Freshwater

Chapter 21: Recording Data and Photographing Fish
Building your own photography tank
One of the easiest and most practical methods to insure great photos of your
fish is to construct a miniature aquarium to use exclusively for photo sessions.
This technique was founded by Dr. Herbert Axelrod and is an important
part of the famous Axelrod technique of photographing fish. The Axelrod
technique involves using a small photo tank with an interior restraining glass
embedded in fine sand and angled from the bottom front to the back top of
the tank. The angled glass restricts fish movement when the restraining glass
is gently leaned forward.
A photography tank is much smaller than any standard aquarium and offers
several unique advantages over a larger tank:
Keeping the water in a mini-tank clean and clear for your pictures is
easier in a small tank.
Arranging plants, rocks, and other decorations is simple.
Water changes are a snap for good photos.
Building a photography tank (if you don’t choose to purchase a small aquarium)
is something even a beginning hobbyist can do. It doesn’t require much
time, knowledge, or lessons from Bob Vila to complete a simple tank 7 inches
high by 7 inches long and 2 inches wide. You can build tanks of other sizes to
accommodate the size of the fish you’re photographing and the materials at
hand. The glass you use to construct your mini-tank should be thinner than
standard aquarium glass to help promote good photos.
The four sides and the bottom glass of the new tank can be easily positioned
using clamps and then siliconed with aquarium sealer or aquatic-safe cement
to obtain a small rectangle. No frame or supports are really necessary if the
glass you used in construction is thin. The newly siliconed sides should be
allowed to dry for 48 hours before water is added or the tank is moved
(unless you plan on checking out your new galoshes). This will ensure that
the seal is tight and waterproof. A sixth piece of glass should be cut to size
so that it fits into the tank like a partition. The glass should slide in easily
without scraping the sides of the tank. The safest way to do this is to go
to a glasscutter and have it done for you, because glass cutting can be very
dangerous.
Gently place the fish you’re photographing between the front glass on the
photo tank and the restraining glass — which works like a cover slip on a
microscope slide. (If your fish’s eyes start popping out like Marty Feldman’s,
you might want to back off on the pressure a little bit.) Another advantage to
this restraining technique is that you, the photographer, have the freedom to
place the fish in creative arrangements that aren’t possible in a larger tank.
This glass restricts movement of faster swimming fish and keeps them safe
during the photo shoot.
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