Tips needed.

Aint talking about money wise either
I need all the tips I can get on taking pictures of tanks and coral.Please

when your tank has all the lights on turn your iso all the way down, and get good at using your macro setting

What kind of camera do you have? Can you controll the F-stop and Shutter speed? I am assuming this is a digital camera? Do you have a zoom or extra lenses? You can get great shots with a regular camera it just depends on what kind of advice I can give you.

Catherine
www.catherinethereefkeeper.blogspot.com

this is the camera

Hi Dustin: I'm going to assume you know nothing about photography but that you do know how to use all the settings on your camera. If I'm explaining the obvious or telling you something you don't know about let me know.

First: Try to turn off or eliminate all of the room lights and windows. Also, clean your glass! You don't want reflections.

2. Use a tripod if you have one or find an extremely stable surface to rest your camera on.

3. Set your ISO (sometimes called an ASA) to 800 or preferrably 1600 if you can.

4. Set your camera to aperture priority. This sets your depth of field. I would use the widest (smallest number) you can. Be sure though that if you are shooting moving fish then you want a shutter-speed fast enough to "catch" the movement. Usually 1/125 is desirable. This is why you need the fast ISO and the wide aperture.

5. I would use manual focus but keep the camera's automatic "spot" meter on. Manual focus will stop the camera from trying to focus on the tank or on the stuff on your glass instead of what's inside. The automatic "spot" meter will allow you to decide what you want to be totally proper exposure (colorful fish with dark background) If you meter on the light, your fish will turn out dark)

6. If you're shooting coral or rocks that don't move and you've got a nice tripod then you can use a longer shutter speed which will allow more of the stuff inside your tank to be properly exposed.

7. Unless you're taking pics of your lights, don't point the camera at the lights.

8. Use a good photo editing software to clean up glare and help even out your shots.

9. I can clean up a shot for you with adobe photoshop if you send me the file.

Hope this helps. Send me a link to your shots once you've tried this and I can give you more specific tips.

Thanks for your help with my lights!

Catherine
www.catherinethereefkeeper.blogspot.com

its yotes camera, i actually have a rebel xsi with a macro lens at my disposable

Oh, I've got the XTI and I use it for most of my snapshots (family and such) You should be able to get some impressive shots! I forgot to mention, turn off your flash! Most of the tips I mentioned above should still apply. You may notice some problems focusing with the macro lens because it has such a short focal zone. Try some shots using those tips and post what you've got without digital editing. Then I can give you better advice. Another trick, if you've got a friend you can hold a light (maybe a flashlight with a white bulb) on whatever it is you are trying to take a shot of. You can't do it because you will get glare, they should be at a different angle than you are. Ideally, you have an off the camera flash you might be able to use on a low setting. Don't put the light directly in front of the camera or behind you. I look forward to seeing what you get!

Catherine
www.catherinethereefkeeper.blogspot.com

Thanks Catherine.
I'll be trying that as soon as the battery recharges.

I wanted to update you guys. Tonight I pulled out my little Canon to make sure my advice was good. I got some really nice shots of my rock and the different gunk growing on them. My best shots were using shutter priority set at 125 and most of my apertures were about 5.6. Also, check your white balance. Try taking a shot with all the different settings, indoor, clouds, shade, tungsten, florescent, daylight and auto. My best shots were with cloud and shade. Definately use a manual focus. I'll upload my shots tomorrow, can't wait to actually have something to shoot other than rocks!

Catherine
www.catherinethereefkeeper.blogspot.com

don't know what you use to upload Catherine, but most of us use photobucket

Oh ya, and you are NEVER EVER allowed to enter POTM.......~~q: