Neolamprologus Leleupi

[phishphorphun]

I just got my Nikon 50mm 1.8d lens yesterday. These are a couple of my first shots with it. How can I improve using this lens without a flash.

M, 1/50, f/1.8, no flash

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/phishphorphun/600pix2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/phishphorphun/600pix1.jpg

[paradise]

Bobby, you gotta focus better. 1/50 is the minimum shutter speed on these. Try to improve your lighting so that you can go higher. It's really soft. The composition is fine. So is the cropping.

[benny]

How can I improve using this lens without a flash.

Hmm... If this the above is what you are looking for an answer to, Photography 101 might be a better section for a detailed exploration.

As for critique of the two photos posted, they are both out of focus. Composition, presentation is fine, but with a blurry subject, I'm afraid all is lost.

Cheers,

[alanhill]

I think you'd get better results at 1/25 second so you can stop down a little. That would improve depth of field a little (badly needed) and it would improve the lens resolution - every lens does better when the aperture is reduced. You will lose some shots due to fish movement and some to camera shake - but the good ones will make up for those.
Of course Ed is right, sooner or later you'll have to use brighter lighting or even flash.
BTW that's one angry leleupi! I think of them as relatively calm cichlids - what was winding him up?

Alan

[phishphorphun]

I think you'd get better results at 1/25 second so you can stop down a little. That would improve depth of field a little (badly needed) and it would improve the lens resolution - every lens does better when the aperture is reduced. You will lose some shots due to fish movement and some to camera shake - but the good ones will make up for those.
Of course Ed is right, sooner or later you'll have to use brighter lighting or even flash.
BTW that's one angry leleupi! I think of them as relatively calm cichlids - what was winding him up?

Alan

Thanks for the suggestions. I think the lelupi is really misunderstood by many. This guy has severly injured several and killed a synodontis and clown loach in this tank. This shot shows how large his toothy mouth can get. He was just yawning, there wasn't any threat al all.