Pond life photography

[Wild-Woman]

Ok. Can all you super photographers give me some advice please. Basically, I'm going to be doing some serious pond-dippng this summer and I want to photograph what I find. Now,I've done this before into white trays, but apart from the fact the creatures are on the move, when I do get one still, the white glare of the tray makes the creature dark and dull. Not only that, if the sun is high,I cast a shadow on what I am trying to take a shot of.It's very frustrating.Is there a better colour background I can use, or a different method altogether? It's nigh on impossible to get a shot in a pond...I've tried lots of times. Think I need one of those underwater cameras and a diving suit, although I've nearly done all that without a waterproof camera and fully clothed!

Help!

Dipping Jules

[Fourwings]

Try using a clear Petri-dish/sample container to hold your pondlife/catch and place it over a bit of light green card, it gives a natural looking background and it does not effect the exposure of the image nor will it cast any serious shadows.
Try using a tripod so that you can experiment with lower shutter speeds thus getting the best of any available light, using a rotating polarizing filter helps to eliminate the shine/reflection off the water and try to avoid using flash if at all possible.

Hope this helps Jules.

Steve.

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

Try using a clear Petri-dish/sample container to hold your pondlife/catch and place it over a bit of light green card, it gives a natural looking background and it does not effect the exposure of the image nor will it cast any serious shadows.
Try using a tripod so that you can experiment with lower shutter speeds thus getting the best of any available light, using a rotating polarizing filter helps to eliminate the shine/reflection off the water and try to avoid using flash if at all possible.

Hope this helps Jules.



Steve.

Ah right. I'll have to see about a filter then. Never thought about that. Good idea. Hope they're available for my new camera?? FZ50.
The green background sounds easy enough too. I've got some clear containers I use for insects, so I'll give them a whirl.
Thanks for your help Steve.

[Fourwings]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

Ah right. I'll have to see about a filter then. Never thought about that. Good idea. Hope they're available for my new camera?? FZ50.

I'm sure that wont be a problem as long as it has a filter thread Jules.

Another little tip, try shooting from underneath by getting someone to hold the dish/container, this is very a effective technique for getting the fantastic colours and patterns on the underside of newts, it also provides you with views of creatures that would almost be impossible under normal circumstances.

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

I'm sure that wont be a problem as long as it has a filter thread Jules.

Another little tip, try shooting from underneath by getting someone to hold the dish/container, this is very a effective technique for getting the fantastic colours and patterns on the underside of newts, it also provides you with views of creatures that would almost be impossible under normal circumstances.

I'll try that too. Can't wait to have a go now. Cheers.

[richardkm]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

Ah right. I'll have to see about a filter then. Never thought about that. Good idea. Hope they're available for my new camera?? FZ50.

I'm not sure how your camera operates, but for dSLRs it's important when buying polarising filters to get a circular polariser rather than a linear one. This has nothing to do with the shape of the filter, but with the way it deals with polarised light. A linear polariser will have a marked effect on the ability of the camera to give correct exposure because of the semi silvered mirror on the dSLR which directs light toward the sensor. If you buy a circ pol you will be assured that it will not affect your exposure.

[galanthus]

I have a canon 400d and have been reading lots on the filter/no filter debate. I love taking pond, river pics and the reflections/refraction have ruined several potentially good pics. Cld you advise me on what make of 'circular polarizing filters' to get pls ? I use a canon 75-300mm IS; a canon 60mm macro, (tho about to change that to 100mm); a 10-22mm and a 24-70mm 2.8. I don't mind too much cost as long as it's not a waste of money. thanx

[GuyF]

I've only really tried getting things below the water a couple of times and I was pleased with one of my shots. I caught this nymph in my pond and then I put it in a container. I made sure the water was quite shallow to try and help make the image clearer and I put some leaves on the bottom of the container to try and give a nicer background.

I think dragonfly nymphs are probably good things to start of with because when they think they're camouflaged they stay very still!
Guy

[richardkm]

There are several makes - e.g. Hoya, B+W, Cokin. I suggest you have a look at Warehouse Express. I have used the Cokin 'P' system because it could be fitted, with the relevant adapters, to all my lenses, which meant only buying one expensive filter, then several cheap adapter rings, worth looking at unless you want to use one on a very wide angle lens, when the Cokin mount can cause vignetting.

[galanthus]

Great, thanx, tho what about coatings/multi-coatings ? Will they make a difference and in what way ? My widest angle lens is 10mm, however, for pond life I'm mostly using my macro and the 70-300mm anyway. Will keep that in mind re vignetting.

The dragonfly nymph was one I was trying to have identified in another thread, I couldn't shrink the pic enough to place on the forum so thanx for that