improvements

[daniel364]

Following the tips you gave me on the first thread and looking at some of your photos, this is what ive come up with...

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_1863.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_2015.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_2011.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_1882-1.jpg

[daniel364]

some more...

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_2121.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_2116.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_2112.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_2123.jpg

[paradise]

To be brutally honest, the first thing that comes to mind when I see these is the borders and the writing. I can't even see most of the subjects because the borders and the writing is so outlandish and big. Remember, if you want people to remember your subjects dont have them compete with something else. That is why we always try to tell people to not have foreign objects in the photos like heaters and tubing, aquarium corners, or bright fake plants. Look at your photos. What's the first thing you see? :)

The photos themselves are def. improving. You still need to get sharper, and that is partly due to proper holding techniques, and partly due to providing more light so that the camera can give you a quicker shutter speed. See if you can do that.

[daniel364]

ok, il think about what you said. Just to say that the first thing i see is the fish and the comment about the writing and border "outlandish and big" making you not see the subject?!? what do you need to go to specsavers? The subject is in the center, you know the fish? i would appreciat if you didnt exsaturate (sp) things please. and as for the rest of the comments well im sorry but my tank is a hex im going to have corners its got 6! Please piont out the heater and the tubing clearly please, because if your on about that blur in the backround of #2 and #3 of the last post i think that being rather harsh. there is only one photo where i agree and thats on the first post with the ram.
im going to listen to your comments because i have seen your awards and you obvisouly know your stuff, but i would like to point out that im only 14 years of age. Any way i thought this was just a piont and shoot gallery. I just think your being pretty hard.
il scrap the borders, but i think those are personal opinion.it would also be nice if you took into consideration that i did actually spend time improving my shots.

oh btw you didnt notice i had taken the date off.

[paradise]

Dan, are you here to get better and learn or to get compliments? Decide, because when someone post their pics most here will notice the improvements but also will suggest ways to improve farther. If you can't handle it.... You know.

Reread my post, I never ever mentioned that you have corners and filters and heaters in your pics. It was a general statement, teaching you to learn to keep all those things in mind and try to avoid them in your pics. If your tank is a hex, shoot so that there are no edges in the photo. It IS possible.

And those borders are a bit on the ridiculous side. Honestly. You see your fish because you took the photo and you KNOW that it's that way. Everyone else notices the borders and the writing first. Why would you want to hide the subject? I am not trying to put you down. Re read my post. I am trying to teach you. Oh, and it's not about my awards, it's about my experience. :)

[daniel364]

yeah, i understand what you were trying to say i just thought some comments were a bit exsaturated. And i have come here to learn, like i said im only 14. anyway i agree with what you said about the borders so heres my other attempt, i know the shot isnt that great and the colourful food doesnt help i just wanted to see how it looked with different borders...oh yeah and excuse the specs on the glass:rolleyes:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m289/daniel364/100_2180.jpg

[paradise]

Much cleaner (though honestly still a bit heavy for my taste). What I am saying is that you should concentrate on the 2nd part of my first reply. Trying to get more light and more "in focus" photos. The otto is quite a bit OOF. To accomplish that, you will need to either get a LOT more light on the tank, and have as little ambiant lighting in the room (complete darkness works best) or use flash (bounced up to a white card and then back down at the tank, there are descriptions on this site, just search for flash bounce.

[paradise]

Just to show you what I mean about the border, here is what I would prefer to see, it does not compete with the subject at all.

http://aquatic-photography.com/gallery/files/1-100_2180.jpg

[daniel364]

i suppose it does look better. Im not going back to the daft one anyway.
Thanks for the help

[alanhill]

You're making progress. I think you need to look critically at the fish in your photos. Don't expect to get a good shot every time: we have to work with very fine margins in this type of photography, if the focus is 1mm out or the exposure is 1/4 stop too big - there are big consequences in the quality of the photo. I took over 500 shots in a public aquarium today and I think only about 8 are worth processing and posting here (I was working pretty close to the limits of my equipment and technique just as a beginner does).
Can you see that the Oto shots are better than the rams? The exposure is better and the focus is too. You need some exposure compensation for the reflective scales on the ram (perhaps -1/2 stop) and ideally you need to diffuse the flash too. I'd also suggest trying to shoot when the fish's body is parallel to the camera, so that you can get everything in focus at the same time.
Keep trying and you'll be surprised how much better your photos will become.

Alan