tips for photographing fish:

Figured I would start this- not only in terms of photographing fish but tanks also.

1- wipe down the glass before you take photos, it sucks to see what a great photo you got to realize it has a huge smudge on the glass in the center!
2 - if you can avoid using flash do it! If not pay attention to where and how your flash reflects.
3 - expect for pictures of the actual fish to take numerous shots to get a couple you like. It's hard to bribe them to sit still!
4- For individual fish shots I tend to do them in the middle of the night when the lights have been off and I turn them back on, fish are calmer then (yeah, I'm the parent that wakes them up for photoshoots)

so that's my start - please add to

kat12 wrote:Figured I would start this- not only in terms of photographing fish but tanks also.  

1- wipe down the glass before you take photos, it sucks to see what a great photo you got to realize it has a huge smudge on the glass in the center!  

Very key!!

kat12 wrote:
2 - if you can avoid using flash do it!   If not pay attention to where and how your flash reflects.  

Not a bad way to start. I often add extra light to a tank for photography going this route. If you use a Point & Shoot with flash angle it to bounce off the glass at an angle, so you don't get the flash in the pic. Or a lot of times I will try to get the fish in an area where the flash is not, and then crop the fish out.

I am not at this point, but what the real experts do it use remote flashes angled down on the fish. The really fancy ones may have some angled up. A lot of photo stuff is really expensive, but remote flashes are pretty reasonable.

kat12 wrote:
3 - expect for pictures of the actual fish to take numerous shots to get a couple you like.   It's hard to bribe them to sit still!

I heard a story about Ansel Adams taking garbage bags full of film roles and ending up with maybe 2 or 3 photos for publication. With lower standards and digital photography the ratio is a better, but the principal applies. I have had many mediocre photos where a decent fish pic can be cropped out of it. Since usually the camera resolution is a lot higher than what you want to post, this can work out very well.

kat12 wrote:
4- For individual fish shots I tend to do them in the middle of the night when the lights have been off and I turn them back on, fish are calmer then (yeah, I'm the parent that wakes them up for photoshoots)

so that's my start - please add to

5. While videos may be tougher to master, they may be the easiest way to start. Most smart phones can take a decent video and keep it short.

6. If you get serious about photography digital SLR is the way to go. Even with the auto-settings you should be able to get good pics. An old digital SLR will get you a lot further than the newest high mega-pixel point and shoot.

totally agree on the SLR - but does take paying more attention to what you are doing also. I can tell a big difference between when I use my cannon vs when I allow my husband to touch it Even going to not full auto can help me on some shots I am trying to get, though complicates it further. I need to get back on the ball of full manual, it's been years.

My video in my other thread is phone video.

before you begin make sure the memory card is in the camera