Re: Tank photography

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/28/00 7:33:19 PM Mountain Daylight Time, 
sturob@swbell.net writes:

> What set-up do folks (like R. Wong!) use to photograph their fish?  The 
only 
> thing
>  I've done is use medium- to fast-speed film (ASA 800-1000) to overcome the
>  lighting problems.  I'm unsatisfied with the f-stops I've been forced to 
use,
> 
>  though, since the apertures are so wide the depth of focus is VERY short.  
I'
> ve
>  had good luck taking good pics of my Rift Lake fish, but I've not yet 
found 
> the
>  right combination to photograph dwarves in blackwater tanks.
>  
>  Any suggestions (film speed, brand; lens type; apertures . . . etc.) would 
> be
>  greatly appreciated.

The prefered set-up seems to involve either a macro lens or a macro filter.  
I just bought a Canon at a yard sale that has a fixed lens, but I am told it 
is a fairly "Fast" lens, whatever that means.  I amd going to get a tripod 
and a cable shutter attachment, then set the camera a set focused distance 
from a specific point in the tank.  When the fish go by, I will snap and 
pray.:-)  I plan to stack up the lights around the thing and maybe see if 
they make a special filter for shooting through aquarium glass.  That way I 
can use 100ASA film and a small-to-medium aperture.  Then when I get a shot I 
like, I will have tight enough grain to crop and enlarge before I scan.  I 
don't know if it will work, but the dude that runs the local 1-hour photo 
place thinks it should, and he's been a shutterbug for like, ever.

Bob Dixon


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