Photographing Fish In A Tank

[ruthless]

Monelite and her OH own a tropical fish shop and she asked me if I could take some pics. Apparently there's not much light in the shop. I don't have a flash [other than the built in on my 30D], but I was thinking about getting one anyway. Would I just need to bounce it to avoid reflections? Is there anything else I need to know? What lens, etc.?

[PossumCorner]

Monelite and her OH own a tropical fish shop and she asked me if I could take some pics. Apparently there's not much light in the shop. I don't have a flash [other than the built in on my 30D], but I was thinking about getting one anyway. Would I just need to bounce it to avoid reflections? Is there anything else I need to know? What lens, etc.?

Fish shop tanks not "easy" with so many variables. A good idea is to arrange two shoots: one for "practice" in a sense, it's more to do test shots of light and exposure. Then one to fine-tune any problems the light has caused.

You're right reflection is a major problem. Do not use your in-camera flash: if possible use flash off camera away from camera on a lead, and above the tank. If you can only use that unit on-camera, - yes point it up to a white reflector well above the tank, just get a helper to hold up a large white card - maybe the back of a large fish poster they have would be light enough. Use a tripod where you can.

If possible put a black background cloth up behind you and the flash, so that the flash does not reflect stuff behind your back onto the tank.

If possible do try to borrow or buy a circular polarising filter, that will help cut through some of the muck on the inside of the fish tank glass and in the water, which even if you can't see it, it is there.

Shutter speed around 125th/sec, that will stop a fair bit of fish movement and be okay using flash. ISO up just a bit, say 400, and do some test shots also at 800.

Shoot Raw rather than jpg so that you have more scope in photoshop to adjust white balance etc. (That link kja put up here, about four posts earlier than this, on "Understanding Exposure" had some neat info on Raw on it that is relevant).

Monitor the fish and be sure the owners are present, too much flash around some fish is a disaster if they go into shock.

Are you in a camera club? Maybe you can borrow a light stand from them and use a fixed daylight flood-light above the tank instead of flash, they generate a lot of heat but the fish might be better with that than flash.

On the first shoot, some with and without the CPL will show you the difference it gives. Also do some of the test shots with manual focus, if you are shooting small aperture the depth of focus is minimal and you won't know til you get home whether focus is on the fish or whether it has grabbed onto the plants at the back of the tank.

Nice project.

[ruthless]

Bloody hell, so much to consider

Thanks for all the info PC