How do you take a photograph if the subject is behind a tranparent glass
 

I find it difficult to take a pic if the subject is behind a glass(e.g.like a fish in a fish tank).I find the the subject has too much glare(i know it is a silly one but having difficulty while taking a pic's of my Fish in my practice.).I am using a Kowa T.D.1 and the distance i am taking it is about 20feet it works well for other subjects but not behind a glass.::confused: :o .Has any one used a Kowa T.D.1 i need to know so many things that i am missing .Thanks guys & girls oh forgot Singhs.(ah).

Hi Manjeet,

I was going to say that you needed to shield the glass from reflections. Then I read the 20 feet away bit !! :eek:

Perhaps a case of posting a pic of the kit you are using may help.

Don

Manjeet the easiest way is to take the fish out of the tank, lay it on a white plate, surround it with a few succulent vegetables to add contrast and interest. You will also find that the fish while laying there might get a little frown on its head thinking its going into the oven, a few kind words of reassurance should dismiss this thought and it will be happy with the new surroundings for a little while. Do remember to keep dipping it back in the tank to bring out the sheen on its scales. Ha! Ha!

Manjeet,why do you have to be 20ft away,not Pirahanas(misspelt,me thinks)are they!!!.I take bird shots through a window,and the camera lens is as close to the glass as poss.I have read that one should rest the shade of the lens agains't the glass to avoid glare etc.

The problem is that if i get any closer the image dosnt come in the L.C.D or the view finder.I tried without zoom but the reflaction was too much.I dont have filters(a back water town-i plan to go to Kuala Lumpor next sunday i hope i can find some.).Will try again and see what happens then will attach the pic's in my reply.Thanks.:) Don hoey i will post a pic's of my T.D.1 soon-i hope it will help.Thanks.

Would love to do that and almost tried but then felt that will be too much of a temptation for me- may decide to eat it-it wgs about 2.5kg(ah):D

That's certainly the way I used to do it using 35 mm.

Hi Manjeet,
Your post first made me think you were having a laugh on us, and the various replies "seemed" to indicate that; especially with the 20 feet bit!
Then I thought TDI =Turbo Diesel Injection (car), and then I thought pet "Jaws" in tank, stand well back.Then I thought, no such thing as a silly question, only a silly answer.So I went google, typed in "kowa TDI", and what a supprise I got.Please all look, especially Andy Bright and let us know what you think???
regards Subzero.

Looking at the TD1 I would have thought you would have to be in the next state to get any photo's, 1350 max zoom wow thats long.

That certainly is some scope. Andy would not need to get out of bed for his aircraft shots with that one. :D

Gives new meaning to long range photography. :)

Don

To help those on a dial up connection here is a link http://www.kowa-usa.com/sporting_opt...uct_ss_td1.php

Don

Good for digiscoping,the scope has a built in camera?,am I correct,here Manjeet.
Yes,Andy,please give us your views on this.Do I recall a thread on BF,quite some time ago,where this was mentioned.Could this be the answer to a digiscopers dream,or would it be placed in the same category as bins/cam combo?.
Manjeet can quite see why you now need to be 20ft away from your tanks,have you not a compact cam you could use,which has a zoom facility?.

Manjeet,have you any photos/shots you have already taken with this set up?.It would be very interesting to see one?

Oh i love jokes but this time the joke is on me-Kowa T.D1-yes so many things are written in the guide book 3/4 i dont understand(idiot in cameras+scope)i have asked in the birdforum about how to understand the Kowa T.D.1 but either they think i am joking(ah) or they dont have the time to reply to me a diapper birder or photography.At least you saw Subzero what i am talking about.Thanks guy waiting for reply.:)

Christine all my pics in the gallery B.F. and WPF are taken by this camera-you see i am a fumbling goof with mechanical things-so waited were every thing(scope+camera were married i guess-it gives lovely pics)check my my galleryB.F or here in WPF.It has so many features more i am only using 25% -because i dont know howE.G-it can take 6shot at ine time and show you the best picture on the L.C.d. screen.Look i am going to print the guide book(they parts that are needed and try to E-mail to you or Andy if he has the time.My best pic's i think is -i am going to try the attachment.With this camera +scope-i hardly use my bins because i stand 500feet away and set it up and scane the area for birds-believe me it takes make a30mins to spot a movement and i zoom in the bird is quite clear but if i take a shot the pic is small but still clear.The best shot i find from25 feet 50feet-all details are quite clear.This laughing thrush-2o to 25 feet(the closer you are the bigger the pics.On the tripod and using the remote there hardly any shakes.But may be the experts can burrow one and see for us-i am sure Kowa will be happy to lend one to Andy.Rest my case 20feet to shot my fish pics.(ah).Waiting for reply.P.S. i had asked about the use of Kowa scope in Andy's thread but i never got a reply -i think andy and the rest were quite busy.So stumbled,slipped and fumbled my way to photographing birds etc. but loved every minute of it.Thanks waiting for replies.Thanks.(p.s.-Mf-20meters or less-auto doesnt work and 20meters or more A.F.works well .I find the M.F. easier to use because when the bird is almost ready to fly-auto focus takes time,while manual i can take a shot usualy before it flies away -80% of the time.)

It looks to be an impressive piece of kit for bird photography Manjeet.

I have just looked at the PDF specs from the link I posted. I'm afraid I still don't have an answer for taking you fish pictures with it though. I have saved the PDF to my computer to help in answering any other questions though.

Don

Thinking about this Manjeet, I think you need to see where the reflections on the glass are coming from when you view the fish tank from the scope position. You may then be able to mask those reflections with card.

When I am doing flash I quite often use card to prevent light falling on parts of the subject.

Is it possible to get a pic of the whole tank at minimum magnification that might give a bit of an idea of your problem ?

Don

Well i am going to try when there are no patients in the practice.I had a heavy day.Please keep looking to see how i can improve my photography with this Monster(loveble off cause).Thanks.:) :D

Manjeet,
When we took images of fish in tanks,we did the following, which may/may not be of use as a starter for you.
Clean inside and outside of the glass panel that you are going take image through.Get a piece of clear glass that is almost same size as the end panel you are going to shoot through.This piece glass is so that you can "contain" the fish within a "narrow band" and maintain a constant focus on it.You will need one/two flash units of low to medium power ie not one which turns night into day(unless power can be turned down).Try one at front above the fish (right up against the glass) at about 30deg to the glass and if required the other from the side.Do not worry too much at this stage about reflections, lets see if you can at least get an image and then see where the reflections are coming from.Try to avoid areas of the tanks where the airation pipes etc are, and allow the fish to settle otherwise it may churn up loads of sediment from the tank bottom.Don Hoey maybe able to advise you on how to trigger the flash from 20 feet.
What sort of fish is it anyway?
regards subzero

Good Thrush image,Manjeet.Very close up.Keep practising.

I will try your suggestion and the fish is a Silver Arowana.(had it for 2yrs-love it.):)

Subzero and Dan -i have taken 2 pics of the fish-2 i have reduced it to 800x600(no croping or photo base).The distance is 18 feet without zoom(if i go back more the pic is lost) 1st. pics taken at 22feet and zoomed about a foot(pic enlarged and brought forward by zoom a foot)-croped to 1635x1201 and passed through photobase done every thing but no tint(shsrping etc.)then resized to 800x600.(uploading now.)

Manjeet,
Very well done, a good effort considering the technical problems.Of the two images, the 2nd image of the fish appears sharper and in both cases the background appears to be a bit sharper than the fish.This could be for several reasons.
a) The fish is moving/or has move during exposure.
b) You were not accurately focused on the fish.
c) You maybe at the near focus limit of your equipement, ie it might might appear in focus when it really is just a bit out.

Did you manage to constrain the fish as suggested or use other means?

Suggest that you suspend a "piece" of something about 4" square with very legible writing /numbers on it and try focusing on that and also take a few pics. The results should eliminate if it was movement of the fish, and should also show up any inaccuracies in your focusing or whether you are at the limit of your equipments auto focus/manual focus etc.
But don't give up you are nearly there.
regards Subzero.

Thank you will try-can i hang one of my patients instead who is a pain in the behi...please.:D

Good try,Manjeet,not an easy subject.Perhaps the lighting in the fish tank is not helping.Or could you not try with the room dark and the fish tank lit up?.

Will try and let you know.Sorry for the trouble.Have P.M. you please check .Regards.:D

The best suggestions I've got (apart from a nice new digital slr!) would be to increase the power of the lighting above the tank but further from the scope /camera than the glass, if you see what I mean, and then turn all the room lights off which should more or less cut out the reflections. The trouble with flash with the set up mentioned is that I don't think it will have any method of synchronising the flash with the shutter. Use a glass "cage" to constrict the movement of the fish. Hope this helps. Mike

Mike thank you for the suggestion-will try as for a new camera-it's not the cash but Time-being a healer i hardly get time when i do i have to split it between my family and birding-so have been juggling it well.Lets see how and what i can do.Thanks.Regards.:)

Any luck with a photo of the fish yet Manjeet.

Where can i find one of these bits of kit in the U.k?

If you mean the 'scope with the built in camera I have seen one advertised at www.anglia-cameras.co.uk which is a shop in Ipswich.

THis is what ikowa T.D.1 looks like ollieholmes-i am still trying to take the pics of my fish-when i get a good one i will attach it for comments.I didnt kmow how to clean the lens but called proff. photographer(friend of mine) who showed me how to clean the lens.He even hasnt seen the camera and scope ah and said Dr.Manjeet best of luck to you with the camera-you have to learn your self .Well i am learning how by taking lots of pics.Thank you all will keep trying tell i get my fish-it is realy beautiful when seen .:)

Hi Doc
It's easy to take a picture of your fish with that "monster" -- just send the camrea over to the UK and we will take the photo from here!!

Ian

Ian-i may have to do that-i wish one of you could at least use it for sometime and could tell me what and how to improve in it's use.-sometimes wishs do come true(ah)>Regards.:) :D

Hi Manjeet:

I've used circular polariser, however, they worked extremely well when I shot from above the water. But when I shot at Miami Sea Aquarium, some pictures came out very good and some came with reflections. This could be due to the angle at which I shot through the glass.

Though using a circular polariser limits your exposure and you will need to open up the lens for proper exposure.
Hope that helps.

Thank you talluriani-will also try that but till now most of the test done shows reflactions-in most of them-may have to take out the fish and take a shot(next aquarium washing day-ah)Regards.Thank you again.:)