How to get sharp photos through a fish tank?

[mark amy]

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>I need some help photographing things in my fish tank, but not fish!</p>

<p>I'm using a Nikon D300 with a Sigma 105mm f2.8 macro lens on a tripod with a cable shutter release. For lighting I have an SB600 to light the white background from behind and 2 Yongnuo 467s to light objects from either side.</p>

<p>My lens is tack sharp for objects not through glass and under water, but not so sharp for in water through glass. I use live view to focus and the focus is spot on and images appear sharp at first glance, but when you zoom in they lose the sharpness.</p>

<p>Are there any tricks to photographing static objects through glass & under water? Are there any special angles I should be considering for the lights & the camera or is it just the fact that I'm adding glass and water into the equation and it's going to soften the final image anyway?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for any advice!</p>

<p>Mark</p>

[breski]

<p>i have the same problem.. any advice?</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>There was a thread awhile back which seemed to have useful advice ... 'I know nutting' as Corporal Shultz was fond of saying :-) Have you tried sharpening in post processing? or setting the camera to give you a sharper result?</p>

[mike_stemberg]

<p>I know this is not exactly addressing your question, but the first thought that came to mind ...was that if everthing is controllable, why not shoot the subject separately, the tank/water separately and mix/merge/blend the separate images for maximuum clarity. Just a thought.</p>

[mark amy]

<p>Thanks for your replies!</p>

<p>Regarding sharpening, I'm shooting for stock so I want to avoid excessive sharpening in PP. A little unsharp mask is fine, but I still need a good, sharp image viewed at 100% to begin with.</p>

<p>Merging images is a good suggestion, but I want the water to interact with the objects i.e. ripple effects, splashes, drops etc, so that wouldn't work.</p>

<p>I appreciate your help, thanks!</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>Now you say that I wonder if multiple shots using the 'sharp' parts[ no water] with the 'effect' bits [ with water] might be an solution for you? tricky for sure and just off the top of my head as I have never faced this problem :-)</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>Have you tried bouncing the light off the ceiling and using a Polarizer filter ?</p>

[mark amy]

<p>Merging sharp parts of one pic with blurred pics of another sounds like a good idea, but it sounds very tricky and time-consuming and I'm sure I would mess that up. Let's call that Plan C! :)</p>

<p>I haven't tried bouncing the flash off the ceiling or using a polarizer, so I will give that a try later and report back.</p>

<p>Thanks guys!</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>Use manual focus. Set shutter delay function. Perhaps focusing through viewfinder should do well. Stop the lens aperture even more. Use higher ISO if you must. Use a photographic tent.</p>

<p>Experiment with different angles of shooting and light positioning..</p>

<p>Clean the glass and filter the water...</p>

[nodpete]

I have heard that using a flexible lens hood lets you put the hood right against the glass therefore eliminating side light. I've done this when shooting through glass but I never tried it on a fish tank. I would think that lighting the inside of the tank would give you enough light.

[tom_harvey3]

<p>Use a rubber lens hood, placed right against the glass. Set the white balance to the color temp marked on the bulbs in the aquarium hood.</p>

[mark amy]

<p>Thanks for the help guys!</p>

<p>I don't really have a problem with light because I shoot without ambient light so the exposure is as fast as the flash duration....if that's the right terminology. I don't really want to increase the ISO because I'm afraid of introducing noise into the image and I shouldn't have to with the flash speeds.</p>

<p>I'm going to experiment more with different angles etc and see if I can get it better. </p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Manual focus might help. Keep in mind, depending what your subject is, that in water things can move around and slip out of the zone of focus. If I can get this sharp through a 1/4 inch of cheap white glass vase using a simple diopter close-up lens(on a 50mm lens) you can do much better with a thinner walled fish tank and a dedicated macro. Good luck and let us know how you solved the problem.</p>

<div></div>

[mark amy]

<p>Wow! Louis, that's a fantastic shot and exactly the kind of thing I'm trying to do! Haven't tried with flowers yet, but that's my goal and at the moment I'm just trying with basic fruit to get the technique right.</p>

<p>Did you use carbonated water to get the bubbles to stick to the flower like that?</p>

<p>I think I'm almost there with my shots now....finally! After messing around for hours repositioning my flashes and camera, I think I've found the sweet spot for my lens and tank combined! The only problem I'm having now is DOF. I've been shooting at f11, but it looks like I'm going to have to go to f16 to get my main subject all in focus and I'm worried the higher I go then diffraction will set in and IQ will go down!</p>

<p>I continue to experiment....... :)</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<blockquote>

<p>Did you use carbonated water to get the bubbles to stick to the flower like that?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes. You can see another example from the same shoot on this thread toward the bottom:<br>

<a href="../classic-cameras-forum/00VlUD">http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00VlUD</a><br>

Keep at it and success will come. BTW-mine is shot at f/16</p>

 

[mark amy]

<p>Amazing camera and photos in that thread Louis! You have inspired me!</p>

<p>Here is where I am so far. I won't be able to try again until later, but here's what I'm aiming for and with a 100% crop. This one's at f11:</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/13145876-lg.jpg" alt="" width="463" height="600" /></p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/13145877-lg.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="381" /></p>

[mark_santos]

<p>Superb photo Mark! I have been in the same boat last year and as I followed this thread, I found out that carbonated water is what I've been missing! Thanks a lot!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.westpropertymanagement.com.au/renovations-extensions-new-developments">Home Renovations Perth </a>/ <a href="http://www.westpropertymanagement.com.au/">Home Extensions Perth</a></p>

[mark amy]

<p>Thanks Mark and glad this thread helped you!</p>

<p>The possibilities of objects + water are endless and yeah, carbonated water really makes a difference! </p>

<p>So many projects, so little time! :)</p>

[sarah_baker2]

<p>Good post. Nice that someone has posted this topic as i have also been researching about this problem.</p>

[bpzimm98]

<p>I have done this a few times with great results. First bump your ISO up a bit depending on how bright your fish tank lighting is. (I had a reef tank with 440watts with a great reflector so its light was great for photography's shutter speeds.) If you have less power bump up available light as much as possible. NEVER TRY TO SHOOT AT AN ANGLE! Shoot straight on for the best results. The tanks glass/acrylic is not optical glass and you'll see this readily enough. Fish, corals etc... move constantly hence the need for the higher ISO to get that shutter speed up to freeze motion. Off camera flash straight down from top of tank (preferably a bit in front of subject). If using fill (reflector or flash), make sure glare does not occur on tanks glass in front of lens. Take a lot of pics and note what works and what doesn't. Digital pics are free unlike film and its results are instant so life is all good. Have fun!</p>