Photography Game

[astrochick00]

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everybody out there has a happy and prosperous 2014!

I've noticed on this forum that for every really fantastic, professional-grade photo I see on here there are at least a hundred less-than-perfect photos, similar to the ones I take (and am proud of, since they are usually the best I manage after several hundred attempts). So I'm starting this thread to see if any of the accomplished photographers out there will A)share one of their best photos, and B)describe the camera, lens, flash, background, and lighting that were used to generate the picture.

This doesn't have to go into excruciating detail, but I would love to learn a bit more about what all goes into those great pictures.

Thanks!
Lindsay

[Skip]

Discus-n00b

Has a whole thread on taking pics of discus in aquariums and he takes some of the best...

[Second Hand Pat]

Discus-n00b

Has a whole thread on taking pics of discus in aquariums and he takes some of the best...

Matt does take some of the best photos. Here is the thread with a video on taking pictures. It is a sticky in his homesteader.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?98570-Fish-Photography-Video

[Skip]

That's the one

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks.

I don't go into to much detail as far as settings, any settings I give will only be a starting point as every room, every aquarium, every fish will be different. You can always find the Exif data for my images for settings.

All of these were done at the last NADA show in Atlanta. May not look like it in the photo but all had light blue semi transparent backgrounds, a bit lighter than Skip's signature image. I ALWAYS use a flash, and the flash is ALWAYS straight above the tank off of the camera. Tank lights on (these below didn't have tank lights), room lights off. I prefer to shoot pictures at night so no stray light can get in the room when I have a tank with lights. All of my shots are done with a Canon 5D Mk II and usually a 24-105mm lens.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7445902294_1ba2b6c2b8_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/7445900792_13f4c0ba5f_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/7448833436_fb0d39327d_b.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8431/7731263794_b299dc44a7_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7445899206_9726888ddf_b.jpg

Some of mine from home
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8055416120_bc6d970a5d_b.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8501/8343538853_ea5b65d00e_b.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8192/8149264450_0dbc219340_b.jpg

100mm Macro lens
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/clemmatt/Festivumeggs5.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/clemmatt/Fry6-1.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/clemmatt/fry2-2.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/clemmatt/fry3-1.jpg

[Allwin]

Never seen wrigglers so close and thx for sharing. Count me in your fan list. Keep going!!!

[astrochick00]

Those are amazing, Matt! Thank you so much for sharing. And thanks Pat and Skip for the reference!

[John_Nicholson]

Always great pictures......Did anyone notice the quality of the fish at the NADA show? They are world class.

-john

[Discus-n00b]

Always great pictures......Did anyone notice the quality of the fish at the NADA show? They are world class.

-john

Hope we see the same results and turnout at this year's as well!

[mgcole]

Matt, you are an inspiration. I can only hope to take pictures half as good as yours. Thanks for sharing.

[Larry Bugg]

Hey Matt. I think it is time for me to up my photo game and get a remote flash. I'm using a Nikon D60. Any recommendations without breaking the bank?

[Discus-n00b]

Larry, not sure your budget but look at the Nikon SB-700 flash, should work well. You might be able to still find an SB-600 second hand for cheaper or collecting dust somewhere online but its been discontinued by Nikon. Shop around and see what you can find, always people selling second hand as they upgrade. You would also need a trigger for it, either a Sync cable to connect to the camera hot shoe and then to the flash or a wireless remote which does the same thing minus the cable but is usually much more expensive. I also use a diffuser on my flash, could easily be done with paper or something at home but if you wanted something more polished and store bought that would be part of the setup as well. Other than that theres nothing else you really need.

If you do go with a cable make sure its long enough so you can set the flash above the tank and move around without jerking it off the tank.

If anyone has any questions or something let me know. I'm no pro and like I said I don't really post settings because conditions are so different for each person but I will help out if I can.

[Larry Bugg]

Since the D60 doesn't do wireless I read that I would need a wireless trigger. This it the one I have seen recommended.

http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/cactus-wireless-flash-trigger-set-v4.html

I understand that this would mean that I would have to set the flash manually. Is that an issue or would it be better to go with a cable to use the auto settings?

[Discus-n00b]

I personally like being able to manually control it. And at least on my Canon flashes, its quite easy to do, just a few button clicks. Lets me bump the flash down a few stops in a bright situation, or bump it up in a darker situation. Full power, half power, 1/4 power, etc. Admittedly I'm a Canon user exclusively so I only know a little about Nikon and their products and how to use them. I assume its very similar.