Some advice if possible

[citypainter]

Hi people.
I have an Fugi film s 5500.
I like to take pics of my tropical fish.
They are hard to photograph as they are moving targets.
Can anyone tell me what settings I should use or is it a matter of take 100's delete the crap and get 1 maybe 3 good shots.
Oh and I don't have a tripod so I try and rest the camera on a chair or anything at the right hieght.

[Craig Miller]

When you buy a tripod (yes, you will) buy a GOOD one to start with or after 3 months you'll be rather cranky you wasted $60 on a heap-o-crap.

As for your photos if someone could tell me how I'd love it but unfortunatly all you can really do is keep practising! I take 100+ photos on almost every trip and end up with 3 maybe 5 good shots.

Cheers.

[citypainter]

Thanks Craigus, thats what I thought.
Also what is a good tripod. How can I tell the diference?

[Craig Miller]

I just bought a Velbon - Sherpa 250R @ $179 I think it's a choice for the money. Probably the biggest thing to look for in a tripod is the construction of the head, you don't want a plastic head I can assure you.

Cheers.

[Frankman]

Citypainter

Hi - I recognise you from ACE forums.

Firstly you don't need a tripod. In fact a tripod is more of a hindrance than a help. I'll give you a couple of options:

1 - Using on-camera flash:

Set to ISO 200
Set camera to aperture priority, around f11 to f14 (varies with different cameras and lenses) - you'll need to experiment.
This will give you a shutter speed of around 1/100 sec or faster - plenty fast enough to hand-hold without a tripod.
Use flash! - However, diffuse it by placing a piece of tissue paper over it (don't let it touch the front glass of the flash though - could burn out your flash. Alternatively, you could cut a plastic milk carton up and fashion a diffuser from the opaque plastic - works very well.
Shoot at a slight angle to the tank - enough to bounce the flash effect away from the camera.
Move the tank lights towards the front of the tank - this helps you focus and gives the background that dark look.

2 - Using off-camera flash

Buy a remote flash - preferably wireless.
Place it above the tank, and using the same setup as above, take your shots. Note - the fish should be more towards the bottom of the tank than the top, otherwise they will appear burnt out. Wireless flash is fiddly, but gives better results. Don't try it until you get the hang of on-camera flash.

The results:

On-camera flash only



Using remote flash above the tank:






Using 2 remote flashes, one above and one in front of the tank:




ALWAYS focus on the eyes - as long as the eyes are sharp, the image will be acceptable. I don't know much about your camera, so experiment with manual and autfocus modes.

Set your WB to "flash" or alternatively shoot Raw if your camera supports Raw.

Hope this helps

Cheers, Frank

[arthurking83]

Franks advice appears to be very logical, and makes very good sense....why? I have no idea on shooting fish


....but his results speak for themselves!

Great shots there Frankman

[Craig Miller]

Great tips and very nice shots Frank!

I've never shot a fish in my life so I'm glad you chimed in.

Cheers.