help needed to take picture
- Thread starter demifelix
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I would try some filters like JDavid (Josh) posted to balance out the blue/white. I have a bear of a time trying to take photos with my radium bulbs (frag tank) whereas the 14k phoenix bulbs on DT are way too easy.
What is the color temp of those bulbs? Shouldn't need the filter unless the bulb has a heavy blue temp. The "glow" we get from the blues is actually a bit of an optical illusion for humans so the camera doesn't see it that way. The filters help to capture that. Phone, compact camera, or DSLR? if you're lights are in the 10k+ range you want to make sure you set the white balance prior to shooting.
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20k... Pretty blue
It's not a dslr, but it's a decent camera. The Samsung S3 gives the worse pic then my camera. I just have no idea whatsoever about all the white balancing and settings for a good pic. I basically take granted all the features that come with the camera. I think if I know some basic photography thing I should be able to mess around with this.
You were right on Tony. With bulbs at 20k you need a yellow or yellow/orange filter to offset the blue and give the "pop" that the human brain sees. You have to play with the actual filter color to get the right compensation to try and get "true" colors. I just use a selection of fairly inexpensive plastic filters, but it gives me a range of colors. I tried a filter that was specifically made for underwater photography, but I found the color too dense and they made it hard to get a good exposure.
Tony's advice was good. A 20K bulb is on the blue side so you need to compensate for that with a yellow filter. Filter doesn't have to be expensive or fancy, if you have a piece of yellow cellophane you can even use that to test. Make sure the flash is off. Keep in mind that the camera is actually giving you exactly what is there - but the blue lights trick our brain. The camera doesn't get tricked so it records exactly what is there. The yellow filter helps trick the camera.
Above he stated he didn't "get" or understand the white balance. I'm guessing to set and focus using a 100% white object, then go to tank to shoo, but I know nothing!
Let's hear the details to get the "white balanced" please!
Sorry for being brief. At work and couldn't text full details.
White balance - can be manual or automatic. On auto, it can be corrected later using photoshop or Lightroom.
For manual - can also be corrected during post processing but for those who don't know how to, here is what you do. Add a white plate or object under your lighting. Take a picture of it. This image will be the basis for your white balance. Go into your camera setting and choose manual. You will then choose Preset manual. Select Use photo. Choose the photo you took of the white object. Then start taking photos.
I would recommend going to YouTube and watching a few video on Apenture priority, iso, white balance, speed priority, and post processing. It's a good thing to learn. That's how I started. I am still a beginner IMO but I have come a long way. I will try to post some of thr videos I used when I started once I get home.
Not sure if this would work for MH but here goes. For LED's I had a horrible time taking good pics too. A tip I read that worked really well if your camera has a custom white balance settings is to get a coffee filter and sandwich it between your lens and aquarium glass. Then set your custom white balance. Remove the coffee filter and take your pics.
This worked extremely well with my wife's Pentax DSLR a couple of years ago and let me take true to my eyes pictures.
