Taking Fish Photos
Written by Monday, 14 June 1999 17:00
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In an ideal world I should be able to tell you that all it takes is "a camera and a roll of film". However, I am pretty sure that very few of you (if any) believe in an ideal world - and you are right. No, it takes much more than film and camera.
Taking photos of fish is not an easy task. There are quite a few good reasons for this. Fishes are very active animals, they do not sit still, they get frightened very easily, they are rather small, they are behind a reflective surface (glass or acrylic), they are reflective themselves, they live in water, they can't be moved to a more suitable place or different lighting conditions and they have various colors which need to be reproduced with the outmost accuracy if the species is to be recognized. These factors make shooting them a really hard task. There are quite a few places in the internet which will tell you the basics on how to shoot fish. Most of this information is well written and simply following the instructions will let you have some good quality photos of most species.
However, sometimes one may wish to have something different, get a shot which will reveal some special characteristics or present a new image of the fish. Actually, I have seen the same photos time and time again, in many sites. It is very common to see the same photo (usually scanned from a good quality book) in many sites during the same search. This is one more reason to shoot your own pictures and try a different approach. People is fed up seeing the same things all over the net. They will be glad to stop at any site that has to offer some good quality, slightly different fish photos. After all, when you build your site, you want to show your own fish and tanks, otherwise why should you bother in the first place ? All in all, this article is dedicated to you, the proud owner of some species and beautiful tanks who wishes to share their view with people who can't visit you. On top of that, you own a camera and you are also fed up with the "typical" shot of an overexposed tank in which you can barely see some things floating mid-water which you correctly presume to be the fish. This is not what you want right? And if this is what you are satisfied with, there is no reason to read the article, you can do it anytime. So, we are looking for something special, photos that will catch the eye of the visitor.
One such category of photos is close ups. These photos demand some skills from the photographer; they are not for the beginner and there are no "thumb rules" to follow. The rules are generally the same as with normal photos however you are required to know the basics of photography since you will have to manually override any indications and/or automation of your camera. You still have to watch the background, head the flash at an angle and follow the fish but there are more than that. You will work at a distance of 5-20 cm from the fish which means that you will have a very sallow depth of field. In order to get the fish in focus you will have to work with very small f/stops (8 or 11) and still you will have a 2 cm range to work within. This means that if you focus on the eye of the fish (which is looking at the camera) then the "in focus" range will be 1 cm before and 2 cm after the eye. The flash Guide number has to be found and the power of the unit has to be set manually (I mostly use 1/8th of its power but I have a powerful unit with a GN=36). A Guide Number (GN) = 36 means that this flash unit, when an 100 ASA film is used, can light properly an object at a distance of 36 meters when the lens aperture (f/stop) is set to 1.
Based on this you can do your calculations (e.g. f/stop 2 = 18m; f/stop 4 = 9 m etc.) The unit has to be on the same axis as the lens (you will be working within a 10x5 cm frame, therefore you can't have it off axis if you work alone) but you still have to tilt the head of the unit so that the lens and your flash unit "see" the same area (experiment with a still object placed at the same distance before going to your tank). You can use tape to secure the flash unit on the lens and preferably use a zoom lens or a telephoto otherwise you will have to stick your camera on the glass. Note: you can't use the flash on the camera's "hot shoe". There will be a parallax error (i.e. the unit will "see" a frame above the one your lens is pointing at). With normal lenses you will not be able to shoot any fish which is more than 10 cm behind the glass. Large fish are even more difficult to shoot unless they sit still in parallel with your camera. Their heads are too big for the sallow depth of field and, if pointed towards you, it is better to take more shots. As a reward, this sort of pictures are far more interesting than the "full body - in parallel" shots. You may use your bellows or extension rings with other lenses, too.
In short you can use a normal lens, a zoom lens or a telephoto lens. Each lens is better suited for a different purpose. Usually the normal lens will bring more detail, the telephoto lens will allow you to work at a larger distance from your subject and the zoom lens has the benefit that you can arrange the working distance. Of course there are also drawbacks. Zoom lenses and telephoto lenses are heavier (much heavier) than the normal lens and this will cause your hand to "tremble" which - at this magnification is fatal. Unless you have a specific problem with distance I would recommend the use of the normal lens with the extension. When using telephotos or heavy zoom lenses, the use of a sturdy tripod is a must.
Do not try to focus with a bellows, lens and a unit on it! Simply move the camera back and forth till the fish comes in focus.
To get closer to the fish (macro-photography) you have four options : extension rings, automatic or not bellows, special filters or a macro lens. A true macro lens is the best (easiest) solution but it is also--by far--the most expensive. On the other hand you can use the cheap solutions (extension rings or close up filters) or go for the golden rule which is the automatic bellows. The latter is also the most versatile tool since you can use any lens with it and play with distances. It also offers you a true macro capability up to very large magnifications (image size on film bigger than actual -life- size). Finally it has a continuous magnification range in contrast to close up lenses and extension rings.
When using anything but the macro lens, you have to make calculations. This is essential. The addition of rings, filters and bellows decrease the amount of light reaching the film. You must point your lens to a brightly lighted spot and take a reading. Repeat with the add-ons in place. Note how much less light is reaching the photometer of your camera. Use this factor when calculating your flash power. In contrast, you do not need a sophisticated camera. The simpler the camera the better control you have over the shot. I always rely on a manual Pentax MX when shooting my fish leaving the automatic Pentax LX in the bag.
You must be very patient when shooting in macro mode. Always shoot the same fish more than once. Always bracket your exposures. Use a larger and smaller aperture in addition to the one indicated by your calculations. Use a slow film (100 ASA / 21 DIN). Use the flash unit off camera and remember that the calculations refer to the "flash--target" distance, not the "camera--target" distance. If you are working with a flash unit on the camera (ring flash or flash taped over the lens) then these two values coincide, otherwise you need to measure them.
If you can find a reliable person to assist you just do it. I always take pictures of my fish with the help of my son, Johnny. He takes care of the flash unit (keeping it at an angle and at a constant distance from the fish I am going to shoot, warning me when the unit has charged, if the fish is in the frame etc.) and lets me focus on the composition of the picture and trailing the fish.
If you are working alone you must arrange your equipment in such a way that you can actually work (it is not as easy as it sounds) and still use the full capability of your equipment. Use a tripod for the camera. Find a support for your flash unit, make sure what the frame it "sees" is, arrange your lens to see the same frame and then use the correct settings on your camera. If you want to be more artistic and get some unusual shots, you can use a cable release which allows you to trigger the camera (and the flash) from a distance. The fish will get used to your equipment after 30 minutes or so and if you shoot from a distance, your presence will not stress them. Always take extra care about connections. Verify that the flash extension cable is secured in the "X" socket on your camera. Missing the photo of the century simply because the flash unit didn't fire is a good reason to quit photography. It is also the reason for beautiful all - black photos.
Normal shots may be shot with any lens, with or without the use of a flash unit. Each lens has its advantages and specific use. The most versatile is by far the zoom lens (which can bring the subject back and forth). I usually use a 45-125 mm Pentax lens which covers the normal to medium telephoto range. Wide angle lenses (28-35 mm) can be used but ultra wide angle lenses tend to distort the image. Some special lenses can produce really beautiful, eye catching images but need a lot of care since they are prone to "overdo" it. These are the ultra wide angle lenses (24 mm or less) and the fish-eye lens. The fish-eye lens will create a very distorted image since it will include almost everything ahead in the picture (as much as 180 degrees). Objects at the center of the frame will look disproportionally large, too. It can be used to shoot a single fishes at a close distance. They can be also used to shoot your tank at an angle creating the effect of extra length.
Filters are not recommended for fish photography unless you are an experienced photographer looking for a special effect or you are using black and white film. Usually the species we keep have very beautiful colors which do not need any amplification or modification. Special filters or combinations of them (e.g. a polarizer with a color filter) may create dramatic effects but should not be used excessively. Besides, if they are used, special calculations are needed and further compensation for the loss of light. An exception to this "no filter" use is the polarizer filter and the "temperature correction" filters. The polarizer filter can eliminate reflections from a reflective surface and can be used to make sure that flash reflections will not show on your final photo. You can place a torch at the place where your flash will stand and turn the filter till you no more see the reflection of the light. Then you can safely use your flash unit. Note that the position of the camera and the flash have to be kept the same afterwards otherwise you need to adjust it again. Color correction filters are useful when there is a mismatch between the film and the light source used. Thus, when daylight film (the film you normally buy) is used with normal (tungsten) bulbs you need to add a correction filter (a light blue one) otherwise the picture will turn yellow. See more on "lighting" below.
Set ups: Many photographers recommend the use of special small tanks which will not allow the fish to move, making shooting it easier. I don't like that. A fish swimming or acting naturally may produce that "extra something" which is impossible in an artificial set up. Moreover, the background of your tank is much more natural and interesting then the tank-box. Actually you have spent many hours and a reasonable (or even unreasonable) amount of money to make sure it looks attractive. There is no reason not to include it in your shots, on the contrary. Last, but not least, I don't see why I should stress my fish (which could simply lose its magnificent coloration) simply because I want to take a picture of them. A natural shot is always better and in most cases a "set up" shot will look a bit unnatural. If you come back with your first set of good pictures you will know how "natural" pictures look like.
Lighting: The flash unit is highly recommended for all shots, even if the camera meter indicates that there is enough light to take the shot. Fluorescent tubes may look "white" to us but not to the film. The film is calibrated for midday sunlight and fluorescent tubes will create all sort of hues - except white. Normal tubes (the ones normally used in our homes) create an unnatural green cast (you need to use a pink color correction filter), while aquarium fluorescent tubes may create everything depending on the lamp type. In contrast, the output of your flash unit is predictable. You know exactly how much light is going to hit your subject and you are also sure of a "standard" quality of light. Flash units produce exactly the light your film interprets as normal sunlight. This will prove invaluable when you need to repeat a shot.
Film: I usually use film for color prints, simply because I find it easier to scan afterwards. However, prints are inferior to slides in terms of image quality and vivid colors and you should have this in mind. On top of that, most journals will ask for slides (if you ever intent to publish your pictures). Slides have three drawbacks : they need special adapters to be scanned, once processed there is nothing you can do and they need special projectors and screens to be viewed by your friends. With prints you can still order a reprint with different settings (more light, a bit darker etc). Besides, prints can go on the wall and they do not need any special equipment to be viewed by your guests.
Film quality and speed is another factor to be taken into consideration. I take it for granted that the big companies produce very high quality film emulsions therefore films of comparative speed will produce the same result no matter which brand is used. I am talking about big manufacturers here. I don't know what may be in the "Kodak"-like, no-label film you bought because it was half priced. Always take film from the big manufacturers. The slower the film the better the quality. This is the rule and there are no exceptions to it. The speed is measured by ASA or ISO (if you double the ASA you add "3" to the ISO number). The 100 ASA/ 21 DIN film is your best choice. If you shoot slides you could go to 64 ASA film for excellent color rendition! In the 25-200 ASA range all films will not show any grain even at large magnifications. Faster films in the range with sensitivities between 200 and 400 ASA are very good films too and the emulsion will still not lose any detail while the grain is still fine. With modern film emulsions even an 800 ASA film will produce beautiful pictures up to 20X25 cm. If you go for something in the 1000--1600 range or more then there is a considerable loss of detail and the grain may become visible.
With slide film the loss of detail and the grain become apparent from 400 ASA and this is due to the large magnification when projected. If you compare a slide taken with a 25 or 64 ASA film to one taken on a 800 ASA film you will regard the second as unacceptable. But, wait a minute ! We are going to use our flash, right ? You may not know it but the duration of the flash output is less than 1/1000th of a second and this is enough to freeze any movement in your tank. So, you don't need a fast film simply because your camera's speed will not matter. The picture will be frozen by the very short duration of the flash unit, not by the speed of your shutter. My recommendation : Get anything in the 25 - 200 ASA range from a good manufacturer. Prints or slides ? Well I leave this up to you.
Presentation: A good picture is all you need. This is fundamental ! Don't kid yourself that you can later use your scanner's settings and your software to make it better. An out of focus picture can't become a masterpiece no matter what you do. An underexposed or overexposed picture will only produce an acceptable result, nothing more. Once you have a good quality picture you can use your software to create some stunning effects. I have deliberately included two examples. The first page of this article was transformed into an "engraved" image which is interesting and "different"; the second photo was modified by using the "sphere" effect. Another interesting result. Not all effects can be used with all kind of pictures and, as with filters, more is not always better. An example is the photo on top of this page, a close up of a Cyrtocara moorii. The theme is very interesting, the "human - like" expression makes enough impact by itself, the colors are very real so, adding effects will most often weaken the shot.
Remember : there is nothing to beat nature ! If your picture is well in focus and the lighting is correct there is nothing to beat it. Just crop it a little to "show" the subject and that's all. When scanning there is no reason to scan a full 9X13 cm picture at 100% magnification at 9600 dpi. These setting are just fine if your intention is to test your scanner's ability but is useless for almost any other use. Such settings will produce a file about 20 MB or more which can't be handled easily by your software and, of course, can't be published in the web. Such a file will take 100 minutes to download and no one- not even you - will have the patience to wait for it. I would recommend something like 75% scale, 150 dpi. You may use a simple picture editor for simple effects and its ability to transform the file type from BMP to GIF or JPEG (suitable for publication on the web because of their smaller size) or a more sophisticated editor specialized for advanced special effects. For web publishing there is no reason to have 16.7 million colors unless the file is meant for downloading by the visitors. It may sound strange but 256 colors is your best setting.
When scanning such programs (Corel Draw, Adobe Photo Shop) cost a lot and are meant for the professionals. These programs will allow you to do almost everything; from multi-layer photos to simply auto correct your exposure (up to a degree). You may also use some downscale versions of the top programs (which are also called suites - and they mean it) sold at affordable prices which combine a large range of available effects with a reasonable price. One of the best products in the last category is Paint Shop Pro.
Plan Ahead. This is another point that you need to take into consideration. If you were to paint a painting, you wouldn't take your brushes and start mixing colors right away, would you? You would probably take some time to think what your subject will be, what the background will be, the direction and quality of the light etc. At least this is how Rubens, Dali and the rest produced their masterpieces. The only difference between a successful painting and a photograph is that, fortunately, the picture can be painted in 1/60th of a second. However, you should put the same amount of preparation before taking it. There are some guidelines which may help you to take a better shot.
Selective focus is used to bring out the main subject. In this kind of photo the fish is perfectly in focus but a small f/stop is used to keep the background out of focus.
Panning is the technique which creates the sense of "speed" in a picture. What you have to do is to focus on the fish you are about to shoot, have plenty of ambient of tank light that will allow a shot at 1/30th of a second or even 1/15th and then follow the fish. Once you feel it is the right moment (fish in focus) you press the release button without stopping to follow the fish. This will produce a moving fish, which is a sharp image of the fish in front of a moving background.
Shots in "B" mode may produce very interesting photos. When you look at your speed dial on your camera or the range of available speed settings in your viewfinder, you will see a letter "B" below the numbers. Well, there is a very good reason for this letter. "B" (first letter of the word "bulb" for the old kind of light units used in photography) means that you release the shutter, you lock it open and you wait for many seconds or even minutes. In such shots, all non moving elements will be shown accurately (you should take the reading for them) and all shiny or lighted moving objects (the silver sides of your moving fish) will create traces of movements. It is the kind of picture you see in many postcards where the buildings are exposed perfectly while the moving cars leave traces of light, while the dark car is not visible. You need to shoot many shots, bracketing the initial one. In such long exposure times, doubling the exposure time doesn't mean that the film will get twice the light because we are very close to its sensitivity. I would recommend that you multiply all times between 2 and 10 sec by 2 and all times beyond that by 3. Another useful application for this kind of photos is running water. Usually you can leave the shutter open for a minute or so and then close the shutter. The water will seem like a continuous path.
The rule of thirds or golden rule comes next. When composing the picture you divide the picture in thirds, either vertically or horizontally. Then you place your objects on the dividing lines. A fish located at one third of the frame has more space in front of it, it gives the impression it will swim. A pleco is usually located at one third of most pictures. A "high-tall" combination will become more contrasting if the tall object such as a rock or a tall plant is located at the right third while your colorful fish is in the left third. A last guideline has to do with holding the camera. You can shoot holding the camera vertically. The usual 35 mm film it not square but rectangular. So you can use either the short or the long side as the bottom frame. A small fish may look much better if shot vertically then horizontally. Take a moment to imagine a colorful African cichlid in a vertical shot, located at the lower third, with a very thin line of gravel at the bottom with a dully colored rock emerging behind it. Experiment looking through your viewfinder. Fortunately, in 35mm SLRs (Single Lens Reflex cameras) WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Ok, sometimes it is what you think you will get, but practice makes perfection.
Take notes. When we talk about fish keeping we say that the most important thing is regular water changes. Well, the equivalent in photography is taking notes. Whenever you shoot something you should take a note of the basic parameters which should ideally contain the f/stop (e.g. 22), the camera to subject distance, the exposure time (e.g. 1/60 sec), the flash unit settings (if you use a fraction of the power, e.g. 1/8) and the flash to subject distance if different from the camera to subject one. In shooting fish you should also note the angle at which the flash unit was used. This is especially important for this kind of shooting. A note "Flash unit next to the camera at a 5 degrees angle to the glass, camera vertically positioned" will be invaluable if you get all pictures with an annoying reflection of your flash at the center. Next time you will repeat the shots with the flash at a different angle. You can also study the photos with your notes at hand to see which combination produced the best result. This is what most of us do and we still benefit from that despite the experience we have (probably ?) gained.
Finally, don't get disappointed and experiment a lot while you keep notes of what settings you used for each photo. This will help you to avoid the same mistake. I have been taking pictures for the last 15 years and still, I am very happy if I get 10 usable pictures out of a 36 roll of film. A blank roll is a rare exception but it may still happen. After shooting 22 pictures (!!) , I didn't manage to get my Maylandia lombardoi completely in focus, and I am far from satisfied with my Cynotilapia mbamba picture. I have seen in many movies the photo journalist who grabs his camera, shoots and takes the picture of the century however this is the (very rare) exception rather than the rule. In contrast, the greatest photographers (like Lord Linchfield or the legendary Ansel Adams) have taken the best photos ever seen after many hours of planning, experimenting and waiting. You would be surprised to know the kind of preparation that is hidden behind each image. And you should keep in mind that these guys have shot tens of thousands of pictures !! In conclusion, it is definitely not easy. It takes time, effort, knowledge, skills and talent. But, take my word for it, it is rewarding. I am really proud for every single photo in this site. Each time a webmaster or editor asks me to give him the right to use my photos I feel very proud and I often go and buy one more roll of film. Because I know that the best picture is not yet taken.
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