norman1312 Loc: London, UK

I have the opportunity to go to the London Acquarium next week.
I have already done a search of the Hog and have found some good hints:
Get as close to the glass as you can, use a rubber lens hood if possible and take some wipes to clean the glass, but after that thing get a bit confusing.
Do I keep the ISO at about 200?
Should I be trying for 1/250 or faster (1/400)? (Flash not recommended)
If I'm that close, the autofocus should work, reduce the number of focus points?
White balance, leave it alone or try to compensate for whatever lighting they use?
Finally, DOF, should I be trying to get as much as possible or is it 'better' to be as wide open and concentrate on individual items rather than wide views?
I really don't think leaving the camera on P would be a good idea!
It's a D90 but I'm using it in a totally unfamiliar environment!
I think I might be experimenting for the first hour or so... so any help would be appreciated.

thephotoman Loc: Rochester, NY

I hope you have a great time and get great photos, be sure to post a few here.
Let's start with an easy one , white balance, I would leave it in auto if you are shooting raw. That way you can make needed adjustments in post. Guessing the white balance can be tricky because the water can change your perception.
As for shutter speed, that can depend on the fish. If they are moving slow or floating, a shutter speed of around 125 or 250 should be good. You could shoot in shutter priority and let the camera set the aperature. Then you can adjust shutter speed as needed. Keep an eye on your histogram to be sure camera is adjusting aperature property. You won't need a lot of depth of view since the fish are relatively close. I should think if you are getting f7.5 or f9 you should be ok.
ISO can be adjusted to give you the shutter speed you need to stop movement. That means , depending on how bright the tanks are, you may need to go to ISO 800 or even 1,200.
As to autofocus, be aware the focus beam might not travel well through the glass and water. Experiment and see. I personally would use manual.
You are correct setting camera to P is not the best idea.
Good lock have a great trip.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I know this isn't a spelling forum but I'm curious if Acquarium is spelled this way in the UK but spelled Aquarium here in the US? or is it a typo? Just curious.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Those are all good tips.

Yes please DONT use flash it just bounces off the glass, ruins the shot, and it's rude because it blinds the other spectators.

Your talking dim light here but tripods are taboo. So use the fastest lens you have. You have to think, patiently wait for crowds to clear, compose the image, look for brighter places, in the dioramas, fish sitting stationary, anticipate. Overall it's great fun!

I have used a 35mm f1.8 on my D7000 with good results (attached pics were shot with that combo).

I would probably go with aperture priority and choose a low f-number, and set ISO to a high number, and definitely keep an eye on the shutter speed. Don't be afraid to crank ISO, most of the scenes will be dim.

You don't necessarily super need fast shutter speeds. Many fish move slowly, some don't move at all, camera shake could be as much of a concern as motion blur. So pay attention to the reciprocal rule as a minimum.

White balance can be a real challenge. I recommend you shoot on auto WB and use a RAW format so you can adj WB in post if needed.

But most of all Have Fun!

Baltimore Aquarium1 1/125, f2.2, ISO 1600

(Download)

Baltimore Aquarium2 1/80, f1.8, ISO 1600

(Download)

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

UK spelling "fish tank" or "Aquarium"

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I am sorry about the duplicate posts, the browser crashed during the first post, I didn't realize it had posted anything. I have asked ADMIN to remove one of them.

norman1312 Loc: London, UK

Quite correct :-(

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

ralphc4176 Loc: Conyers, GA

So far, I haven't tried taking photos of fish in water with a digital camera. Back in the days of film, I got some very good photos of fish with Kodachrome 25. Took about four times the light I anticipated it would. Shooting ISO 200 or 400 should allow you to get some good depth of field. Shutter speed is usually not an issue, because your subjects are usually not moving much, if at all.

Collie lover Loc: St. Louis, MO

Sometimes our minds and fingers don't communicate with each other while on the computer. :)

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

I use 35mm lens aft f5.6, ISO 800-1600,SS 250. I also use flash at 1/16-1/32 intensity with a soft box and the flash head tilted to 45 degrees. Bounce the flash up into the tank and it keeps the white spot out of the picture frame. Or if you use a rubber hood you can out the hood on the glass then the angle of flash does not matter, however, I still use the flash at tilted at 45 degrees.

It is esenstial that you also use a CPL to cut glare and to get through the glass and water.

Remember, the fish are moving and the water is moving, so use the fastest SS your flash allows.

I shoot at my local aquarium a lot and speak to camera clubs and groups about aquarium photography. That aqurium uses several of my image for their informational displays about the fish in tanks.

Ralloh Loc: Ohio

For whatever it's worth, this was shot with my Nikon D3100, VR 55-300 lens set to 85mm, ISO 1600, 1/60 sec, f 5.6, hand held, no flash, noise reduction using Noiseware Community Edition.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Our photo club just did a field shoot at our aquarium. I used a 35mm 2.8 on my D7000, no tripod or monopod. Back button, Continuous focus mode, Auto ISO in Program mode. For most everything, the camera set ISO 4000 or 5000, shutter speed around 1/125 and aperture at wide open. Shot in RAW and had to do quite a bit for noise but got some very good shots this way. A few auto focus issues in some of the darker areas with low contrast but not too much of a problem.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Colorful!

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Correctamundo! But the site does put up those hated little red dots under a misspelled word while you are typing away. Doesn't have auto correction, but does gently smack you up the side of the head. :shock: