Tips for taking pictures in an Aquarium

geebs2006

geebs2006

Suspended / Banned
Messages
445
Name
Steven
Edit My Images
Yes
Going to MacDuff aquarium tomorrow. Unfortunately my D40 is away for repair so will be using the missus point and shoot.

Does anyone have any tips for getting good pictures through the glass?

We will probably go back again when we have the D40 back so if anyone only has tips when using a DSLR then feel free to post them.

Thanks
 
Don't use flash!

Get as close to the glass as possible and straight on!
 
cowasaki said:
Don't use flash!

Get as close to the glass as possible and straight on!
Click to expand...

Alternatively- use flash but avoid shooting straight on as it will bounce straight back into the camera! All my aquaria shots here used flash....

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f206/laser_jock99/Nature and Wildlife/AQUARIUM/?start=all


Dscf1762.jpg
 
Thanks alot - will see how it goes :)
 
A CPL could help in some circumstances, but you'd probably be suffering losing two stops or so. The OP probably doesn't have a polariser for his P&S either. :)

30° to the glass is a good bet for avoiding reflections. I don't use flash as I'm sure the animals don't appreciate it. Depends what you want, but I usually step back and include some people in aquarium shots, if you want decent shots of the fish, etc, you need to be in the water with them.
 
If you're not using flash, take a sheet of black card with a hole in it. Hold it infront of the camera with the lens looking through the hole. This will help prevent reflections from around the camera - especially if it's a silver camera, but also reflections of your hands/face etc...

If you are going to use flash, suggest shooting at an angle (as already pointed out) to reduce direct reflections. Another option with flash may be to form a cone (like a lenshood) from black card and have the lens looking through this with the far end of the cone tight up against the glass. In this way there should be little chance of the flash bouncing back off the glass and into the lens.

Good luck.
 
When I went to Sealife there were no flash signs everywhere.
Our P&S would have been completely useless, but it's not the best by any stretch.
 
C&C said:
If you're not using flash, take a sheet of black card with a hole in it. Hold it infront of the camera with the lens looking through the hole. This will help prevent reflections from around the camera - especially if it's a silver camera, but also reflections of your hands/face etc...

If you are going to use flash, suggest shooting at an angle (as already pointed out) to reduce direct reflections. Another option with flash may be to form a cone (like a lenshood) from black card and have the lens looking through this with the far end of the cone tight up against the glass. In this way there should be little chance of the flash bouncing back off the glass and into the lens.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Only problem with this, is the thickness of the glass. Obviously it's stupidly thick, to hold back the pressure of the water, so you will get reflections from the inside surface which you can't block. (As they will be coming from such a wide angle relative to those reflections on your side of the glass).
 
Jayst84 said:
A CPL could help in some circumstances, but you'd probably be suffering losing two stops or so. The OP probably doesn't have a polariser for his P&S either. :)

30° to the glass is a good bet for avoiding reflections. I don't use flash as I'm sure the animals don't appreciate it. Depends what you want, but I usually step back and include some people in aquarium shots, if you want decent shots of the fish, etc, you need to be in the water with them.
Click to expand...

Well I was meaning more for when he said.
We will probably go back again when we have the D40 back so if anyone only has tips when using a DSLR then feel free to post them.
Click to expand...
 
take some glass cleaning tissues
make sure there is no distance between the lens and the glass if possible
flash has been covered..not fair on any animal to use flash..captive or not
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top