Pics of my fish and aquariums - exercises in aquatic photography

Finally getting around to sharing some of the pics I've taken so far of my fish/aquariums.  A few have come out pretty good (but not posting the thousands that were painfully not so good, lol); but having some issues with detail, clarity, blur, lighting, and depth of field.  Photographing subjects through a screen of glass and water is definitely different than just plain air.  And I'm not sure which settings would be best to help with some of those issues.  It definitely takes lots of time and taking lots of pictures to get a few good ones.  Very much looking forward to the meeting tomorrow and the speaker on photography to get some help or tips!  

Unfortunately, one thing I've discovered that's not so different than photographing kitties or mantids is that fish also move or run (swim) away as you are trying to photograph them.    At one point I even resorted to turning out all the room lighting and donning a black sweatshirt jacket with hood, while trying to stay very still and unobtrusive, to try to hide and disguise myself outside the tank in an effort to not scare away the shy fish.  Anyone watching me would have probably thought I was a little off...    On the plus side, it doesn't matter so much when photographing snails.   

Angelfish in the 75 gallon

Think I need to work on the exposure here...


Isn't his little face so cuuuuute!!!


These are very wary... won't hardly come out when I'm near the aquarium.  Too bad, they're one of my favorites...   


This species doesn't seem very shy though... they were hamming it up, comparatively!


I just love these guys!


The emeralds are so pretty...

Group pics of the shoal of these didn't turn out so well... nobody was hardly in focus.  These two seemed to be curious about what I was doing and kept coming out of the group up to the front to investigate...

Any scratches on your aquarium glass really show up when macro focusing on subjects near the glass...   

These little dudes/dudettes are cute, almost furry looking.  This one is trying to encroach on the catfish pellet the assasin snail has picked up and of which is making a meal






Not nearly as cute from underneath, but pretty neat to see up close

This guy is pretty cool... but he can be a bully at times

These Amano shrimps sure are entertaining!  I wasn't sure if I'd like them much, but they've become favorites that I look for at feeding time.





I just love the look on this one's face in this pic for some reason... lol


I discovered this one making a meal of a mysteriously expired black neon




I've had the Amano shrimps for a while now, and they've molted several times.  I was in Springfield to see my mom recently and stopped in at The Fish Man where I saw these tiny Ghost shrimps (much smaller than the Amano shrimps).  They were only .49 cents each, so I picked up 5.  They more hump-backed than the Amano's too.

I love the extreme close up on the otto, he actually looks hairy. Those are great! I don't think my camera can get that close. On my old camera I had a sports setting for action pictures that would take multiples of ten all at once so that if the fish moved, it would capture at least one good shot.

I've been getting into snails recently!  Some more than others...  , but they're all facinating to watch up close.  Going to see if I can make an animated pic with several closely taken together shots showing the mouthparts suctioning as they move up the glass (but that's another project!).

Zebra and Tiger Nerites - These are my favorites.



Tiger Nerite  (this is the one in a series of this one that I'm planning to animate)


See the little bluish filamentous thingy at the top right of the underside of the foot in this pic?  I've never seen or captured whatever this is in any of the other underside foot pics of any of the other snails.  Anyone have any idea what it is?


This Mystery Snail is a new recent addition from The Fish Man trip.  I think he was in shock at first and I thought he was dead the first couple of days I had him.  But then he apparently decided it was OK to start cruising around the tank.  He's growing on me...   


Pond snails - Favorites, ummm, not so much.  But they are pretty cool and even cute to look at close up!  It almost looks like they have little faces with the eyespots.  I even fancy I see them making cute (or maybe horrified?) little facial expressions (more noticeable from the top side in pics further down)...   




Assasin Snails.  I did some research and then went on a hunt for these when I discovered an outbreak of pond snails in my 75 gallon.  I'm pretty sure they hitchhiked in on some plants.  I'm keeping all the other snails (good, wanted varieties) in my 20 gallon for now.  Even as they are all much bigger than any of the Assasins, I don't want to take any chances.  The Assasins only get to hunt the Pond snails.  I've been wondering if Assasins will attack and eat other Assisins though.  Will have to Google that.





Can you see him behind the scratches on the glass?   


These next I took of an Assasin and some Pond snails that I isolated in a small, clear plastic, open-top cube I had laying around.  I wanted to see if the Assasin would indeed go after and eat the Pond snails.  So I put one Assasin in there, and then dropped in several Pond snails, trying to get them as close to the front of the Assasin as possible.  Several times they landed on the Assasin's back; and it was horrifically comical to imagine them trying to "run" (as fast as snails can run anyway) down the shell away from the dangerous mouthparts.  





"Oh no!  I don't think this is a very good spot to be in!"


The tube is reaching around and searching... and the little guy on the bottom is trying to beat a hasty retreat


You can see the Assasin's (what I think is his mouthpiece?  But it's different and separate from the hollow tubular thingy) diving into the midst of some Pond snail flesh (2 pond snails together on him near the front at the time).

jikin junkie wrote:I love the extreme close up on the otto, he actually looks hairy.  Those are great!  I don't think my camera can get that close. On my old camera I had a sports setting for action pictures that would take multiples of ten all at once so that if the fish moved, it would capture at least one good shot.

I think my camera might have a setting like that too, come to think of it. Good idea! Going to have to investigate trying that if my camera does indeed have it. Thanks!

Getting those close-up shots has a lot to do with the seperate macro lens I use, more than the camera itself, I think. My other interchangeable lenses don't get that close up. Some point and shoot cameras also have additional independent lenses you can buy that just attach on. Not sure how much they cost, or if your camera has that option... but it might be worth checking out if you're interested .   

I forgot to post a couple of my two aquariums.  One is a 75 gallon, and one is a 20 gallon.

75 gal.




20 gal.

Those pictures are nice.
If I bring my computer can someone show me how to put the pictures from the computer to the forum?

Mark

Mark

Thank you, Mark. I wish I would have seen this before I left today. I'd be glad to help you anytime if you'd like. Just PM or call me.

Nice pics.

Pomacea sp.

This guy/gal was really shy at first.  I thought maybe he was dead because he didn't move for several days after I first got him.  Then I guess he decided all was OK, and he cruises all over the aquarium now.  I'm really liking him and thinking about getting another.  

I got this pretty neat shot of him that I had to share.  Since seeing his "face" in photographs, I've decided I really need to name him.  An appropriate one hasn't hit me yet though.



Upon first getting him he stayed like this for several days.  He was pretty uninteresting.


After he got comfy he's become much more interesting.  And he seems to move pretty fast, as far as snails go.    On the move...


I like to imagine he's looking at his reflection in the glass... hehe