Watching the Fish

[gubbs]

While up in Chester a few weeks ago we visited the Blue Planet aquarium: (http://www.blueplanetaquarium.com/NewBP/home.html)

Wow it's tough taking pictures of fish, I've a lot of respect for those of you who've previously posted pictures from aquariums. I used my 50mm 1.4 with the camera on iso 800. No noise reduction done, even though they need it pretty badly :nono anyway, here's a couple of shots:-

(I thought this was more of a street shot, hence this forum)
http://Gubbs.smugmug.com/photos/29922627-L.jpg

http://Gubbs.smugmug.com/photos/29922617-L.jpg

http://Gubbs.smugmug.com/photos/29922625-L.jpg

http://Gubbs.smugmug.com/photos/29922621-L.jpg

Comments, critiques and advice are always welcomed :thumb

[gus]

Nice colour mate. I always like blue & green in a shot.

[Phil U.]

Hey Gubbs - aquariums are pretty challenging. The low light is a tough barrier. You did well though. I especially like the first and the last. :thumb

Somewhere around here I posted some notes on how I've been able to get some pretty good results. If you're interested I'll look it up.

[4labs]

Love the first one Gubbs I bet it looks great in color as well.

[ginger_55]

Gubbs, that first one: it is a winner.

Of course, I am not sure it is the fish. The whole setup is great for a wonderful photo. And the blk and white makes it even better.

The others? I have never tried fish either. I think I would be afraid to now.
As a critique, which I am sure you could do, too. More contrast would help. But how? At the time of the photo, I am sure.

ginger

[fishlips]

that first one is a great, great shot. you can see the amazment in the kid's bodylanguage (is that one word). anyway, excellent image.

my hats off to you on the rest too. i tried some aquarium shots a couple of weeks ago while on vacation. not easy.

phil

[USAIR]

All great photos #1 is a really good one but last one is my favorite http://www.digitalgrin.com/images/smilies/clap.gif
Love the reflection http://www.digitalgrin.com/images/smilies/thumb.gif

Thanks
Fred

[photocat]

I have no critique for you Gubbs. I mostly like what you do... I love the green and the blues in your photographs here. I had the same colors in an aquarium in Scotland. Though mine were not exactly sharp, I liked the colors and kept them anyway just because of the colors.
I love your blue and greenish yellow second shot too.
had to look for a while to figure out what the green blob was... I finally figured it out as a leaf touching the water and mirrorring...
Great job you did here...

[pepper44]

Nice shots! I have a thing for fish. I love them...dunno why. Anyway, my personal favorite is the first picture! It reminds me of a painting almost, or maybe an illustration from a childrens book. :D

--Amy

[gubbs]

Hey Gubbs - aquariums are pretty challenging. The low light is a tough barrier. You did well though. I especially like the first and the last. :thumb

Somewhere around here I posted some notes on how I've been able to get some pretty good results. If you're interested I'll look it up.
Yeah I'm interested, post the link :thumb thanks :D

[gubbs]

Thanks for all the comments everyone, I have to admit to being pleased with the first one :D, I spent a while cloning out his Dad who was sitting next to him

Thanks again :thumb:thumb:thumb

[Khaos]

The comp on that first one is fantastic.:thumb

Aquarium shots are definately a challenge. It's not just the low light, but the water distorts and while our brains adjust for it, the camera doesn't.

[Phil U.]

Yeah I'm interested, post the link :thumb thanks :D

Hmmm... My memory was thinking I had posted something a little more in depth but this is all I could find. The first link is a thread I started to display some of my shots. The "Explanation" is in a couple different reply posts down in the thread a little ways.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=8415

The secon link here has more examples
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=6461

Another explanation post but with pretty much the same info here (it's on "that other site"):
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1009&message=10911553

I should add a note about making sure that the front lens element doesn't protrude beyond the end of the filter threads so it doesn't touch the tank glass... I can't speak for every lens ever made but I imagine it's ok in pretty much all cases.

[Phil U.]

I spent a while cloning out his Dad who was sitting next to him

You shouldn't have said that. I hadn't noticed it before but I went back and looked - I see it now... :wink