Wanted critiques and advice

[bug0926]

I'm using a digital rebel with a sigma flash. Any advice to improve my pictures?

 

[Mihai]

They look good to me! But I'm a beginner at this sport, so maybe we can hear from the specialists.

M.

 

[Anonymous]

Overall they look pretty good. Which lens are you using?

In #1, it looks like you've got some light falloff. Is that coral sitting partially under a rock or something?

In #2 it looks like your lighting goes in bands. It's not overly bad or anything, just a little odd. Makes me wonder more about the lighting setup than the coral, ya know?

#3 is a cool shot, but should probably be a much tighter crop around the crab to really emphasize that fighting stance he's got.


Couple of ideas for you as you grow into photography...

1. Try playing with the 'rule of thirds'. Check this link for more info: http://www.silverlight.co.uk/tutorials/ ... hirds.html

2. One way that I achieve really dramatic lighting when shooting corals especially is to flash them from above. Set up the camera on a tripod, get a flash-sync cord to let you move the flash away from the camera, and hold it actually above the tank, flashing straight down. Gives some very different lighting effects, and really makes the photos stand out from their peers.

Cheers!
-John

 

[bug0926]

Overall they look pretty good. Which lens are you using?

I think these were with a 50mm. They may have been with my telephoto from a bit farther away from the tank.

In #1, it looks like you've got some light falloff. Is that coral sitting partially under a rock or something?

No, it's out in the open.

In #2 it looks like your lighting goes in bands. It's not overly bad or anything, just a little odd. Makes me wonder more about the lighting setup than the coral, ya know?

That's under the center band of the tank. The lighting is 150w mh and vho actinics.

#3 is a cool shot, but should probably be a much tighter crop around the crab to really emphasize that fighting stance he's got.

Agreed, need to get macro lens to be able to get more lifesize photos.





Cheers!
-John[/quote]

 

[Mihai]

Agreed, need to get macro lens to be able to get more lifesize photos.

Negative, the digital rebel has LOTS of Mpixels, what you need is to crop it before you reduce the size to maintain the quality. I worry a bit about the first pic - it does look like the back gets much less light than the front - weird effect.

M.

 

[wade1]

Is the light attached directly to the hotshoe of the camera? That would create these odd lighting effects I'm thinking.

Ideally, you would hold the flash well enough away from the subject and get the picture... side lighting has some cool effects too.