New Photos-trying to get white balance

gomery12

gomery12

New member
So here are some new photos I took today using the 75-300mm lens with macro attachment and 28-80mm with macro attachment. I think I need to bite the bullet and get a macro lens. Macro attachment makes focusing very hard, I manual focus because the slightest movement on self or target takes it out of focus. But any tips with a DSLR would be helpful. What lighting do you use? Some of the photos I've seen are magnificent and I just can't seem to get it right. I think the photos are alright but need some tweaking on my camera settings or lighting hints and tricks. Thanks for any input.

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Those macro attachments suck. Theyre cheaply made. A dedicated macro lens is better I took some photos of smittys tank and used a 35mm prime lens and got ok pics. What dslr do you have?? I usually leave white balance on auto. And if a fine tune is available for white balance I bump it up Warner. A bit but that is just personal preference.


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Here's a little trick to get white balance. U can do it a couple ways... I do it post usually... I take the pics with a frag plug in the pic.. Use a new one, not one covered in algae. Then in post software use the WB tool to click on the plug. That will adjust ur WB.

Or u can take a foam plate or anything that's white and waterproof.. Place it in ur tank and take a pic of it and make sure that's the only thing in pic. Takes up full screen. U may have to switch to manual focus... Then go into ur cameras setting and find custom WB. Select the photo of the white object and set it to ur WB. That will take care of it... I like first way better bc ur lighting may change every photo.. So WB may not be exact. But if u use the plug every couple of photos u can select it with WB tool and copy those settings to next photos ... Hope that makes sense
 
I am not sure what type of camera you have but if its a Nikon...
I briefly set my camera to live view mode for a real time view. You then adjust your white balance so you can see how the different temperatures effect the color rendition.

I disagree with needing a dedicated macro lens. In my opinion I think you have the right tools for quality photos. Patience and snapping hundreds & hundreds of photos is the only way to get those "keepers". You should also try getting your flash off the camera body (if possible) and more importantly diffuse the light. A flash diffuser can be as simple as a some white cloth and tape. Set your ISO as high as it will go without noise, set your shutter to ~1/100, adjust your aperture to balance the settings, put your camera on a tripod, use manual focus, wait until your subject is in the frame and snap away (for about an hour). You will have lots of garbage but that one great photo makes it worth it.


beautiful clowns!
 
I have Nikon I didn't know about the live view white balance and I'm always having to snap pic look and readjust this will save me a lot of time now that I know


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I have a canon digital rebel. Probably one of the first models. I can change my wb, aperature, shutter speed on it manually. Besides diffusing the flash do I need to do anything with tank lighting for snapping fish, inverts? Turn off the actinics? Cameras are like salt water tanks, expensive hobby and if you don't research enough then your just wasting your money. You get what you buy! But thanks for the tips will definitely try it out. I did take some from a tripod today.
 
i have the same one gom. Turn your tank lights on, room lights off. Set the wheel on P and then shoot a picture of your sand. then go in to the menu set your ISO at 400 and then back to the top and click right once. scroll down to "Custom WB" hit set, then hit set and it will bring up that pic of the sand, hit set again and you have established custom white balance! Now use a tripod as much as possible and keep your lens perpendicular to the glass as much as possible. Let me know if that works for you. Someone on here taught it to me. Happy shooting!
 
Herbie said:
i have the same one gom. Turn your tank lights on, room lights off. Set the wheel on P and then shoot a picture of your sand. then go in to the menu set your ISO at 400 and then back to the top and click right once. scroll down to "Custom WB" hit set, then hit set and it will bring up that pic of the sand, hit set again and you have established custom white balance! Now use a tripod as much as possible and keep your lens perpendicular to the glass as much as possible. Let me know if that works for you. Someone on here taught it to me. Happy shooting!
Click to expand...

Exactly! I use frag plug or sand...
 
"Clowning around"

So I was "clowning" around with the settings! :wacko: I know. But I think I am getting there, used sand for reference (thanks herbie). Tell me what you think. I think I still have some work but it is getting better. Some day maybe POTM! If you could only see how I have to take those with the clowns in the nem, since the nem sits away from the front of the tank. Thankfully I don't have my basement finished yet so I can still get to it from the back, otherwise it'll have to be top down. Enjoy.


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Looking better! I am not sure if you still have your ISO on 400 but I would raise it. Your photos are not terribly grainy (which is a good thing!) you can probably afford to raise it a few stops to ~800 or even 1000. ISO is the digital equivalent to film sensitivity, and will allow you use faster shutter speeds to freeze any movement providing a sharper image of your fish.
 
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