How to improve on my photos?

[trident]

The female, sorry photo didn't turn out so well.

[genes]

I suppose you used auto-focus when shooting. Try manual, it will be difficult and damn tiring initially, but once you get the hang of it, you'll never switch the catch to auto again.

[trident]

Eugene,
Thanks. I do shoot some in manual, settings are manually set, but focusing are mixture of AF and MF. Trying to get use to shootimg in MF.

[benetay]

Richard shooting apisto are easier done in Manual Focus but it can be done in AF too.

Your 100mm can do wonders.

Here are some of the fries that i've taken last time with the same setup.

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=19302

Cheers!

[valice]

Richard, with your setup, you can easily up your shutter speed and lower your aperture to get a larger DOF.

Now you are using 1/40 which is lesser than the minimum 1/focal length, and as a result will make your pictures more susceptible to handshake blurring.
Generally, with your ST-E2 and flash, you can go up to 1/200 and f11 or f13 and ISO still using 100 or 200, instead of your current 400.

[trident]

Benetay, Vincent,
Thanks, I was playing around a bit. Didn't realize that hand is shaking till the picture is out.
yixiang, Thanks, hoping the coloration will improve further.

[trident]

Eugene,
Today I tried re-shooting the eunotus again. Using manual setting at f11 and speed 200, mf and af. Still couldn't get it tack sharp, most likely the water not clean enough. There's a slight yellow tint use to the drift wood. Will change the water tomorrow and try again
Thanks.

[Goondoo]

Eugene,
Today I tried re-shooting the eunotus again. Using manual setting at f11 and speed 200, mf and af. Still couldn't get it tack sharp, most likely the water not clean enough. There's a slight yellow tint use to the drift wood. Will change the water tomorrow and try again
Thanks.

How big is your tank? Many nice pictures here were taken in "studio" tank , which is suppose to be quite small. To take apistos, I guess it will stick close to mirrors?

[hwchoy]

switch to aperture priority mode, this will set your shutter to 1/250s and let the flash ETTL program to automatically set the power. this is good for most situations. your aperture should be set to somewhere between ƒ/8 to ƒ/13.

[trident]

Billy,
I initially bought a tank for that purpose, Photo Tank, but ended up with the pair of Eunotus inside. hahaha
Choy,
Because of the lack of bright light, whenever I set to aperture priority mode, let's say f8, the speed with drop to pretty slow, around 1/40 or slower. So I use manual to set the aperture and speed to my preference and let the flash work for it.
Thanks

[hwchoy]

Richard, on your 20D check your customer function 03 CFn03 should be set fixed (1/250s) rather than auto. This will force your shutter to 1/250s in Av mode and the rest you leave it to ETTL-II.

[trident]

Choy,
Thanks, I wasn't aware of this function. Have set it to custom function 03 and fix the speed at 1/200. Will try it out soon.

[hwchoy]

its 1/250s not 1/200s.

[trident]

sorry, typo, the fixed setting is 1/250

[hwchoy]

I know you typo just don't want it to hang around the thread and confuse people in future.

[celticfish]

Here's another point compliments of "unca choy".
Make sure the eyes of the fish are focused.
Unfocused eys are more glaring than unfocused body.
I hope I got that right hwchoy!

[hwchoy]

oh yes any living things, the eyes must be sharp.

[Simon]

correction, anything with eye/s must be sharp

[benny]

What if it's a spider and it has many eyes? Depth of field not deep enough to cover all of them how?

Cheers,

[hwchoy]

the nearest or most prominent eyes must be sharp, and they should have catchlight