Better Picture Taking
Switch your camera to Aperture Priority mode. On the camera it could
be “A” or “AP.” AP mode allows you to take sharp images of the subject,
while the background is fuzzy. This is referred to as “Depth of
Field”(DOF). The tighter the DOF, the more blurry the background;
conversely the greater the DOF, the better you can see everything in the
picture. Don’t worry, I’ll go into more detail shortly. For pictures
where only the subject is sharp, you’ll want to set your AP mode to the
lowest number your camera allows. On mine, that is 2.8 (or f/2.8). FYI,
when you use the lowest f-stop, your shutter speed will be at its
fastest. As you increase the f-stop to higher numbers, the shutter will
take longer to open and close, and you may end up with a blurry image if
you move the camera too soon after depressing the shutter button. You’ll
need some light just so the auto-focus can operate. you’ll need to set
the “white balance” in advance. Find the option on your camera to set
white balance manually, and then take a piece of white PVC and hold it
in the tank so the light is shining on it. Point your camera at the
bright area of the PVC, and press the appropriate button (shutter button
on mine) to save the setting. This will be saved in your camera’s
settings until you change it again. Change the white balance setting to
the one you just saved, otherwise I find that I can use the “Auto” white
balance mode, and get good results. If you are shooting a tank that is a
little too dark, you might try adjusting the exposure compensation one
or two notches above 0. The nice thing about digital cameras is you can
see the results immediately, and change the setting one point and re
shoot. You’ll find the perfect combination the more you practice.
When taking pictures of fish, you may need to use the flash. This
freezes the moment and the camera tends to get a sharp image. Some
cameras allow you to adjust how bright your flash is – which prevents
you from washing out your subject. Remember when using the flash, you
want to angle your shot slightly so you don’t get a reflection of the
flash on the glass. With a digital camera, film speed is a little
outdated since no film is used. For bright settings, you can use the
lowest ISO rating, which may be 50 or 100. If the setting is a little
too dark, or you are trying to take pictures of moving fish (action
shots), increase the ISO to 400. The higher the ISO, the more grainy
your pictures will be. Depending on how far the subject is from the
lens, you may need to switch to Normal, Macro or even Super Macro mode.
The camera should indicate if it has a problem in the current mode. Aim
the center target (looks like this: [ ]) of your viewing field at the
object you want in focus. Press the shutter button half way, and make
sure the image is focused. While holding the button down, you can move
the camera slightly (laterally) to frame your shot and not ruin the
focus. When happy, fully depress the button.
If you find that your camera shakes during a shot, press the lens
against the glass to stabilize everything. If you can't do that, use a
tripod, or the back of a chair. Whatever you can do to keep the camera
steady, do it.
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