Koi from Japanes Garden and reptiles

[Chaoslillith]

Hello all,

This is my first posting here and would like some feedback. My housemate and I own a reptile breeding business so I started taking pics for it (www.chaoticnightsreptle.com). We went to a Japanese Garden and I took about 270 pics. Here are some of my favorites. Any feedback would be appreciated. I used the burst setting a lot for the fish.

I do have a specific question as well. How do you get rid of grainy texture? My noise is low and I have been changing the aperture and shutter setting but sometimes when I take pics of the reptiles in tanks I get a really grainy noicy pic. I will post a pic like that later as I am running a bit late and have to find one.

[windrider86]

It might help if you post your camera (exif) settings

[Chip]

Welcome to DPS. This is a great place to learn.

If you haven't done it already, please take a look at the rules for this section, which are stickied at the top of the main page. It will tell you things like 1 post per thread, that we need to see your EXIF data, etc.

For your shots, were these taken late or early in the day? I ask because the light seems to be coming in hard from the side, which makes for uneven exposures. I know it's not normal to suggest this, but shooting more around noon or so could make your lighting easier, and therefore make the photos more evenly exposed. (If I'm off base here, I'm sure someone will correct me.)

A circular polarizing filter would help, too. Among other things, it reduces reflections and actually helps you see more of what's underwater.

[Chaoslillith]

For my settings the reason I did not post them is because I honestly kept changing them with the various shots and I did not write them down. I will be doing that going forward.

I took these this last weekend around 1pm. The light here in AZ in winter is very weak yet glary if that makes sense. It's bright but not hot...

I have a LumixDMC-FZ8 camera though.

What I am looking for at the moment is if you think they are over exposed, under exposed etc. As far as the water, I doubt even a polarizing filter would help as the water was very murky in quality. I had on polarized sunglasses and it was still murky.

Thanks for your reply.


Here is the link to the pics I selected to go on Photobucket if you are interested.

http://s161.photobucket.com/albums/t...nese%20Garden/

[windrider86]

You dont have to write them down!! The great thing is that information is saved within your image right there on your computer. You can left click on your image and go under properties. If that doesnt tell you then you can usually look in your processing software and look under image information. You can usually find it there and will look something like this:
Camera: Olympus E-520
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/4.9
Focal Length: 49 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Auto, Did not fire

[Chaoslillith]

Now that is a handy bit of information.

So for the picture that is posted:

f/5.6
Exposure time 1/250
ISO 100
Focal length 30mm
No flash
Exposure bias 0 step

That is pretty darn cool!! Thanks. My brother was telling me that all that was saved in the picture but I did not know how to access it.

[kgb224]

Welcome at DPS.Wonderful picture captured by you.

[Chaoslillith]

Thanks for the compliment!!