Sharkky can you help me with this pic?

[brandon4291]

I've seen some of your 'shopping in the Sump, pic rework that is, and was hoping you might take a stab at this pic for me. I have an entry-level edition of photoshop and an entry-level ability at picture enhancement, any touchups are much appreciated!

 

[brandon4291]

Unfortunately this was taken at night so I know the lighting is a challenge, but the glare from the lights is aways there in my photos. Even in bright daylight, when the tank is snapped with the lights on there is always a flash reflection, every time. Tried turning off the camera flash, the picture is dull and washed out. Tried delayed flash, helped somewhat but in no way the detail you guys are getting.

How would you light this specimen for good photo quality, behind the camera with strong halogen painter's lights, or some kind of picture-supplemental reef lighting elsewhere in the room?

 

[Anonymous]

Got any white umbrella?

 

[brandon4291]

Oh! good idea Seven Ephors. Are you saying reflect the light into the picture area--so its not point-source? I see how that would light it up well and not have a glare in the final picture, thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry I've been a bit out of the loop the past few days folks. Just been super busy around here for some reason.

Anyway, I took a stab at the photo, B. Not a ton that I could do with it, but I cropped, brightened, and did a bit of clone work to get rid of one of the light-glares. Also did a bit of unsharp masking.

 

[fishfanatic2]

Hmmm, that top thing is rahter blinding. Decrease contrast/ crop it/put it in Paint?

 

[brandon4291]

Thanks tons for giving it a round, it looks a lot better than my first pic attempt!

What do you guys recommend I do about my photography session that could enhance pic quality? Now, my camera may very well be the weak link. Its a Kodak model DX 3215, one of the older package deal printer/camera items. My living room is a little dark, and turning on the overhead light does not make enough lumen to compensate for turning off the camera's flash. For the most part, are your stunning close-ups done without a flash? Are you strongly backlighting the subject as Seven mentioned, because each pic is so bright and contrasted there just has to be a way to get strong light to it without a reflection.

One other thing, I am photographing a globe-like object which will have different light refraction/reflection characters than a flat pane of glass. How much do you feel this affects picture quality or photographing technique>

 

[Anonymous]

Hey B, check this link: http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29264 . Especially look at NKT's post (2nd one in the thread). It's got some good info for the basics on how to shoot aquariums.

I've never shot anything other than through flat-plane glass, so learing the tricks of shooting your reef-jar would be an all-new challenge. If you were closer we could experiment for awhile and then write a nifty article on it.

 

[Anonymous]

Ahem....

It's a reef BOWL, not a friggin' JAR, shark-man!

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like a friggin' vase to me. ;-)

 

[Anonymous]

Not a phot experert, but it might help if you could clean off the coraline and get a little closer in the inital pic.

 

[brandon4291]

You're right Wazzel, that wasn't the cleanest pic to submit. I scraped off some coralline here, but only on about 1/3 of it. For the rest of it, Ill have to mount a razor blade onto a coat hanger with JB Weld, and let that dry 24hr. Then I can bend it to get in around the other corals and the back glass.


Sharkky I also was pleased to see this month's article in AAOLM. You had also mentioned to me once to try the macro setting, this one was taken with macro but still taken at night.
Brandon M.

 

[Anonymous]

brandon, can you post more pics of this showing the whole setup, and gives some specs, that thing is pretty cool!