How to shoot

[Blademan]

I have Seen a photo which just shows the fish perfectly however the entire background was black the effect was really nice anyone know how I can achieve this look

[rickztahone]

Using flash, specifically off camera flash is typically the way to achieve this.

[Discus-n00b]

Agreed, if you can just pour light onto the fish as in an overhead flash the background will usually be darker. I'd say a lot of people achieve full black with some post work in photoshop though.

[SMB2]

Also, having a dark background helps, with as little reflective surfaces as possible.
Try playing with F stops as well. With high F stops, usually 16-22 light cast behind the fish will be reduced but that is usually only if the tank is pretty wide.
As Matt says if you get a pretty dark background, you can easily make it black in post processing.

The blue background is F8 and the black F22. Same strobe (flash). Notice, there is a difference in depth of field. These shots are underwater so I had an infinite column of water (a very wide tank!) behind the subject.
Ricardo and Matt are the tank guys so I would take their direction on flash position. With Digital you get instant feedback and unlimited chances to try different approaches.

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[rickztahone]

A perfect example Stan! Thanks for chiming in.

[Blademan]

Agreed, if you can just pour light onto the fish as in an overhead flash the background will usually be darker. I'd say a lot of people achieve full black with some post work in photoshop though.

so positon flash over the tank firing down or bounce off the ceiling above ?

High F number F22

should i set flash for TTL or manual ?

Thanks

[Blademan]

Also, having a dark background helps, with as little reflective surfaces as possible.
Try playing with F stops as well. With high F stops, usually 16-22 light cast behind the fish will be reduced but that is usually only if the tank is pretty wide.
As Matt says if you get a pretty dark background, you can easily make it black in post processing.

The blue background is F8 and the black F22. Same strobe (flash). Notice, there is a difference in depth of field. These shots are underwater so I had an infinite column of water (a very wide tank!) behind the subject.
Ricardo and Matt are the tank guys so I would take their direction on flash position. With Digital you get instant feedback and unlimited chances to try different approaches.



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Thanks the first shot is what I am trying to create, no other lights on either over the tank or in the room?

[rickztahone]

so positon flash over the tank firing down or bounce off the ceiling above ?

High F number F22

should i set flash for TTL or manual ?

Thanks

straight down. The further you are to the back wall, the easier it will be to get a darker background. If the flash is closer to the back wall, the light can "spill" over to your background.

[Discus-n00b]

Agreed with Ricardo. However you can do either. You can even get a piece of white plastic rain gutter and shoot the flash up into that which will bounce it back into the tank. I shoot a higher Fstop as well. I personally use manual mode on the flash so I can dial it down or up depending on where I need it. With a direct flash I often find myself only using it at 1/2 or 1/4 power. Manual IMO will just give you more control in this situation. ETTL/TTL will do some metering/exposure for you, basically you vs camera controlling the flash. Since I basically establish a "zone" in the tank where I will be shooting the fish as they pass through, I can go ahead and set up everything and fire off some test shots to get my exposures right or close and then lay in wait. It's more like a portrait photo session than a wedding if that makes sense. Having a flash that can do both is a bonus.

TTL would be a plus in situations like on the fly, urban areas, outside with changing lighting conditions, etc. Manual is better for portrait and as close to still work as possible. Since I'm working in a fairly small area with set lighting and controlled parameters though a bit of moving subjects, I choose manual.

[SMB2]

One minor tip: Clean the front glass very well and time your photo sessions before meals so the water column is as clear as possible.

[Blademan]

All good tips thanks guys, I will try it out and see what results I get :)