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Aquarium Camera Equipment and Gear Choice by Professional Photographers when Shooting Exotic Fish Pictures

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aquarium camera equipment is no match for crystal clear water and a clean tank

What aquarium camera equipment do you need to take great photographs? Read on to learn how the pros do it – and the gear they use that will help you take great fish tank photos.

Your tank is beautiful. Time to pull out that aquarium camera equipment and take some pictures to share with the world.

Pristine Clean Aquarium

a python vacuum at work as part of my aquarium camera equipment

Have you ever seen a photograph of a dirty aquarium? Or one that has the submersible heater showing, or electrical wires showing? Not a pretty sight. You certainly would not like the world to see your fish in those conditions, right?

So, clean your tank. Your fish will love it and your aquarium photographs will look 100% better.

Do a partial water change before the shoot and clean the gravel substrate. When I began my aquarium maintenance service, I purchased my very first Python. Up till then, I had always used a siphon hose and bucket to change the water.

The Python is a total game changer, trust me. It makes aquarium maintenance a helluva lot easier!

Aquarium Camera Equipment: Clean the Glass or Acrylic

Make sure the glass or acrylic is clean. Check for streaks, smudges, algae, scratches, etc. Remove the algae, smudges, and streaks with a microfiber cloth. Simply wipe away the offending smudge and you have chemical-free, flawless aquarium glass ready for your photo shoot.

A scratch in the glass or acrylic surface impacts your photo only if you are focusing on subjects really close to it. If your subject is further away and deeper in the aquarium, small scratches and cracks will not be in your depth of field, so they won’t affect the photo.

Give your tank a final inspection. Look at it with a critical eye. Is the glass clean? Any algae on the glass? Can you see any wires going to the submersible heater or water pump heads?

If everything checks out, you are ready to shoot some pics. Keep in mind, clear water makes the best photography medium, so take your pictures before feeding time – while the water is relatively clear.

Aquarium Camera Equipment: Minimize Reflections

This is possibly the biggest obstacle for a lot of fish photographers. Aquarium glass reflects easily and you end up with more than you wanted in your picture. Unless you really are trying to show everyone your messy living room, or you taking pics in your pajamas….

Turn off the room lights when you take pictures of your aquarium. Also, wear dark clothing. This will help with reflection.

Luckily, reflection is easily prevented with the use of a soft rubber hood on your camera lens. The soft rubber will not scratch your aquarium glass or acrylic, and the hood prevents reflections. It also ensures that your camera is held perpendicular to the glass surface, preventing refraction as well.

There are many soft rubber hoods for DSLR cameras, but the versatility of the Ultimate Lens Hood is hard to beat. It fits all DSLR cameras and it is just as effective with my smartphone camera as it is with my Canon DSLR camera.

Use a Tripod to Stabilize Your Camera

Every aquarium camera equipment setup requires a tripod.

Another crucial item of aquarium camera equipment is a tripod to stabilize your camera. This convenient tool makes macro photography possible – especially when a long exposure time is required in low light conditions. Vibration from your hands can ruin your shot.

Set up your tripod in the exact spot you need for macro photography or that long-exposure shot. You will probably need to try different exposure times. I know I did. LOL, I also experimented with ISO settings and lenses.

Make sure your tripod can handle the weight of your camera and lens, especially if you have a big DSLR. You want your tripod to be functional and portable, but it needs to be easily adjustable, too. Pros recommend using a tripod with a ball head which can be quite expensive. If you can’t make that big of an investment in a tripod, there are a bunch of lower-priced alternative tripods. Just shop around and find one that fits your budget and works well with your camera.

Remote Shutter Release

remote shutter is part of my aquarium camera equipment

What good does a tripod do when your camera moves every time you push the shutter release button? This is not usually a problem, but in aquarium photography, you are shooting in low-light conditions and possibly using a macro lens. You need a tripod to stabilize the camera and a remote shutter release.

The remote shutter release allows you to take the shot by pushing a button on the remote. Your camera is mounted on the tripod and your hands never touch the camera during the shot. This completely eliminates vibrations from your hands.

A remote shutter release is a relatively inexpensive addition to your aquarium camera equipment – but it is an important addition. It can make all the difference.

Shop around and find a remote shutter release that works best with your camera and fits your budget.

Lenses

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

Canon-EF-100mm

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

  • Close-up and macro photography
  • Versatile enough for virtually any photographic situation
  • Maximum Angle of View: 23.4 degrees
  • Features Canon’s sophisticated image stabilization technology
  • Focal Length: 100 mm
  • 100 mm lens with f2.8 aperture
  • Minimum  Focus Distance: .99 feet
  • Near silent Ultrasonic focusing system
  • Maximum close-up magnification: 1.0x
  • Compatible with 67 mm filters

Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8

Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm

Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8

  • Close-up and macro photography
  • Versatile enough for virtually any photographic situation
  • Maximum Angle of View: 23 degrees
  • Features New VR 2 vibration reduction technology
  • Focal Length: 105 mm
  • Minimum  Focus Distance: 1.03 feet
  • Internal Focus – fast and quiet auto-focusing
  • Length doesn’t change while focusing
  • Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 1.0x
  • Lens does not zoom

Articles for Further Reading

Best Camera For Aquarium Photography

Best Aquarium Camera Settings

Saltwater Fish Photography Tips

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Saltwater Fish Tank

Saltwater fish photography and aquarium photography, in general, can often be more difficult than it first appears.  The aquarium photographer has to contend with the effects of water refraction and glass reflections, not to mention dealing with low lighting conditions.

As you might imagine, getting that elusive perfect shot of your reef tank is extremely more difficult than getting a perfect photograph of your family dog.

Even though Rover probably won’t cooperate and pose for you, at least you will have better lighting conditions, whether you shoot indoors or out in the back yard.

Getting your fish to pose is just as difficult, but even more of a problem is overcoming the hurdles of low light, reflection, and refraction. You can compensate with slower shutter speeds, wider apertures, and faster ISO settings, but each of these has to be done in accordance with the Exposure Triangle. (See the sidebar.)

But there is no reason it has to be that difficult. Using these tips, you can make the prospect of taking great fish tank pictures a lot easier.

Saltwater Fish Photography Techniques

Clean the Glass

Cleaning the glass of the tank should be the first step in saltwater fish photography, but it is often overlooked. As a result, skipping this one step is possibly responsible for more ruined photos than any other issue. There are so many OTHER obstacles to overcome, why make it even more difficult?

You can easily clean the glass of your tank in just a few minutes, resulting in much better pictures.

I like to clean the glass of my reef tank with microfiber cloth towels the day before I shoot pictures. This allows me to remove any smudges or algae on the glass which will result in more clarity of the pictures.

The reason I clean the tank the day before the shoot is to allow the tank inhabitants time to relax and get back to life as normal. It also allows any particulate matter to settle out of the water column.

Turn Off the Pumps

Before I set up my camera and begin shooting, I turn off the aquarium pumps. The idea is to stop water movement which causes corals to sway. Any movement while shooting with slow shutter speeds will cause blurriness, and this helps prevent that problem.

Of course, once the photo shoot is done, don’t forget to start the pumps up again.

Use a Digital Camera

When I first started my photography hobby, I shot 35 mm film. I wasted rolls and rolls of film in my quest of getting that one perfect shot. Those days are long gone now, and my digital camera allows me to focus on taking pictures without worrying about wasting money on film.

If I take a bad shot, it is easily deleted. This frees me up to focus on getting the best shot possible. No matter how many pictures it takes, each one is a learning experience that takes me closer to achieving perfect composure, exposure, and clarity.

Use a Tripod with a Remote Shutter Release

Tripods are commonly used for stationary subjects, such as landscape photography, or food photography. But they can be used to great effect in saltwater fish photography. Low light levels require slow shutter speeds, which increase the possibility of blurred exposures due to camera shake. The tripod stabilizes your camera, and the remote shutter release button will eliminate camera shake.

One technique I use is to loosen the clamps on the tripod, which allows me to move the camera freely on a horizontal and vertical axis, but the clamps are tight enough that the camera stays in position once I stop moving it.

Acquaint Your Fish with the Camera

Set your tripod up in front of the tank with your camera mounted on it. Then leave it there. Yep, just leave it. For as long as possible. Several days at a minimum.

This will get your fish accustomed to the presence of the camera, and when you begin moving it around and making weird noises with it, they will be more comfortable.

Saltwater Fish Photography Lighting Techniques

Lighting is hugely important in saltwater fish photography. This is one of the reasons why I recommend using a spotlight over the tank. This works as well as a flash, but without the flash’s glare or reflections. You can adjust the spotlight to make sure your subject is receiving the light necessary to get a good exposure. This means you can use a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture setting and still get perfect clarity.

Another benefit of using a spotlight over the tank is your fish will look natural. After all, in nature, the sunlight always comes from above the fish.

Also, you need to increase the lighting inside the aquarium to its brightest setting. This will eliminate unwanted shadows and it also gives your picture a better 3-D characteristic. You can also use side lighting to diffuse shadows – something I like to do on occasion.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few tips to get you started towards mastering saltwater fish photography. There are many articles available online which will give you all the detail you need to deal with the special obstacles you encounter in this specialized photography field. Search for them. Read them. Practice. And enjoy our hobby!

One good source of information is Reef Tank Photography Tips : A Quick Guide by Mathew Gore.

Secrets of Professional Aquarium Photographers

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Some secrets of professional aquarium photographers can eliminate glare from the aquarium glass.

Some secrets of professional aquarium photographers can eliminate glare from the aquarium glass. They can get a perfect shot – even in a public aquarium where you don’t have control over the lighting conditions.

Trying to capture a photograph of a particular fish can be difficult. Since some fish can move quickly – suddenly darting to and fro – it becomes difficult to get a clear focused picture.

Sure, you can use a flash which will allow the shutter speed to increase – resulting in a perfect still shot… but the glare from the flash has washed out your fish’s colors and is reflecting off the glass in the tank.

You can keep trying to fine-tune the exposure with your flash, or you can try using external lighting sources to illuminate your aquarium.

If you DON’T use a flash, you have underexposed pictures and blurry subjects. Or you can see reflections of yourself in the aquarium glass. Again – you have to adjust your camera’s ISO settings to compensate for low-light conditions.

If possible, turn off all lights in the room. All you want on is the lights in your aquarium. If you shoot at night, this will eliminate any stray reflections in the aquarium glass. This is when you put on that dark clothing.

Photography Master Class

Secrets of Professional Aquarium Photographers

  •  If you can – tape a white background to your aquarium, it will help your aquarium colors standout, and give your tank a subtle boost.
  • When you take a shot of the entire tank, position your camera in the front of the tank, midway up in the center. This position gives a better perspective and emphasizes depth of field.
  • Also shoot pictures from other angles. Keep experimenting with perspective.
  • If your smart phone or DSLR camera has HDR capability be sure to turn this on. HDR lightens darker parts of the image and it can often improve aquarium shots.
  • Some phones, and most DSLR cameras have the capability to shoot pics in RAW format. If possible, you want to use this format because it will allow for a higher level of correction and adjustment once you get to post processing. (via PhotoShop, for instance)

When you take photos of the aquarium, be sure to take lots of photos. No really. I mean LOTS. Digital cameras allow you to take an almost unlimited number of pictures.

After shooting them, you will then have many shots to choose from at different focal lengths and colors. Experiment with aperture settings, white balance, ISO and exposure to give yourself a good selection of shots from which to choose your favorite pictures.

Resources

Fishlore provides aquarium fish information for both freshwater and saltwater hobbyists. They present information in an easy-to-understand way so that more can enjoy our wonderful hobby! Their Aquarium Forum is very active, with both new hobbyists and old pros. This is a great resource if you have a question because there are lots of fishkeepers here at all times of the day or night to help you.

I wrote an article that might help – How To Remove Tank Reflection when Shooting Aquarium Photography

The main thing to remember is, don’t give up. Keep trying the different techniques of professional aquarium photography that we shared here and keep shooting until you get it right.

And most of all… have fun!

Photography Master Class

How To Remove Tank Reflection when Shooting Aquarium Photography

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I am frequently asked how to remove tank reflection in fish tank pictures, because fish photographers constantly encounter reflective surfaces. Whether using a flash, (not recommended) or shooting with available light, reflection in the aquarium glass is always something the fish photographer needs to consider.

There are a few techniques you can use that will reduce, if not completely remove tank reflection.

  1. Turn off the lights in the fish room. You want the aquarium to be the only illuminated object in the room. 
  2. Wear dark clothing, which will cut down on your reflection in the front glass of the tank.
  3. Use a “blind” to shoot your pictures. Cut out a circle in card board paper, then fit your camera into the circle. The blind should be large enough that your camera (and you) are not reflected in the glass.
  4. Use a rubber lens hood. These are flexible rubber hoods that fit over your lens. When pressed up against the aquarium, the lens hood completely eliminates all reflections from the glass. The rubber hood does not damage or mark the glass of the aquarium.
  5. Use a filter on your camera lens. If you don’t currently have a filter for your lens, then consider getting one of these to at least prevent dust and scratches from damaging the lens. Filters are available for UV, and light polarization – in addition to many others.

Remove Tank Reflection with a Rubber Hood

Luckily, reflection is easily prevented with the use of a soft rubber hood on your camera lens.

The soft rubber will not scratch your aquarium glass or acrylic, and the hood prevents reflections. It also ensures that your camera is held perpendicular to the glass surface, preventing refraction as well.

There are many soft rubber hoods for DSLR cameras, but the versatility of the Ultimate Lens Hood is hard to beat.

It fits all DSLR cameras and it is just as effective with my smartphone camera as it is with my Canon DSLR camera.

Ultimate Lens Hood

Remove Tank Reflection with a CPL Filter

CPL is an abbreviation for Circular Polarizing/Linear, or more commonly – just Circular Polarizing. 

CPL filters are rotatable, and they block different polarized light rays as you turn the filter. These polarized light rays cause unwanted glare and those reflections that are ruining your fish pics.

You use it by simply rotating the filter until you get the desired result. Sort of like sunglasses for your camera.

A polarizing filter reduces the amount of light entering the camera. A CPL filter can reduce up to 2 stops of light.

So, if you use it you may have to increase ISO by 2 stops, especially if you have already set the aperture and shutter values. Just something to be aware of, and adjust for.

UV Filter

The UV (Ultraviolet) filter is used primarily outdoors. It reduces haze on sunny days but has no effect on pictures taken indoors. If a camera lens is threaded to accommodate filters, a UV filter is often used mainly to protect the lens from scratches.

Ultraviolet light is an invisible band of radiation at the upper end of the visible light spectrum. The source of ultraviolet light is the sun.

The main reason I mention a UV filter here is because of their relatively inexpensive nature, they are perfect for protecting your expensive lenses. Think of them as lens insurance. You can easily remove them before a shoot if you need to, although that is not normally necessary.

Further Reading

In a previous article, I discussed the importance of Light Source Placement. Lighting is something to consider when trying to reduce tank reflection and glare.

Aquarium Photography Light Source Placement

No Flash Aquarium Photography

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no flash aquarium photography

No flash aquarium photography has many advantages over shooting tanks with a flash. Color is richer and more realistic. Just as you did with using a flash, it is recommended to adjust the white balance until the colors of your aquarium pictures closely match the real thing. In relation to flash photography, these photos will have more depth and less shadow to deal with.

Fish are constantly moving. Swimming around the tank looking for food, or hovering in place, their fins are always moving. Even when stationary, their mouths and gills are still in motion. For this reason, it is difficult to use slow shutter speeds in aquarium photography.

Another obstacle is low light conditions, which a slower shutter speed would help with. The slower the shutter speed, the more light is allowed to enter the camera. However, you have that pesky problem of the fish moving, or your camera moving and blurring the shot.

Endurax Camera Tripod

Resources

Aquarium Advice is an awesome website devoted to all aspects of fish keeping. They have a very active forum divided into categories so you can instantly focus on the information you need.

Also, check out one of my earlier articles – The issue of using or not using flash is discussed there, too.

Aquarium Camera Equipment and Gear Choice by Professional Photographers when Shooting Exotic Fish Pictures

Using a tripod helps eliminate the camera movement, and if you add supplemental lighting you can increase the lighting in your aquarium and achieve sharper images.

If your subject is a lazy Plecostomus for example, you can slow the shutter speed to 1/100 or even 1/50 of a second and shoot with a tripod.

However, if you set your camera for an exposure time of 1/250s you can take pictures without a tripod. It then becomes possible to quickly react to the movement of your subject.

In order to do this, you will need to open up the aperture as much as possible. This will get the maximum amount of light onto the camera’s sensor.

Tell Us About It

Have you used the no flash aquarium photography method in your fish shots? How did it go? Comment below and share your experience with us.

Aquarium Photography Light Source Placement

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Aquarium photography light source placement is one of the first things to consider when setting up for a shoo

Aquarium photography light source placement is one of the first things to consider when setting up for a shoot. Lighting is hugely important in aquarium photography.

Of all of our aquarium photography tips, this is the one that will make or break a fish picture.

Your subject needs to be the main focus of your shot, meaning that it needs to stand out more than the background. That is why I recommend using a spotlight over the tank. This will work the same way as a flash but without the glare or reflections. You can adjust the spotlight to make sure your subject is receiving more light than the background.

Another benefit of using a spotlight over the tank is your fish will look natural. I sometimes use side-lighting to diffuse shadows, but my main lighting source is usually from above the tank. After all, in nature, the sunlight always comes from above the fish.

Direct your light sources into the tank from the top, or in from the sides.  Try adding a spotlight over the tank and experiment with your camera settings.

If your shot is underexposed you can try adding more lights over the tank or go to a longer exposure time of 1/200s or 1/160s.

Keep shooting and try different combinations.

While aquarium photography light source placement is crucial, there are other things you can do to make the picture better:

If you can, increase the ISO of your camera. This will take a brighter photo, but when you increase ISO you can get a grainy look on your photos, often referred to as “ISO noise.” 

This effect is unnoticeable on most cameras until you get to really high levels – usually around 1500 ISO. How high you can go depends on the sensor. Each brand of a camera could be different. So, experiment. The ISO should be as high as possible without getting grainy.

Resources

Aquarium Advice is an awesome website devoted to all aspects of fish keeping. They have a very active forum divided into categories so you can instantly focus on the information you need.

Also, check out this article I wrote awhile back:

No Flash Aquarium Photography

Freshwater Fish Photography

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Because of my freshwater fish photography hobby, I’m always on the lookout for a good shot, but I’d watch them anyway. I have spent countless hours watching my fish.

There is just something about the magic of the underwater world. The fish are beautiful, interesting, and full of life. And part of the thrill is they are totally dependent on me to provide them the ideal living environment.

Trying to share that beauty and amazement with other people is a big part of freshwater fish photography. But getting that perfect shot is a heck of a lot more difficult than it might seem to the casual observer. Glare, blurry focus, dark shadows, overexposure, and reflections are just a few of the obstacles every aquarium photographer has to deal with.

Overcoming the obstacles becomes easier with practice, but a helping hand goes a long way to speeding up the learning curve. That’s why I created this website. My purpose is to pass along tips and techniques which should help with YOUR freshwater fish photography.

We posted some general tips here and wrote a few articles covering specific freshwater fish in our Freshwater Fish section. Hopefully, you can find some information here that will help you with your freshwater fish photography.

Plan Your Shot

freshwater fish photography example showing discus fish

Are you trying to shoot the whole tank, or are you going for one particular fish? Is the picture going to be a closeup of the fish, or do you want to frame your fish in the leaves of plants?

Think about your picture before you set up the shot. Consider what you are trying to shoot. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish will dictate how you proceed. But, you can’t lose no matter which style of shot you choose.

Everyone loves a great aquarium photo no matter if it is a closeup of your Symphysodon aequifasciatus or an overall aquascape picture of gorgeous leafy plants in your discus tank.

Remove Background Distractions

Cover the back of the tank with cloth, cardboard, or foam board to eliminate distractions in the background. Depending on the color of your cover, you can enhance the colors of your aquarium as well as block the view of your kitchen! LOL

Stabilize the Camera

The best way to stabilize your camera is to use a tripod. This is the easiest way to eliminate camera shake, and if you shoot without a flash, a tripod is even more critical for a good shot. If you don’t have a tripod, you can improve your pictures by setting your camera on a table, or bracing it against something solid.

Frame Your Shot

Place your subject a little off-center and fill a substantial portion of the frame with it. Centering your subject doesn’t work as well as positioning a little off-center. Also, use the Rule of Thirds – split the image into 9 segments by using 3 vertical and 3 horizontal lines (like tic-tac-toe) then place key elements of your photo at the points where any of the lines intersect.

Lighting

Adjust the lighting to avoid glare while illuminating your subject. Turn the camera flash off to prevent glare off the glass and avoid over-exposure of your subject with too much light. Fish scales reflect light, so even if your fish is not totally washed out from over-exposure, you can bet the color won’t be correct. You will have to edit your picture in Photoshop to compensate for the flash.

Reflection and Refraction

rubber lens hood for freshwater fish photography

Adjust your camera so that you are shooting square with the glass to prevent refraction.

Use black cardboard with a hole for the camera to eliminate reflections.

Or use a rubber lens hood pressed against the glass which will eliminate both reflection and refraction issues.

(for DSLR cameras.)

More Freshwater Fish Photography Articles

Betta Fish Photography Setup

Betta Fish Care Tips

Essential Aquarium Camera Gear

Discus Photography Tips

Essential Gear for Aquarium Photography

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Essential gear for aquarium photography means something different to each individual. For some, it means camera, lighting, tripod. Not me. The way I think of essential gear is – it means the gear you need to do the job right.

I’m in that camp.

There are many factors to consider before you begin shooting pictures of your fish tank. Some are very simple, and yes, fairly obvious. But I guarantee if you forget to do any of these basic steps, your pictures will not be as good as they could have been.

So read on to see what I consider to be crucial preparation for your shoot and my list of essential gear for aquarium photography.

First Things First

Python Aquarium Siphon one of my essential gear for aquarium photography core items

Before you do anything else, clean the tank. Make sure the glass is algae-free and smudge-free. The water should be crystal clear before you start shooting pictures, and for this reason – I like to clean the tank the day before I plan to shoot pictures.

Do a partial water change before the shoot and clean the gravel substrate.

When I began my aquarium maintenance service, I purchased my very first Python. Up till then, I had always used a siphon hose and a bucket to change the water. On top of being cumbersome and messy, it also sucks very much bad when you accidentally get nasty aquarium water in your mouth. If you have ever done that, I think you will agree that the Python is a total game-changer!

Once you have finished cleaning, step back and take a critical look at your tank. Are any heater wires showing? Is the gravel clean of detritus? Is the water crystal clear?

Remember – any cleaning efforts you make right now will improve your fish photo 100%.

Essential Gear List

  • Camera (Point and shoot, smartphone, or DSLR)
  • Shoot using the RAW camera setting, instead of JPEG
  • White-colored paper or white cloth (for background)
  • Clear Tape
  • Lamps, flashlights, spotlight, external lights
  • Tripod (to facilitate slower shutter speeds, low-light conditions)
  • Darkroom
  • Dark clothes
  • Small photo tank (for isolation photos of fishes)
  • A “blind” made from black cardboard with a cut-out fitted to your camera lens. This prevents the front glass of the photo tank from reflecting your image.

Resources

Fishlore provides aquarium fish information for both freshwater and saltwater hobbyists. They present information in an easy-to-understand way so that more can enjoy our wonderful hobby!

I also previously wrote an article that might help –

Smile – Our “Best Camera for Aquarium Photography” Choice is Finally Revealed, and DSLR is Still the Champ

Discus Photography Tips

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discus photography tips

These are discus photography tips I have learned over the years, showing how to get professional photos of your Discus tank.

Discus are known as the “King of the Aquarium” because of their beautiful colors, and the aloof – almost regal – manner in which they swim around their kingdom. For years they were considered one of the most difficult freshwater fish to keep, but advances in aquarium technology over the years have made it a lot easier to maintain a healthy discus tank. They still require diligent care, however.

Discus hobbyists are very proud of their accomplishments and justifiably so! It is natural that discus breeders and discus hobbyists are eager to show off their fish and planted discus tanks.

These discus photography tips will hopefully help you learn how to take excellent pictures! Soon, you will be sharing them all over the web.

Discus Photography Tips – First Steps

  1. Thoroughly clean your tank the day before you plan to take photos. Wipe down the glass inside the tank, on all sides. Don’t forget to wipe the outside of the tank as well, especially the front glass. I use microfiber cloth towels for this task and they work great! The fewer smudges you have to deal with, the better your pictures will look.
  2. Vacuum the substrate, making sure there is no debris.
  3. Turn off all air pumps and filters during the photo session. The less movement of the water, the better.
  4. Time your photoshoot for just before their normal mealtime. They will be very active, and hungry… which makes them eager to come to the front of the tank.
  5. Wear dark clothing to reduce your reflection in the glass, and turn out all other sources of light in the room during the shoot. You want the fish tank to be well illuminated, but nothing else. This article covers more detail.

Discus Photography Tips – Polish the Water

I have used the Vortex diatom filter for years and I heartily recommend it. Using the Vortex diatom filter makes your water super clean, removing all floating particles that can ruin an otherwise perfect fish picture.

A Vortex diatom filter will polish the water and amaze you with the level of clarity. It efficiently removes particles down to one diatom in size. This is microscopic, folks. They also filter out parasites and even some bacteria that can harm your discus. Running the diatom filter for a few hours prior to the photoshoot will do the trick.

UPDATE – It seems the Vortex diatom filter is unavailable for purchase anywhere at the moment. That’s too bad, because it is the best filter I have ever used to quickly polish water. Hopefully, the company will begin manufacturing again soon.

A good alternative is the Marineland Magniflow canister filter.

Discus Photography Tips – Getting Enough Exposure

I do not use a flash on my camera. I achieve proper illumination with spotlights and light strips over the tank. I use a glass cover on the tank, so it is easy to move the lights around to adjust the light intensity where needed. 

Obviously, be very careful handling lights over your aquarium. You could get shocked if your light strip or electrical wires somehow came into contact with the water. That’s why I use a glass cover… but, even so, I am still very cautious.

If you are using a DSLR camera, you can increase the ISO settings. This will make your camera more sensitive to light and you can use a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture. Increasing the ISO may cause the pictures to appear ‘grainy’, referred to as ‘ISO noise’. You will have to experiment with the setting and adjust accordingly.

Discus Photography Tips – Use a Tripod

Use a tripod to stabilize your camera. Since you are shooting with a high ISO setting, even the slightest movement or vibration can cause blurry results. Obviously, you will also want to use a remote shutter release as well.

With your camera on a tripod, focus on a spot in your aquarium where you have previously focused your spotlights. Wait until your fish swims into the photo area. It takes patience, sometimes, but eventually, you will be rewarded with a photo opportunity. Because you have already optimized the light for that spot, and you have already focused your camera on that spot… you are likely to get a great picture.

You’ll have much better success waiting for the fish to swim into your spot, instead of trying to follow your fish around the tank. Trust me.

If you have followed my advice in another article, you know that I like to set up my camera on the tripod in front of the aquarium, and then leave it there for a few days prior to the shoot. This gets the tank occupants used to the presence of the camera and tripod and they will be less nervous once I start shooting.

Discus Photography Tips – Shoot in RAW Format

Your DSLR camera will allow you to save photos in RAW format, instead of JPG. Most allow you to save both, with the RAW + JPG setting. This is the setting I use. The reason I use RAW is because of the way the camera saves the file. RAW records all the information that the camera sees. JPG gives you less information. The difference between them becomes most evident when you post-edit your pictures with Photoshop or Lightroom software. The RAW files are huge, because of all the data stored in them, but you can easily recover an underexposed picture or an overexposed picture. Basically, the RAW file contains all of the information the camera saw at the time of the shot – and allows you to adjust the exposure levels, color levels, and contrast until you get the picture right.

Discus Photography Tips – Photo Editing Software

Use good post-editing software. I use Photoshop, but it is very expensive. If you don’t already have Photoshop, an excellent alternative is GIMP. It has literally all of the capabilities of Photoshop, and it is free. Yes, free. Download GIMP here.

Whatever program you use, they are capable of fixing your pictures easily.

Using a Photo Tank

Sometimes I use a photo tank when I want to shoot pictures of an individual fish. The photo tank is a ten-gallon tank, completely bare except for a glass pane that I can use to partition off the space and force the fish to remain in a relatively small area of the tank – which is optimized for light and my camera’s focus distance. I have different colored backgrounds that I can tape to the back of the tank, depending on what effect I am trying to achieve. I normally use my Canon Macro lens when taking these close-up shots.
 
If need be, I have a soft rubber hood that attaches to my camera lens and allows me to place my lens right up against the glass of the aquarium. The soft rubber protects both the lens and the aquarium from being scratched, while also blocking any reflections from the glass. Using this rubber hood makes it possible to use a flash on your camera. The hood will eliminate the glare on the glass, but you will still have to deal with the reflection of the flash on the scales of your fish. Post edit with Photoshop to remove the overexposure. NOTE: I do not recommend using a flash, I am just putting it out there, in case you want to try it.

Final Thoughts

discus photography tips

Hopefully, these discus photography tips will help you become a better aquarium photographer. The main piece of advice I can give you is to take plenty of pictures. Experiment with the settings on your camera. Try different lenses. Try using spotlights, or even flash.

Don’t worry about snapping away, because after all… you are using a digital camera. If you fill-up the memory on your camera, simply download it to your computer and start snapping away again! Eventually, you will discover the right combination of settings.

Have fun! Share the pics with me and I will show them off for you.

Betta Fish Photography Setup

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betta fish photography

I will get to our betta fish photography setup in a minute, but first – a little background on the amazing Betta splendens.

Betta fish are among the most popular tropical aquarium fish in the world, but that wasn’t always the case. Wild betta fish are a dull greyish-green with short fins – homely little things and nothing like the spectacularly colored, long-finned beauties we see in the pet stores!

Those variations and characteristics came about only after years of selective breeding. Today, the Siamese Fighting Fish is seen in a huge range of colors and fin types, including veil, delta, halfmoon, crowntail, double tail, and many more.

The genus Betta contains more than 73 recognized species, but the fish most people are familiar with is Betta splendens, or Siamese Fighting Fish.

History of the Siamese Fighting Fish

Over 150 years ago, children in Siam (now known as Thailand) collected these little fish from rice paddies. The kids would place them together in small puddles to watch them fight. This is how they got the name Siamese Fighting Fish.

This fish-fighting spectacle became popular, and betting on these contests became commonplace. Their popularity was recognized by The King of Siam, who immediately saw a way to increase tax revenues. The King decided to regulate and tax them.

In 1840, the King gave a few of these fighting fish to a man who gave some to Dr. Theodore Cantor. The good Dr. Cantor, a Danish physician, bred and studied them. He eventually wrote a scientific paper that identified them as Macropodus pugnax. Later, a Mr. Tate Regan renamed them Betta splendens, noting that there was already a betta species with the name Dr. Cantor used.

Many believe Mr. Regan named them after the ancient Asian Bettah warrior tribe – pronounced “bet-tah.” Betta splendens. The name means “beautiful warrior” and it is a fitting name for such a beautiful fish. In Thailand, they are called “plakat”, which means “biting fish”.

OK… enough history. Let’s get right to the reason you are here: You want to learn about the best betta fish photography setup. If you were enjoying the background on the betta and you want more information on the fish – read this article.

Betta Fish Photography Setup

Your betta fish photography setup can be as technically awesome as you can afford. Or if you’re like me – you will figure out alternative methods that will get you great pictures. Without breaking the bank.

Aquarium photography is not as simple you might initially think. There are many factors that complicate things. They make it more difficult to get the perfect shot that you were going for.

Water, lighting, reflective glass, and fast-moving subjects all contribute to making it more difficult. But, never fear – I am going to show you how to use simple techniques that will allow you to take great photos of your Betta, whether you are using your phone, a point-and-shoot camera, or your fancy DSLR high-dollar camera.

Here are a few tips and tricks. They will help you capture that perfect picture of your beautiful Betta.

How to Get That Perfect Shot

Using the exposure triangle, you can adjust your camera to take great pictures. Experiment with the settings and with practice you will find the combination that works for your setup.

Use a small aquarium with no decorations, if you are looking for a fish portrait. The small space will allow you to shoot a lot of pics without having to track your fish around the big aquarium he normally lives in.

Lighting

Use lighting from above the tank, or from the side. The tank should be well lit. Avoid using a flash as it will create glare from the glass. Using a flash is possible – it just takes a lot of practice. Other light sources are easier to control, and the results are more predictable.

Background

Use a black-colored back-drop on the rear of the photo tank. Or, a white-colored back-drop, depending on your preference. This will bring out the vibrant colors of your Betta in your shot.

Professional Tips

  • The photo tank should have all filtration pumps, air stones, or air pumps turned off for the duration of the photoshoot because you don’t want moving water while you are shooting. Just don’t forget to turn the equipment back on after the shoot.
  • Use a tripod, if you can. I have found that the perfect picture takes a lot of patience on my part. Having my camera on a tripod makes waiting easier, and gives me a stable platform if I want to try slower shutter speeds.
  • Use a macro lens if you have one. This will allow you to put the lens against the glass of your photo tank and shoot pics of your Betta just on the other side.
  • Use an aperture setting of 20 to 22 and use a higher shutter speed in case your Betta suddenly decides to move just as you take the shot.

Get To Know Your Subject

Watch your fish and get to know his behavior. Learning his normal behavior patterns allows you to recognize when your fish is relaxed, agitated, hungry, or scared. This knowledge will help you because you can tell when to take your shot.

If your Betta is sitting stationary and you want to get him moving, you can try using a pencil to agitate him a bit. The Betta is territorial, the introduction of the strange object into his close vicinity will agitate him, even to the point of flaring, which makes for a perfect picture!

Just remember to get the pencil out of the shot. LOL

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