Photographing an aquarium - not sure where to put this thread!

Im going to a giant aquarium that I have never been too and was just wondering what to expect. If any of you could give me advice on settings or anything. I would appreciate it a lot.

Here is where Ill be going:http://www.ripleyaquar​iums.com …explore/dangero​us-lagoon/

this is the only help i was able to find...lame.... :http://thestar.blogs.c​om …the-ripleys-aquarium.html


This is the gear I have: 5d mkii, 70-200 2.8, 50mm 1.8 and the 24-105mm

Marell-

ISO 800 to 1600

Aperature more open than not, and an appropriate SS to stop movement...Minimum 1/125

24 - 105 for the lens

NO FLASH...haha!

Watch for light reflections from others, as well as displays...You may have to move around alot, to get the best angle.

Marell wrote in post #16431143
Im going to a giant aquarium that I have never been too and was just wondering what to expect. If any of you could give me advice on settings or anything. I would appreciate it a lot.

Here is where Ill be going:http://www.ripleyaquar​iums.com …explore/dangero​us-lagoon/


This is the gear I have: 5d mkii, 70-200 2.8, 50mm 1.8 and the 24-105mm

do a search here on aquariums
High ISO (1600, 3200) and lower (larger) apertures are usual

60D and 50mm 1.8 and sig 30mm 1.4 are good on crops but obviously a 5DII will be different

e.g.
iso 3200 f2.8 on a 60D

Agreed with most of the above, though calling out specific ISOs is a bit premature. Once you reach the limits of aperture and shutter speed, use whatever aperture you need to get the right exposure.
If you're good at handholding, you might be able to use a slower shutter speed for some of the "still" subjects like seahorses.

The 70-200 is likely to be too long for this instance, though at the wide end it might work for some things, especially given the extra stop of aperture compared to the 24-105.


My best advice would be to look for the light. If you're going with family or friends, watch how the light comes out of the aquarium glass to light the face and silhouette the body. Don't be afraid to let the meter think you're underexposing - as long as the important parts of the image are properly exposed, then your histogram might not be a perfectly centered hill.

Work with the color of the lighting to preserve the "feel" of the aquarium's ambiance.

This isn't my shot, it's a buddy's shot from the Georgia aquarium:
http://blog.tobiasroyb​al.com/2011/07/aquariu​m.html

If you look for his facebook page, he's got some from this year's Dragon Con event at the Georgia Aquarium. I can't link to it from here, sorry, but it's easy to find if you google "tobias roybal aquarium."

Thanks so much for your advice. Much appreciated. There is a reason why this the best forums I belong too. Cheers

nathancarter wrote in post #16431856
Agreed with most of the above, though calling out specific ISOs is a bit premature. Once you reach the limits of aperture and shutter speed, use whatever aperture you need to get the right exposure.
If you're good at handholding, you might be able to use a slower shutter speed for some of the "still" subjects like seahorses.

The 70-200 is likely to be too long for this instance, though at the wide end it might work for some things, especially given the extra stop of aperture compared to the 24-105.


My best advice would be to look for the light. If you're going with family or friends, watch how the light comes out of the aquarium glass to light the face and silhouette the body. Don't be afraid to let the meter think you're underexposing - as long as the important parts of the image are properly exposed, then your histogram might not be a perfectly centered hill.

Work with the color of the lighting to preserve the "feel" of the aquarium's ambiance.

This isn't my shot, it's a buddy's shot from the Georgia aquarium:
http://blog.tobiasroyb​al.com/2011/07/aquariu​m.html

If you look for his facebook page, he's got some from this year's Dragon Con event at the Georgia Aquarium. I can't link to it from here, sorry, but it's easy to find if you google "tobias roybal aquarium."

Absolutely awesome shot by your buddy.

Thanks for your advice today. Just starting to edit a few now. Thanks god for LR's noise reduction. Got a few so so shots.

Do a search here. Sure, use flash, only if you know how to use it properly...provided that you are allowed to use flash. Most aquariums won't have much issue with it. I mean, you need to use the flash as semi fill/dominant light source. So, don't use your flash at full power. Once you nail the lighting, you don't need to shoot at wide open. Beside, shooting at wide open would only limit you to shoot the fish with a very shallow DOF. I mean, you want the eyes or the tail to be in focus??? I prefer the entire fish...while they are swimming....

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/vracing/5309634​063/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/vracing/4867704​638/

5d2 ISO 1600 + Sigma 85mm 1.4 @ f2.
My kids love the aquarium so I get to practice a lot. I like to shoot with big aperture & use the light from the fish tanks.

One thing you may want to get, and it won't cost more then $10, is a rubber lens hood. This is assuming you can get up against the glass. Place the rubber hood on the glass, and it will block all reflections from the glass. You can even use a flash with it. Back in the 70's, when I was a kid, I had one for my FD 50mm 1.4 on my Canon TX, and used it at the NY Aquarium, and I was quite happy with the results. You may also want to try a CPL if you can't get up to the glass.

If you can get square on to the glass, then that's the way to go. Try and avoid angles although you may need to be at an angle if you're using on camera flash. Being at an angle means that you're shooting through thiicker glass and also, it's more likely to show up imperfections in the glass. Don't dismiss the use of the nifty 50. Good luck

Got so overwhelmed by the sharks Im pretty sure I could have up'd my shutter speed to get a little bit more clear shots. Still satisfied.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …07799405@N06/10​744405913/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …07799405@N06/10​744225656/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …07799405@N06/10​744325964/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …07799405@N06/10​744373144/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …07799405@N06/10​744777263/

Great shots!

Love all the vibrant colors you were able to capture - nice job!