Advertisement
Advertisement
Read Next

Curating Your Images Will Improve Your Photography. Here’s How
Curating your images well is a critical...
Watch What You Photograph!
Watch what you photograph! Here's why...
Close Encounter With Bear Gives Photographer A Jolt (& A Great Image)
Ever stumbled across an animal...
5 Ways to Create Stunning Photos Using New Angles
Even a small change in perspective can...Advertisement
Featured Articles

Read More
Where The Green Meets The Blue
Telling the stories of traditional cultures and their sacred places.

Read More
Into The Wild
Behind the scenes with David Yarrow and his unconventional approach to wildlife photography.

Read More
Organizing Your Photos, Part 1: A Place For Everything
Use these tips to tame your photo library.

Read More
A Year Photographing The National Parks
Ten highlights from an epic tour photographing all of the U.S. national parks.

Read More
Surf Photography: Catching The Wave
How to capture epic surf photography on land and in the water.

Read More
Peavine Cove
Watson Lake Park is located four miles north of downtown Prescott, Arizona.
This is the 1st of your 3 free articles
Become a member for unlimited website access and more.
FREE TRIAL Available!
Learn More
Already a member? Sign in to continue reading
Aquarium Tips
Q) This fall my wife and I are planning to travel to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. We would like to photograph the animals in the aquariums as well as the aquariums themselves. Can you help with any equipment recommendations or techniques?
T. Gordon
Via the Internet
A) The two biggest problems you’ll encounter in photographing animals in an aquarium are reflections and insufficient light. To solve the first problem, you need to work as close to the glass as possible—right up against it is best, taking care not to allow your equipment to damage the surface. Take along a wide to normal zoom lens that can be held against the glass; changing the zoom will change the viewing area that the lens sees while staying close to the glass. I also use a marker to black out any light-colored lettering on the inside of the front of the lens because it will show up in the picture.
Flash is the solution to the second problem, but it can exacerbate the trouble with reflections. The best approach is to use a cable or a wireless flash to get the flash away from the camera and lens. A second wireless flash being held by an assistant can be very helpful to shoot light into the water or illuminate a particular subject; test until you find a position that doesn’t reflect off the glass. Here’s another situation where a digital camera will help: You can check the results on the LCD as you’re fine-tuning the positioning of the flash. Be aware that flash photography isn’t allowed in some areas of the Georgia Aquarium, and watch for posted signs.
You’ll need to take along a lightweight tripod if you’re serious about photographing the aquaria themselves. The issues will be dim lighting, requiring long exposures and lighting that’s highly varied, with lighter and darker areas in the same frame. Long exposures and HDR (high dynamic range) are the answer, but both require a tripod, which may be a hazard in crowded, dark spaces.
The first photograph shows an example of the flash reflecting off the glass. The second capture shows the reflection gone due to placing the camera against the glass and the flash off-camera.
George Lepp