A few cichlid (fish) shots

[Xavier]

A 'few' of my wet pets.

My Tiger Oscar

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/3136271486_75697e6eb4.jpg
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 51 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire


Same Oscar
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/3137111845_c54b02f5df.jpg
Exposure: 0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash fired


Jewel Cichlid
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/3150553725_0338bf72fd.jpg
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 46 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash fired


Jewel Cichlid 2
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/3147336423_590f7685a0.jpg
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 48 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash fired


Green Terror Cichlid
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/3151466910_361ac39436.jpg
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/5
Focal Length: 43 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash fired


All Comments and suggestions welcome :)

[KrishnenduKes]

Critique Approved

Cannot really comment since this is not at all my domain. Have absolutely no idea of underwater photography.

[Vicky]

Nice shots xavier! Some are a little underexposed though.

In shots where the flash is your primary source of light, only the aperture & ISO have a bearing on the final exposure, and the shutter speed has no effect at all. The motion is actually frozen by the flash. This is proven in your #2 shot wherein even though you have used 1/10 on a moving fish at 55mm on a non stabilized lens, you still got no motion blur because the motion was actually frozen by the flash which fires for 1/10000sec. Even thought the shutter was open for much longer, no exposure was recorded due to lack of any ambient lighting.

So, i would recommend you shoot in manual mode, 1/200, f/5.6 ISO 800/1600 and let the ETTL (Evaluative Through The Lens) flash do all the remaining hard work. Take 1-2 shots and use + / - FEC (Flash Exposure Compensation) to get the result you want:) This way, you don't have to keep changing the exposure settings for each shot:)

Critique Approved

Cannot really comment since this is not at all my domain. Have absolutely no idea of underwater photography.

This is not 'underwater' photography! You can call it 'outside the fish tank' photography at the max;)

[Xavier]

Nice shots xavier! Some are a little underexposed though.

In shots where the flash is your primary source of light, only the aperture & ISO have a bearing on the final exposure, and the shutter speed has no effect at all. The motion is actually frozen by the flash. This is proven in your #2 shot wherein even though you have used 1/10 on a moving fish at 55mm on a non stabilized lens, you still got no motion blur. So, i would recommend you shoot in manual mode, 1/200, f/5.6 ISO 800/1600 and let the ETTL (Evaluative Through The Lens) flash do all the remaining hard work. Take 1-2 shots and use + / - FEC (Flash Exposure Compensation) to get the result you want:) This way, you don't have to keep changing the exposure settings for each shot:)



Thanks a ton for the comment, Vicky!
A fellow member on an international forum asked me the same question about how I got such a sharp image even though I used a shutter speed of 1/10. Frankly speaking, I had no reply :p But now thanks to you, I know :)
Have been fiddling with the manual mode a lot lately. Will try and get a few decent shots of my other tanks this weekend.

Edit : The first pic was underexposed on purpose. Wanted a dark and mean look to my already mean Oscar :p. And yeah, I do agree that the Jewel Cichlid pics are definitely underexposed.