Photography questions DSLR

[twhit030]

Hello all! Been reefing for a super long time and always had nice tanks but no real way to take quality photos of them other than using my iPhone 13 Pro with an orange lens finally I decided to upgrade to a DSLR camera. I got a rebel T6 from Canon and realized it wasn’t just quite doing the job from some of the photos that I have seen so I upgraded one more time and got a Canon 90D. And of course, with that I had to buy a 100 mm macro lens 2.8f with all the other randoms numbers and letter idk. There’s not a ton of videos on YouTube that I have seen but I have come across a couple good ones that use Adobe Lightroom for editing.

I have spent countless hours tweaking in settings trying to find the perfect combination I still, however I’m not able to get a great photo under these blue lights. Everything is so dark even after doing the tips that these videos say so recently I bought an orange number 16 filter and attached it to my lens and started taking pictures but now everything is way too orange.

Is there any chance someone can help me with some settings or some editing in either Lightroom or on my camera itself? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[betareef]

There is no real way to compensate for lack of light when taking a photograph.

In dim light, you need to use a high ISO setting, and despite what manufacturers like to make you think, high ISO means the picture will be noisy and grainy.

The only alternative is a long exposure, and then any movement, by you, or by the things you photograph, will result in blurriness. You would need to use a tripod and turn off all water flow. Even then, fish will be blurry.

I use an 80D. Most of the time a flash is necessary, so you might as well use white light in the tank.

These were with a 60mm macro lens

 

[twhit030]

There is no real way to compensate for lack of light when taking a photograph.

In dim light, you need to use a high ISO setting, and despite what manufacturers like to make you think, high ISO means the picture will be noisy and grainy.

The only alternative is a long exposure, and then any movement, by you, or by the things you photograph, will result in blurriness. You would need to use a tripod and turn off all water flow. Even then, fish will be blurry.

I use an 80D. Most of the time a flash is necessary, so you might as well use white light in the tank.

These were with a 60mm macro lens

So these were with my rebel t6 and I’m fairly happy with them now realizing how much better the 90d is. I do really love these pictures but just so much blue. You see so many pictures that the coral or fish pop like crazy and the background is faded blurred and fairly dark. But yet it seems everything in the front is bright if that makes sense.

 

[twhit030]

There is no real way to compensate for lack of light when taking a photograph.

In dim light, you need to use a high ISO setting, and despite what manufacturers like to make you think, high ISO means the picture will be noisy and grainy.

The only alternative is a long exposure, and then any movement, by you, or by the things you photograph, will result in blurriness. You would need to use a tripod and turn off all water flow. Even then, fish will be blurry.

I use an 80D. Most of the time a flash is necessary, so you might as well use white light in the tank.

These were with a 60mm macro lens

These are with my 90d def clearer photos and slightly less blue but it’s still strong. Well it’s only letting upload the one because the others are too large

 

[twhit030]

I know anyone can go on google and find crazy photos but like this photo here is insane to me I don’t really see how they make the fish pop so easily no blues and a nice deep background that still has color idk if it’s the aperture or what

(Not my photo btw I’m not taking credit)

 

[betareef]

I do really love these pictures but just so much blue.

Colour balance can be edited in many ways. I don't use Lightroom. I use a free (and I think better) program called Darktable.

Your editing seems to have removed EXIF data so I can't see your settings, but there was some noise so I suspect a high ISO. I try to keep it below 800

A quick edit - white balance and noise removal, some sharpening, etc. I left the first one a bit blue, and set the second for correct white balance (approx.)

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

You need to find manual white balance in the settings...white balance is important for making the colors appear how they would in normal daylight. I do it for my dive photography while diving.

 

[betareef]

You need to find manual white balance in the settings...white balance is important for making the colors appear how they would in normal daylight. I do it for my dive photography while diving.

Of course, you can choose to compensate and correct white balance in the camera as you take the photo, or later in post processing, especially if you shoot RAW images. I mostly to do it later

 

[Brymac1]

I know anyone can go on google and find crazy photos but like this photo here is insane to me I don’t really see how they make the fish pop so easily no blues and a nice deep background that still has color idk if it’s the aperture or what

(Not my photo btw I’m not taking credit)

The blown out background is a result of a wide aperture and the subject being sufficiently far away from the background. I personally run my lights very white so I do not have to correct the white balance as much in post.

For example, this photo was taken at f/1.8 which separates the subject (convict tang) from the background (flame angel).

 

[betareef]

The blown out background is a result of a wide aperture and the subject being sufficiently far away from the background. I personally run my lights very white so I do not have to correct the white balance as much in post.

For example, this photo was taken at f/1.8 which separates the subject (convict tang) from the background (flame angel).

With a macro lens, you usually struggle with the opposite effect, and that is, the depth of field is too shallow. See the hermit in my photos above - shot at f/2.8, even the shell is already going out of focus. To get reasonable depth of field and sufficient light into the camera, I end up using f/8 or f/9. The background will still be blurred nicely.

 

[twhit030]

Of course, you can choose to compensate and correct white balance in the camera as you take the photo, or later in post processing, especially if you shoot RAW images. I mostly to do it later

Yeah I shoot all in raw and I might try that.

 

[twhit030]

Colour balance can be edited in many ways. I don't use Lightroom. I use a free (and I think better) program called Darktable.

Your editing seems to have removed EXIF data so I can't see your settings, but there was some noise so I suspect a high ISO. I try to keep it below 800

A quick edit - white balance and noise removal, some sharpening, etc. I left the first one a bit blue, and set the second for correct white balance (approx.)

Woooooow that’s so cool!!! That’s crazy I’ll def look into that editing software. I can see if I can send the photo with the data. That’s after I “developed the photo”

 

[betareef]

Woooooow that’s so cool!!! That’s crazy I’ll def look into that editing software. I can see if I can send the photo with the data. That’s after I “developed the photo”

Lightroom should be able to do the same as well.