Help me get better please

[rogergolf66]

Ok this is my first time ever taking manual picturs. My camera is older not the best with just lens it came with and no tripod for now. just used the glass or what ever I could to stabalize my self. camera is canon powershot s2 IS

these were the best shots not great but better then I used to do on auto model.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3641.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3624.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3615.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3590.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3576.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3571.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3570.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMG_3566.jpg

[viper12775]

better than any pics Ive ever taken

[Postal]

One simple thing that a lot of people don't do, is eliminate as much flow as possible, especially if taking macro shots. I will turn off my powerheads and return if I am trying to get really crisp closeups.

[rogergolf66]

One simple thing that a lot of people don't do, is eliminate as much flow as possible, especially if taking macro shots. I will turn off my powerheads and return if I am trying to get really crisp closeups.

Yes I had read that a few years ago i remembered to turn all water movement off about 5 min before shooting. I really want to lean how to get the actual color of the coral to show up in the pictures. The coral look much brighter colors in person.

Roger

[IslandCrow]

Can your camera shoot in a raw format or just jpeg? The light spectrum in an aquarium is not typical to what you usually see, and the camera's auto white balance generally has a very difficult type with it. You can adjust the color after the fact using a program like Digital Photo Professional (probably came with the camera), Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. These programs will also allow you to adjust the contrast, saturation, etc., to get the resulting picture to better match what you see. Even if you can't shoot in raw, you can do all of this, though raw is highly recommended if you need to adjust white balance. It looks like your photos are pretty close, though.

Your next, best investment would be a tripod.

[rogergolf66]

Thanks for info I will look and see if I. An find that option. Thanks

[johnnyc32]

Like the pics

[hogpark7430]

I like the shots for the most part. I also use a canon and have had good results manually adjusting the white balance.

[rogergolf66]

I like the shots for the most part. I also use a canon and have had good results manually adjusting the white balance.

Thanks but u said for the most part. I want to know what how to improve. What can I do to make them better next time?

Any help? I know I need it. It can't all be about camera and lens and that's it. Or is it?

[Recty]

Turn pumps off 5 minutes before shooting.
Use a tripod. That's pretty much mandatory if you want a decent close up macro shot that isnt slightly blurred by you moving the camera.
With tripod use, drop ISO as low as possible. A reasonably high f stop, like f/11 or so, is nice for getting some decent depth of field. This will most likely mean shutter speed of 1/2 second or so, but that's fine since you're on a tripod.
Shoot perfectly perpendicular to the glass. Otherwise you fight distortion which you cannot correct in Photoshop.
Manual white balance. Shoot in RAW if possible, adjust in software later.

Those few things should give you a lot to play with.

Once you've got those down, then work on getting a better subject. All your shots, with possibly the exception of the clam, have so many other objects (corals, rock, fish, etc...) around that it's just a super busy picture and nothing really draws our eye to look at any certain aspect of the picture.

If you can isolate your subject by either being real close macro so nothing else shows, or else move the subject away from other things and shoot it there, then you'll have a more pleasing to the human eye photograph.

[hogpark7430]

I try to stick to the rule of thirds for balanced photos. You can Google it and i am sure you will find a lot of info on it.

[rogergolf66]

update the color is a little washed out from what you see with your eye. I have to practice and get better at that.

what do you think?
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0079_zps8554d89d.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0077_zps29864207.jpg
these I bumped by mistake with the magnet cleaner and they closed up
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0069_zps34fce7b8.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0053_zpsdfe92ba8.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0026_zpsbd021379.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0024_zpsc8b36ce7.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0018_zpsd813ca7f.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0016_zps5458c310.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0012_zpsa5b4ee82.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0011_zps678cf5b4.jpg

[rogergolf66]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb173/rogergolf66/IMGP0010_zps4fd94b45.jpg

[Sith2095]

I think they look great. My next adventure is to try and start taking good pics as well. Not sure if it can be done with a cheap digital and I also have no photo experience, but I will read advice on here and work from there.

[shinninja]

Very nice. So these are taken without flash and on tripod?

[xfactor1315]

Those shots are amazing! Way better then anything I could do.

[rogergolf66]

Very nice. So these are taken without flash and on tripod?


No flash and no tripod. I used glass or shelf to steady my hand


xfactor1315 Those shots are amazing! Way better then anything I could do.


Thanks!!!!

[Max_Strandberg]

I suggest changing the white balance a bit to get slightly more colorful photos that are not as pale blue. Some of the photos are a bit over exposed in the bright spots, so I suggest that you slightly under expose when shooting such subjects with very bright areas mixed in. As several other people have suggested, if you can shoot in raw you could also solve most of these issues, since most of these photos would look very good with just some fine tuning adjustments in post processing. You could also try adding some more white light in addition to the blue light over the tank while shooting, to get more balanced colors.