# Critique Please



## MarkM (Sep 16, 2012)

I am attempting to improve my skills taking pics of fish.

I have an older Rebel XT and a standard 50mm zoom slow lens. I am using a tripod. This last picture was taken with the tank light on and no flash. The aperture is 5.6, speed 1/60, ISO 800, and focal length 55.

I ran the raw file through photoshop and used the auto settings to adjust the result. I saved the file as a jpg and reduced it to just under a mb.

To me, the picture is still grainy, and not as crystal in terms of sharpness as I would like. I had the camera on the tripod and so the lens was likely 18" from the glass. I am going to try and readjust the stand so that it has the camera at the glass. Lens says it can focus down to 0.6". I want to try and use the flash, on board flash only available, and increase my shutter speed.

Any other help would be appreciated as I am not much more than a beginner in terms of technique.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

The angel is pretty! The image though, quite noisy. How is the exposure if you set your camera to less then ISO 800. Maybe 400, or 200? The onboard flash will only likely bounce off the glass giving a dark subject with a extreme hotspot flare on the glass. If you do not have a external flash gun, (if you do, set it on top of the tank with some sort of diffuser like a piece of white paper and fire trough it) if not, try adding more lights on the tank just for photo's. Like old cheap T8 fixtures or anything that can add more light on the subject. IMO about shutter speed, fast enough to stop motion blur, but long enough to let the maximum about of light to the sensor. 

So, what I would do is, trying moving a little closer to the glass (more light), buy a few cheap T8 fixtures to use while taking photos, lower the ISO and try a 1/50th or you may be able to stick with 1/60th if the addition lights help.

If all else fails, you can download a noise reduction plug in for PS such as Noise Ninja or similar and see if you can correct a lot in PP.


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## Scars (Dec 12, 2011)

I started with a rebel XT as well. Shooting at ISO800 is why you have so much noise. What you need is an off camera flash. Putting a flash on top of the tank will allow you to tighten the aperture to f8-13 (giving a nice sharp image and getting everything in focus), use a faster shutter speed (freeze the fish and keep them from motion blurring and then you can hand hold the camera), and drop the ISO to 100 for the least noise possible. 

Those settings should provide you with the clearest and sharpest images of your aquarium and fish.


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

Can you drop the iso some?

It seems like when I took good fish pictures I either held the camera up to the tank (fish tank lights on, rest of the room completely dark, and juts took flash picture after flash picture after flash picture.


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## MarkM (Sep 16, 2012)

Thank you all. Seems a common thread is my need for more light and reduction of ISO. I will take a look at some possibilities in that direction and see if I can find a light that will help.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

Yes, more light and lower ISO is the most important. I forgot to mention, which jrh did, a dark room besides just the tank lights. Have fun!


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## sumer (Feb 6, 2010)

1. Add more light.
It will let you lower down your ISO without under exposing the picture.
The other very important thing is to increase your shutter speed. 1/60 is very slow for taking pictures if fish. No matter if your cam is on a tripod or not. The water flow in the tank will make the fish move and that's the reason why you didn't get crystal sharm picture there. And again, to increase the shutter speed, you'd need more light in the tank. That's why people use flash and all.
I didn't get which lens you meant by 50 mm zoom? Is that 50mm prime that you're talking about? If so, take advantage of its wide aperture. Don't worry about shallow DOF. You'll be alright. Just enjoy taking pictures.
All the best.


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## DooSPX (Aug 10, 2013)

My opinion on shutter speed depends on the fish. With my sunfish I can get take sharp images at or just above my focal length. Now, the minnows and shinners, most of the time, no. lol


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## dana (Dec 12, 2013)

While all this advice is good, the first thing I noticed was the composition. The fish is looking off the page and in a very busy spot, while to the side of him is blank. You created tension in your image I don't think you intended to create. 

And the noise can easily be controlled in Lightroom with a detail sliders. Can be done in photoshop too.


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## MarkM (Sep 16, 2012)

dana said:


> While all this advice is good, the first thing I noticed was the composition. The fish is looking off the page and in a very busy spot, while to the side of him is blank. You created tension in your image I don't think you intended to create.
> 
> And the noise can easily be controlled in Lightroom with a detail sliders. Can be done in photoshop too.


Well, I am going to follow up on some of the tech mechanical suggestions such as more light, faster shutter, lower ISO, and faster aperture opening.
I understand those concepts and just have to put them to use. I am afraid that most of what Dana points out is going to turn out to be over my creative ability level. The concepts of creating tension and looking at a busy spot are likey part of what makes a photo a great photo, but likely pushing my creative side more than is going to happen. I do have photoshop and I will Goggle what a detail slider is and see if I can figure out how to use that to clean up some noise.

thank you,


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