. When you gain skill (and if your camera is capable) you can use a custom white balance setting.

- Shoot on the lowest ISO setting available on your camera.

- Turn off your flash, as all it will do is create a flat, dimensionless, yellow-tinged photo.

- Use either a remote shutter release or your camera's timer function when taking photos. This will help to eliminate camera shake caused by pressing the shutter button.

Post-processing

- Most images will need some adjustment after you take the photo. This can include contrast, brightness, sharpening, color saturation and white balance adjustments, as well as other more advanced adjustments. The basics can be done with the software included with your camera or a program like Google's Picasa; the more advanced adjustments will require a more advanced program like GIMP or Photoshop.

- Make sure to resize your photos to make for faster uploading to a gallery website (Photobucket, Flickr, etc).

Jeremai from Nanoreefs.com

[jackywongto]

- Shoot parallel to the front glass (point the camera straight into the tank). Shooting at an angle will cause distortions.

Does not hold true for acrylic tanks.... woohooo....

[comycus]

Does not hold true for acrylic tanks.... woohooo....

lol you get what you paid for? heh There are pros and cons for both acrylic and glass tanks I suppose.

[LaW]

Let's share tips on how to improve on our photo taking skills! For a start, I will be posting up some articles written by others (me noob, leave it to the pros) I hope the experts here can chime in on how to improve our photo taking skill.

For a start, let's start off with an overview

Setup

- Turn off all pumps and powerheads that provide water movement in your tank.

- Put your camera on a tripod or other sturdy support.

- Clean your tank, inside and out.

- Shoot parallel to the front glass (point the camera straight into the tank). Shooting at an angle will cause distortions.

Settings

- Shoot at the highest, finest, largest setting possible. For P&S cameras, that means the largest JPG set to Fine. For DSLRs and advanced P&S cameras, shoot in RAW.

- Start with auto white balance, it will often yield acceptable results. When you gain skill (and if your camera is capable) you can use a custom white balance setting.

- Shoot on the lowest ISO setting available on your camera.

- Turn off your flash, as all it will do is create a flat, dimensionless, yellow-tinged photo.

- Use either a remote shutter release or your camera's timer function when taking photos. This will help to eliminate camera shake caused by pressing the shutter button.

Post-processing

- Most images will need some adjustment after you take the photo. This can include contrast, brightness, sharpening, color saturation and white balance adjustments, as well as other more advanced adjustments. The basics can be done with the software included with your camera or a program like Google's Picasa; the more advanced adjustments will require a more advanced program like GIMP or Photoshop.

- Make sure to resize your photos to make for faster uploading to a gallery website (Photobucket, Flickr, etc).

Jeremai from Nanoreefs.com

good tips for a beginner like me, thanks comycus

[peacemaker]

Would like to learn how to take good shots of fishes, especially when they swim quite fast. Shutter priority setting on my cam sucks...

[comycus]

Thx everyone who find this thread useful! I'm definitely not a pro photographer, in fact read up so much, also dun remember or employ the techniques correctly. But by having this thread, hope tt can create more interest in taking better photos for everyone to enjoy, and also hope the pros come in to teach us their "mi4 ji2" Since we are all beginners, my next post will cover an introduction to photography beyond Automatic mode.

Learning about Exposure - The Exposure Triangle

I find myself shooting in Automatic mode in many situations. They allow me to snap quick shots when the situation demands, and as technology improves, so does the quality of shots taken under Automatic mode. As we learn more about our cameras, we come to appreciate how the various functions work, and how, by manually manipulating these functions, our world to photography opens up tremendously. I will start the ball rolling with what I consider the 3 most useful functions in Manual mode.

Bryan Peterson in his book "Understanding Exposure"identified the three main elements that need to be considered when playing around with exposure by calling them :the exposure triangle". Each of the three aspects of the triangle relate to light and how it enters and interacts with the camera.

The three elements are:

ISO - the measure of a digital camera sensor's sensitivity to light

Aperture - the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken

Shutter Speed - the amount of time that the shutter is open

ISO

When you override your camera and choose a specific ISO you’ll notice that it impacts the aperture and shutter speed needed for a well exposed shot. For example - if you bumped your ISO up from 100 to 400 you’ll notice that you can shoot at higher shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures.

When choosing the ISO setting I generally ask myself the following four questions:

Light - Is the subject well lit?

Grain - Do I want a grainy shot or one without noise?

Tripod - Am I use a tripod?

Moving Subject - Is my subject moving or stationary?

If there is plenty of light, I want little grain, if I'm using a tripod and my subject is stationary I will generally use a pretty low ISO rating.

However if it is dark, I purposely want grain, I don't have a tripod and/or my subject is moving I might consider increasing the ISO as it will enable me to shoot with a faster shutter speed and still expose the shot well.

Of course the trade off of this increase in ISO will be noisier shots.

Darren Rowse from Digital-Photography-School.com

SRC beginner: The lower the ISO, the darker the photo, but photo quality improves, vice versa

I will stop here, if you guys find it too long, pls feedback so I change the format.

[yikai]

-faint-

anything on handfone cam?

[comycus]

-faint-

anything on handfone cam?

lol i finish these 3 first then move on to hp camera can? too long right? I try to use photos and less words then...

[yikai]

lol i finish these 3 first then move on to hp camera can? too long right? I try to use photos and less words then...

haha kk

[RockyBoy]

Practise and patient....

[dachkie]

-faint-

anything on handfone cam?

lol i was about to type your statement as well

good job comy

[comycus]

Based on feedback, will try to simplify for easy reading

Aperture (Part II of Exposure triangle)

Put most simply - Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken.

Bigger aperture = more light enter camera = brighter photos = shallow focus (DOF)

Especially in reef shots, aperture also plays a part in Depth of Field (DOF). Having a shallow DOF helps you isolate your subject, softening the background, and sometimes create stunning shots. This control is best used in DSLRs.

A good example of how to recreate these shots:

F22 (Small aperture, less light enters camera, therefore need to compensate on longer shutter speeds or higher ISOs. MORE of picture is in focus)

F5.6 (Background is somewhat blur)

F1.4 (Big aperture, more light enters camera, can have lower ISO, shorter shutter speeds. Only subject is in focus)

photos by chiapet from thereeftank.com

I hope you are beginning to see how the triangle works and how each function can affect the other. Normal DSLR kit lens have aperture size starting from F3.5 upwards, which restricts the 'aperture' side of the triangle, and in turn limits the photographic opportunities somewhat.

For P&S cameras, don't fret, either upgrade to a dslr or employ the following (very limited success):

1. If you are looking for Shallow Depth of Field (ie your foreground and background blurry) shoot in Portrait mode as this will trigger your camera to choose a wider aperture.

2. If you are looking for a wider depth of field (ie everything in focus) shoot in Landscape mode where the camera selects small apertures in this mode.

[albinosage]

Thought I should share this great tip I learnt that's useful for reef photography: the lens from an old cd or dvd player can be recycled, and used as a macro lens attachment for your camera phone.

Macro photos shot with cell phone camera:

Very simple mod with great results all with a cell phone camera!

Also see this interesting article from Life Hacker:

Top 10 Ways to Get More From a Cameraphone

[tench1]

haha kk

lemon, time to invest in a DSLR!!!

[comycus]

Thought I should share this great tip I learnt that's useful for reef photography: the lens from an old cd or dvd player can be recycled, and used as a macro lens attachment for your camera phone.

Awesome! I never thought our camera phone could be so useful! thx binosage!

Let's share more stuff here guys!

[albinosage]

Yah man, never thought the humble camera phone can be "hacked" to perform so well. I love this for the simplicity and ease of use

[comycus]

Yah man, never thought the humble camera phone can be "hacked" to perform so well. I love this for the simplicity and ease of use

Just to add, after seeing the photos taken, light will be a concern when using this 'hack'. Because the phone will be v. close to subject and might have shadow cast on it. Actually this is true of macro photography in general, so need to find a way to ensure enough light

Binosage can provide a rough indication of how close you had to take to get those 2 photos?

[albinosage]

Those photos not taken by me, but by other bloggers. From the circuit board pic, they look like 1:1 or closer. Our tanks are illuminated from the top, so I don't think the hp blocking the light will be a concern cos we shoot from the side.

[comycus]

Those photos not taken by me, but by other bloggers. From the circuit board pic, they look like 1:1 or closer. Our tanks are illuminated from the top, so I don't think the hp blocking the light will be a concern cos we shoot from the side.

The other concern, of course is the focusing distance. Won't be able to work if we can only focus 3" away from subject. I will dig out my old cd rom and try it out this weekend! Once again, cool stuff!

[Vlamingi_cont]

Based on feedback, will try to simplify for easy reading

Aperture (Part II of Exposure triangle)

Put most simply - Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken.

Bigger aperture = more light enter camera = brighter photos = shallow focus (DOF)

Especially in reef shots, aperture also plays a part in Depth of Field (DOF). Having a shallow DOF helps you isolate your subject, softening the background, and sometimes create stunning shots. This control is best used in DSLRs.

A good example of how to recreate these shots:

F22 (Small aperture, less light enters camera, therefore need to compensate on longer shutter speeds or higher ISOs. MORE of picture is in focus)

F5.6 (Background is somewhat blur)

F1.4 (Big aperture, more light enters camera, can have lower ISO, shorter shutter speeds. Only subject is in focus)

photos by chiapet from thereeftank.com

I hope you are beginning to see how the triangle works and how each function can affect the other. Normal DSLR kit lens have aperture size starting from F3.5 upwards, which restricts the 'aperture' side of the triangle, and in turn limits the photographic opportunities somewhat.

For P&S cameras, don't fret, either upgrade to a dslr or employ the following (very limited success):

1. If you are looking for Shallow Depth of Field (ie your foreground and background blurry) shoot in Portrait mode as this will trigger your camera to choose a wider aperture.

2. If you are looking for a wider depth of field (ie everything in focus) shoot in Landscape mode where the camera selects small apertures in this mode.

Yes so if u shoot under a large aperure the shutter speed will be faster as it takes in more light so how to capture fishes in action?? Large Aperture e.g. f/2.8 or below and set ISO to at least 400 or those with metal halides no problem just adjuct according to ur exposure meter... Hope these helps for those who wants to capture portraits of fishes...

[Vlamingi_cont]

The other concern, of course is the focusing distance. Won't be able to work if we can only focus 3" away from subject. I will dig out my old cd rom and try it out this weekend! Once again, cool stuff!

These may help... :upsidedown: Jelly lenses

[albinosage]

Yes so if u shoot under a large aperure the shutter speed will be faster as it takes in more light so how to capture fishes in action??

Yup, but you will compromise on the plane of sharpness. I used to take pictures of my dogs at f1.4 cos they are fast little buggers, but I end up with pictures of only a sharp nose, or sharp eyes, the rest of the pic is blur. I try not to use anything below 2.8 unless I'm faced with no choice in a dark room or rock concert.

High ISO is the way to go, since most cameras nowadays can go up to iso800 without noticeable noise.

These may help... :upsidedown: Jelly lenses

The idea is to use something that is free mah hahaha. Who would have thought the dvd lens can fit so nicely and produce such sharpness. Oh, and the glass lens from cd/dvd players will probably be of a very high grade as compared to those plastic attachments

[Vlamingi_cont]

Yup, but you will compromise on the plane of sharpness. I used to take pictures of my dogs at f1.4 cos they are fast little buggers, but I end up with pictures of only a sharp nose, or sharp eyes, the rest of the pic is blur. I try not to use anything below 2.8 unless I'm faced with no choice in a dark room or rock concert.

High ISO is the way to go, since most cameras nowadays can go up to iso800 without noticeable noise.

The idea is to use something that is free mah hahaha. Who would have thought the dvd lens can fit so nicely and produce such sharpness. Oh, and the glass lens from cd/dvd players will probably be of a very high grade as compared to those plastic attachments

Yes too low an aperture will result in parts un clear... but bro binosage why don't u try to shift the focal point or focus on the dog's eyes instead?? Just my humble opinion... Free yea... actually i tried to buy the jelly lenses soft focus one the result not really fantastic rather photoshop the thing...

[comycus]

Yes too low an aperture will result in parts un clear... but bro binosage why don't u try to shift the focal point or focus on the dog's eyes instead?? Just my humble opinion... Free yea... actually i tried to buy the jelly lenses soft focus one the result not really fantastic rather photoshop the thing...

lol dude, i'm sure he wanted to focus on the dog's eyes, but because the dog moves too much too fast, it's almost impossible to hit it spot on all the time. Tt's why big apertures may be good in allowing faster shutter speeds, but results in v. shallow depth of field, therefore the margin of error is alot higher, miss the spot, and you are out of focus straightaway. Besides at such shallow dof, if I get the eyes in focus, the nose and ears might be oof.

That's why I'm starting off with the so called exposure triangle. Because there are always pros and cons for adjusting each of them, if one has the knowledge, hopefully it will improve your thought process before planning a shot, and hopefully result in better photos.

Theory la... as usual theory is easy, practice makes perfect I will move on to shutter speed next.

[albinosage]

Yup exactly what I mean, even if the subject is completely still, a difference of just a centimeter or so will blur out. The pic below is what I mean, the photo looks good enough at a glance, but then the focus is on the eye, but the nose starts to blur out already, imo that's a bad portrait.

Shot with 50mm @ 1/25, f1.6 to test my lens... once I step down to f2.8 or f3.2, then the nose will come into sharpness.