Freshwater

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Part IV: Breeding and Other Fun Stuff
Lighting Techniques
The main hood lights on an aquarium usually do not provide sufficient lighting
to take good photos. If your tank has fluorescent lamps, you may end up
with a green cast on your finished pictures; if you use tungsten lamps, an
orange cast may appear. You’re much better off using electronic flash or
strobe units that provide proper lighting and freeze motion.
Ideally, you place your photography tank (see later in this chapter for more
on photography tanks) in natural sunlight, which far exceeds artificial lighting
in terms of color, shadow, and mood. The disadvantage of natural lighting
is that the direct sunlight can quickly heat up the water in a small tank to
lethal levels and turn your fish into a broiled entrees. Take great care to
ensure that the water remains cool until you’re ready to start the photography
session, and that you don’t leave them in direct sunlight for too long. A
large, thick towel to cover the entire tank and block out the heavy sunlight is
a great tool to have handy if you need to take a short break.
Another factor to take into consideration is that the sunlight two hours after
sunrise and two hours before sunset is generally discolored and should be
avoided. Photos taken in natural sunlight during these times tend to have a
yellowish cast unless you use special filters. It is much better to take photos
in natural sunlight during the late morning or early afternoon hours when the
sun is high in the sky.
In recent years, large flood lights have become quite popular in fish photography.
Caution is advised when using these lights as they have the potential to
quickly heat water. Always check the heat intensity of these floodlights
before using them.
If you’re using one strobe light, direct it at the tank from a 45-degree angle
near the top of the aquarium. If you use two strobe lights, place them at the
same angle on opposite sides of the tank.
The 45-degree angle offers these advantages:
Shadows appear below the fish and give your photos a natural look.
These shadows also possess a softer tone than those in photos using
straight-on lighting and are more appealing to the eye.
You avoid flash reflection off the glass, which can ruin an otherwise
good shot. Another method to avoid excess reflection is to wrap a
black-cardboard tube around the lens on your camera. This tube is
known as a mask.