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First Time Photography (It Shows!)

5K views 44 replies 11 participants last post by  houseofcards 
#1 ·
Well, as the title says, this is the first time I've taken photos with a professional grade camera... at least for a while... Don't be too harsh :nerd:
 

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#31 ·
Here are a few things that will help you:

ISO setting - set this higher to create more sensitivity, but a higher setting will put more noise into your photo. Use values like 160,320,640 for best results.

APERTURE - low number apertures will let more light in, and result in larger depth of field, meaning the background will be blurry most likely. If you set the aperture high (f16, etc.) the hole letting light into the camera is tiny, and the entire scene will be in focus.

SHUTTER SPEED - Experiment with this, it looks like your shutter speed is too slow resulting in blurry photos.

MANUAL FOCUS - use this.

FLASH - don't use this.

TRIPOD - use a tripod and shutter release, or find the settings where you can successfully shoot handheld.

PRACTICE: You can test the following, set your camera at ISO 640, aperture priority. Take a batch at lowest aperture (f4, etc.) and take a batch at highest apertures (f16, etc.), see which suits your tastes better.
 
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#32 ·


















I will do this the next time I take picture. I just got my laptop charger in a few days ago, SO stoked haha. These are some older ones I took... Had to weed out a lot of the ultra dark ones and was left with ones with too much white exposure (imo, they are not as crisp as I want, probably a lot to do with the grainy texture you were speaking of)

So, when I get another chance I'll take more pictures :) thanks for all the help guys! One day I'll get better at this.
 
#34 ·
polarizing filter



Polarizing filter (see the window and glass area) of this link:
Understanding & Using Polarizing Filters

Might also depend on the focal length of the lens you are using. I have a 50mm macro and you can take photos of things with the camera about four - six inches from subject. This could impact the reflection since you are so close.

Ambient lighting could also make a difference, you probably don't want light shining from behind the camera, towards the tank (i.e. a window, light, etc). You could in theory also reduce reflections with soft lighting from above or directly behind the tank.

I will do a test and post here with the 50mm macro and see what happens later tonight when my lights are on.
 
#37 ·
I'm not able to answer these questions however i can tell you that the camera lense probably isn't quite sensitive enough for the close up shots I want to take. The camera is also quite old. And trying to get anything in focus is quite difficult!

Bump:
these look really cool, im just interested as to how you ger rid of any reflections on the glass? do you turn the lights off in the room and just have the tank lights on or what?
I had the flash off. I found it created a glare in most of my pictures. Otherwise I had the overhead light on, the tank light on, but no windows were showing light toward the tank. I was also very close to the glass.
 
#36 ·
My first photo.

Canon 5d mkii
Lens: Canon EF 50mm Macro / f2.5
ISO: 3200
FORMAT: RAW LARGE
f/4.5
1/250 shutter
ISO 2500
COLOR: NONE
CROP: VERY ZOOMED IN
TRIPOD: none, did it handheld

Results: meh.
Subject: Taiwan fire shrimp.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=MFV0VUk0Vk1wbHlYVU94bXMwVFhYZjlyTk5NQkpn

Bump: Also...had zero luck with a 1.2f 50mm prime, would probably use soft light on top and get a true to life lens extender... Mind you all this equipment is not cheap!

My first photo.

Canon 5d mkii
Lens: Canon EF 50mm Macro / f2.5
ISO: 3200
FORMAT: RAW LARGE
f/4.5
1/250 shutter
ISO 2500
COLOR: NONE
CROP: VERY ZOOMED IN
TRIPOD: none, did it handheld

Results: meh.
Subject: Taiwan fire shrimp.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=MFV0VUk0Vk1wbHlYVU94bXMwVFhYZjlyTk5NQkpn
 
#38 ·
Doesn't the 5D have a remote flash function? It works quite well if you set up a flash above the tank that triggers remotely when you snap a photo. Without a flash you need to hope your F-stop (aperture) is big enough to capture the light in the small period the shutter is open.
 
#40 ·
5D is a camera.

5D has no remote flash disnehy.

I've never tried taking fish photos before, but will figure it out.

The glass is annoying, the red wine is not!
 
#43 ·
I would study up a little on just the basics of photography. You can't use auto or take pictures of moving fish with probably less than 1/100 shutter speed. If you keep it on auto exposure the camera doesn't know your trying to take a moving image so it compensates shutter speed, iso, etc to get a good exposure (not too dark not too light).

Take your 3rd picture the setting are: Auto exposure, 1/25 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200. In order to get good lighting it had to slow the camera down to 1/25 and increase film speed to 3200 ISO.

You need to be in manual, not necessarily manual focus just manual and increase shutter speed to at least 1/60, but 1/100+ is much better. In order to do that with your current equipment you need more light. Either on the tank or off camera flash over the tank. Faster lens help to, but I'm going by your current equipment.
 
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