Jellyfish Critique

[SLPhotography]

Looking for some critique on this photo from the National Aquarium.


DSC_0129.JPG by SethLaidacker, on Flickr

 

[Braineack]

really neat. i just wish the forwad most "fish" was the one in focus.

 

[jenko]

They are just so interesting and otherworldly.

What sort of challenges did you have shooting at the aquarium? I have shot at a few and they can be tough places to get a decent shot. Dirty glass, very low lighting, moving subjects, crowds of people, etc.

Nice job.

 

[D-B-J]

really neat. i just wish the forwad most "fish" was the one in focus.

The bell, in case you were curious.

To the OP, it's not bad. A more side-on shot may have helped, and the wb seems a touch yellow, and there seems to be a bit of blur. But, I've tried to shoot in an aquarium and know how hard it is, so, given the conditions, it's not too shabby.

Best,
Jake

 

[Gavjenks]

Agreed, WB seems too yellow, and the composition is a bit confusing as to their anatomy, etc. But pretty good!! Interesting.

@Jenko, one solution to all three of the first problems you mention is a very fast aperture. Throws the dirt on the glass really out of focus so that it may as well not exist (except for lowering your contrast effectively), deals with low light, allows faster shutter speeds for moving subjects. A 50mm 1.4 would be super useful in a place like this.

 

[kathyt]

It is okay. You needed a faster SS to capture the motion.

 

[SLPhotography]

They are just so interesting and otherworldly.

What sort of challenges did you have shooting at the aquarium? I have shot at a few and they can be tough places to get a decent shot. Dirty glass, very low lighting, moving subjects, crowds of people, etc.

Nice job.

The main challenges were everything you mentioned, and then the way the glass refracts light. In many cases, I had to have the camera at the perfect angle to get something even decent. I used a lens hood for some, which made it easier to capture light from inside the tanks. Thanks!

Thanks everyone! It seems many others have experienced the difficulties of shooting in aquariums.

 

[TreeofLifeStairs]

I'm not so sure it's really a WB issue. It's been my experience that aquariums light their jelly fish tanks with lights that are other than white. Now I know WB is to correct for light that is not white but if the tank is intentionally lit with colorful lighting who knows what is actually the correct color of something like a jellyfish.

 

[Gavjenks]

I'm not so sure it's really a WB issue. It's been my experience that aquariums light their jelly fish tanks with lights that are other than white. Now I know WB is to correct for light that is not white but if the tank is intentionally lit with colorful lighting who knows what is actually the correct color of something like a jellyfish.

It's more that the water looks weird that makes me think that. I have no idea what a jellyfish is supposed to look like colorwise.
But I suppose yes, one could say they wanted an accurate depiction of the aquarium experience.

You could probably take a photo of a card using only aquarium tank light. Then if they have a tank somewhere lit from above with white light like one of those big glass atrium dolphin above-and-below things for shows, grab a card with the light there too through the water. Compare the tones of the two shots later to get an idea of the jellyfish tank coloring? I don't know if that would work like I am thinking it should. Probably not worth it - adjust to whatever looks pretty to your eye and call it a day.