Introduction Who am I? Not a Professional, Just Josh! I Reserve
The Right to be Most Certainly Boring, Potentially Educational Let
me Know If You Already Know This Stuff We Can Watch TV or Watch
Mike Kill Corals Not into Photography? I Wont be Hurt if You Leave.
Just Wait For Me to Turn Around Please
Slide 5
Key Photographic Principles Are Universal Regardless of Subject
Composition What is in The Scene and Where Exposure Lighting, Film
Speed, Shutter Speed, Aperture Focus What? If these 3 are good,
your photo should be good
Slide 6
Composition Frame The Picture Correct Focal Length Zoom in/out
Move close/far Wait For The Scene Stony Corals Are Stiller Get
Close / Personal Dont Chop Off Parts
Slide 7
Composition Rule of Thirds Intersecting Lines/Points on a 3x3
Grid Creates a More Interesting Scene Give the Subject Room to
Move
Slide 8
Exposure - Overview How the Camera Exposes The Media to Light
Media is in The Dark Until The Camera Blinks Then Camera Gets to
See Whats In Front of It How Much Light the Media Sees is
Determined by How Long The Camera Blinks (Shutter Speed) How Wide
The Camera Blinks (Aperture) Sensitivity of the Media can Also be
Set (Film Speed)
Slide 9
Exposure Overview Cont Exposure is the Most Important AND
Difficult You Dont Really Know it Ahead of Time You Find Out
Standing in Line at Costco Cameras Have Light Meters That
Read/Report Available Light Reading it Helps You Set Shutter and
Aperture Auto Exposure / Program Mode Camera Read its Own Meter and
Sets Shutter Speed For You Sets Aperture For You Sets Film Speed
(if a digital camera)
Slide 10
Exposure Film Speed High (ISO 400 800) Pros Requires Less Light
Allows Faster Shutter Allows Smaller Aperture Cons More Noise Image
May Not Enlarge Well Low (ISO 100-200) Cons Requires More Light
Requires Slower Shutter Requires Larger Aperture Pros Less Noise
Image Will Enlarge Well Establishes How Sensitive the Media is to
Light Constrains Shutter Speed and Aperture Most Digital Cameras
Have Auto ISO Mode Increases Film Speed For You if Not Enough
Light
Slide 11
Exposure - Shutter Speed How Long Camera Blinks in Seconds At
1/4000 th - Freeze a Hummingbirds Wings in Flight At 1/60 th -
Please Dont Sneeze Honey 1/120 th - Good Minimum For Fish Photos
Shutter Priority Mode You Specify Shutter and Camera Picks Aperture
Shutter Speed and Aperture Are Dysfunctional Spouses Dependent But
in Conflict
Slide 12
Exposure - Aperture Size of Cameras Eye - Denoted by f-stop Low
# Larger Eye (f 1.4) Lots of Light Reaching Media Shallower Plane
of Focus Requires a Faster Shutter Speed High # Smaller Eye (f 16)
Not Much Light Reaching Media Deeper Plane of Focus Require a
Slower Shutter Speed Aperture Priority Mode You Specify Aperture
and Camera Picks Shutter Speed
Slide 13
Exposure - White Balance Camera Trying to Make White Look White
Your 6500K Light May Yellow The Scene Camera Tries To Turn Whites
Back to White Auto White Balance Mode Is a Crapshoot Works Well in
Higher-End Cameras Not so Much in Lower-End Cameras If Photo Looks
Too Blue or Too Yellow Adjust the White Balance Mode
Slide 14
Exposure - Putting it All Together Shutter Speed and Aperture
Are Holding Your Photographs Exposure Hostage Shutter Speed
Aperture Typical Aquarium Photo To Expose Media to Enough Light a
Low f Stop Was Used, Thus the Focal Plan is Shallow and Anything
Behind The Fish is Blurry
Slide 15
Exposure - Cheating Digital Cameras Have LCD Screens We Can See
Right Away if Photo Has Good Exposure Digital Cameras Show
Histograms The Darkness or Brightness of Pixels in The Photo Too
Much on Left Too Much of Image is Dark Too Much on Right Too Much
of Image is Light
Slide 16
Exposure - Final Words OK to Sacrifice Background Exposure For
Good Foreground/Subject Exposure Dont Use a Direct Flash You Cant
Recharge an Anemone
Slide 17
Focus Auto Focus in Most Cases A Slow Focusing Camera Means
Blurry Photos Standard PAS Camera Slower Focusing Not so Good For
Fish Manual Focusing Only in Some Scenarios Night Photos Whole Tank
Shots
Slide 18
Macro Photography Big Pictures of Tiny Things High-End SLR
Cameras Can Use Macro Lenses Low-End Cameras Have Macro Mode
Built-in Works Surprisingly Well on Many Camera Steadiness is The
Key Place Camera on a Surface Edge of Table, Tripod if You Have
One
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Aquarium Photography Get Entire Tank in The Shot Stand at an
Angle to Side of Tank to Fit it All In (if needed) Use a Slower
Film Speed (ISO 200) You Want to be Able to Make a Poster of This
Thing Right? Use a Tripod or Hold Really Steady In a Full Tank Shot
From an Angle Perspective Refraction and Diffraction is expected
and Tolerable Must Have Enough Light in Tank to Expose For A Medium
Shutter Speed 1/60 th - 1/180 th A Medium Aperture f 5.6-8 or
Higher if at an Angle So Entire Tank is in Focus If You Want
External Surfaces Visible Be Careful Not To Add Reflections On
Glass
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Conclusion Clean The Glass Halides Provide Good Lighting For
Photos Start with Corals / Fish Too Fast For Most PAS Cameras Frame
the Subject / Lens Perpendicular to Tank Wall Cheap Cameras Focus
Slowly Exposure is The Key High-End Camera = Superior Exposure /
Focus Control When All Else Fails Photoshop!