Betta Fish Pictures
How to take pictures of Betta Fish
Unless you are an experienced photographer you have no doubt attempted to take pictures of your aquarium fish and, like most of us, have not been overly enthused with the results. The first and most common problem encountered when taking fish photos is the glare or reflection from the flash that bounces back at us from the aquarium's glass.
A second photo problem is that your camera tends to focus in on the whole aquarium rather than the particular fish that you are trying to capture.
A third problem is that the darn fish you want to shoot is moving and doesn't understand the concept of sitting still and saying cheese!
A fourth and final problem is that when you finally overcome these other set backs and snap that perfect picture you notice that you now have a reflection of some other object in the photo.
At this point we usually say ... arrrgh! Toss about a few choice words and settle for a less than stellar picture. You know the type... "really Bob, my Betta is an unbelievable fish, boy you should see him flare, it sure is something, of course this photo just doesn't do him justice." To which Bob replies, "Oh that's a fish, I thought you were showing me your aquarium rock collection..."
We've all been there, so how do we solve these problems? Simple, hire a professional photographer! Ok, just a little joke. Actually there are a few little tricks that we can employ that can vastly increase our chances of publishing a photo in National Geographic or at the very least a viewing on our coffee table.
How to eliminate the camera's flash glare.
This is actually pretty simple and with a little practice and some trial and error you should have it down in no time. Do not take the photo straight on. Hold the camera at an angle - 30 to 45 degrees in relation to the glass panel that you are shooting through. You can try this from above, below or from the side. Be sure to hold the camera back far enough from the glass. By doing this the light from the flash will be reflected away from you at the same angle you take the picture from and thereby removing it from the final photo.
How to focus on just the Betta fish.
When you use a digital camera it automatically focuses on the glass aquarium panel. Hold the button down half way, wait till it locks the focus and then move a little closer to the tank. This will cause the locked focus feature to move into the tank and eliminate the glass. Now you can find your fish and click away. So...
How to get your Betta to stop moving and smile for the camera.
One trick is to focus on a favorite rock or plant that your Betta likes to hang around. When your fish shows up, snap the picture. The problem is that sometimes your Betta moves to fast or gives you a less than optimal profile with this method. I like to train my Bettas to pose for pictures. What am I talking about? Remember the famous experiments known as 'Pavlov's Dogs'? Well you can train your Bettas the same way.
I call this the noise, food, click method of photography. Each time I feed my fish I make a sound - bang the lid down, or ring a bell - and then give the food. After a while you will find that instead of scurrying for cover each time you make a noise, your Betta will come looking for its food. I should have mentioned that all through the learning process I expose the fish to a flash from the camera as it gobbles up its food. Soon your Betta will not notice the flash or simply equate it to food. When your fish begins looking for food at the sound of the noise you are ready to take your pictures.
How to eliminate reflections of other objects in your Betta photos.
The simple solution to this problem is to take your pictures in a dark room with the aquarium light as your only source of illumination. This way the glass panel will not reflect nearby objects in the room. In fact I find that taking pictures in the dark actually adds a certain ambience to your photos and makes your subject stand out so much better. Try taking pictures of your Betta in the dark using a flash with a tank that is empty and not lit. The effect is one of a brilliantly illuminated Betta floating in space. Nothing brings out the beautifull colors of a Betta fish better than this technique.
These tips should help you produce a nice portfolio of your Bettas. Don't be afraid to experiment as there is never a right way or wrong way or even just a single way to take pictures. Snap away and enjoy.
Betta Fish Pictures
