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

[Jon]

WW one of the best tips I had was to construct a small "tank" that was about only 2-3cm thick, the height and width you can make to suit yourself. Then behind this put another tank of any dimension it doesn't really matter. In the small front tank put filtered pond water, so it is"clean". The rear tank may contain slightly clouded water along with plants and goodness knows what else. To photograph your subject put it in the small tank with the bigger tank directly behind, i.e. immediately behind to ensure no reflections etc.
When photographing your subject you may require flash used from above or the side but trial and error will show you how to avoid reflections. Generally speaking you will need the camera lens fairly close to the foremost tank and your light source behind the front element of the lens.
NB
when preparing the small tank you will have to let the water reach ambient temp and possibly dislodge any bubbles before you start taking any photos.. May all sound a bit complicated at first but really it is quite easy.
When you have mastered this you may want to consider dark ground illumination when photographing various larvae, that is a whole new venture but again it doesn't have to be too tricky!!
Hope this helps
Jon

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Jon

WW one of the best tips I had was to construct a small "tank" that was about only 2-3cm thick, the height and width you can make to suit yourself. Then behind this put another tank of any dimension it doesn't really matter. In the small front tank put filtered pond water, so it is"clean". The rear tank may contain slightly clouded water along with plants and goodness knows what else. To photograph your subject put it in the small tank with the bigger tank directly behind, i.e. immediately behind to ensure no reflections etc.
When photographing your subject you may require flash used from above or the side but trial and error will show you how to avoid reflections. Generally speaking you will need the camera lens fairly close to the foremost tank and your light source behind the front element of the lens.
NB
when preparing the small tank you will have to let the water reach ambient temp and possibly dislodge any bubbles before you start taking any photos.. May all sound a bit complicated at first but really it is quite easy.
When you have mastered this you may want to consider dark ground illumination when photographing various larvae, that is a whole new venture but again it doesn't have to be too tricky!!
Hope this helps
Jon

That sounds a really good idea Jon. My only problem would be where to get tanks like that, or can you purchase them? Something like that would be great when I'm field teaching.I think I'll have a google and put the idea to my boss. Perhaps then my employers will foot the bill.
Thanks for that Jon-very helpful and it's got me thinking.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

That sounds a really good idea Jon. My only problem would be where to get tanks like that, or can you purchase them? Something like that would be great when I'm field teaching.I think I'll have a google and put the idea to my boss. Perhaps then my employers will foot the bill.
Thanks for that Jon-very helpful and it's got me thinking.

WW
I think there are commercially available kits for tank construction. Try pet shops or aquarist's supplies?
I used to work in a pathology laboratory in years gone by and I constructed a small tank out of pieces of glass that were intented for examination of slices of brain. The glass was quite thin as it was intended for microscopy, I am guessing about 3mm thick and the size would have been anthing up to about - (not sure it was a long time ago!) say one hemisphere of a brain if that helps! ?? 20x15cm or so. The glue or sealant used was a bit like a transparent bath sealant The important thing was to make sure all surfaces were very clean and well rinsed free of detergent before filling with the pond water. (The rear tank of course does not have to be quite so clean) Good luck!
Jon

[nightshade]

I made up some tiny(various sizes)tanks some with plate glass from bathroom shelves and many more from glass off cuts I got from a fish tank maker and a local glass cutter
these were easily glued together with Dow Corning Aquaria sealant 2939207 (£6)
and can be made for specific jobs,so that your subject cannot swim too far away
Obviously you must be aware of oxygen levels for Fish etc. and not keep them in small
quantities of water for too long

[richardkm]

for some pics of newts that I needed for a magazine article, I bought a small tank from the local aquarium shop, then made a painted background that would slide vertically into the tank. As the newt came to the front of the tank, I slid the background down to restrict the distance away from the camera that the newt could swim. I lit from above, if I remember correctly.

[Wild-Woman]

That's a really nice capture. Did you use flitered pond water so the murkiness wasn't there?

[richardkm]

No, I used filtered tap water. I have a activated charcoal filter system in my darkroom water supply. I transported the newt from a friend's pond to home and took the photos there, then returned the newt all in a few hours.

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by richardkm

No, I used filtered tap water. I have a activated charcoal filter system in my darkroom water supply. I transported the newt from a friend's pond to home and took the photos there, then returned the newt all in a few hours.

Ah right. Well it paid off because it's nice to see the newt's detail without the debris.
Have you tried that system with invertebrates?