Planted tank videography. Probably an odd question.

[ScenicJason]

Hello all:

I'm a NJ-based videographer. I should probably use the term "videographer" loosely, because my main focus isn't normal things like weddings. I shoot nature, and I also shoot a bunch of fish tanks.

Then, once I'm done shooting, I pick out some of the best shots, color grade and edit them and release them on Blu-ray discs, which are actually an interesting little niche. I was in San Diego at a convention and the hotel bar was playing our most recent aquarium disc. Lots of dentists use these too.

Anyway, I've had the hardest time finding planted tanks, which is why you'll notice that I don't have any on my discs. I pay $100/hour for each shoot. Most are about 2 hours, though some can take longer. We can also obtain permits for public locations. Occasionally I have to go back and reshoot (same rate applies). I pay cash up front whether I end up using the shots or not. For a pretty wide range of reasons, only about 1/3 of the footage ends up being used.

The best tanks for shooting are often kind of busy, and would ideally have some fish (although I've seen incredible tanks with virtually no fish). Because of tank dimensions, I usually end up cropping just a portion of the view (I don't touch the tanks!) Also, some scratches are OK (I can edit), but there's a limit to what can be done. I usually try to shoot a few 20 minute segments, which can be looped.

You can check out some of my footage here: http://www.youtube.com/bluscenes You can also visit our website, which shares the same name as our YouTube channel.

While I'm based in NJ, I will drive up to 500 miles for the right shot. For greater distances, I'll just send somebody else.

Thanks!
Jason