Please Help I Want Great Pics TOO!!

[Beal09]

Ok, I know you guys can help me. I have a Fujifilm FinePix A303 digital (not the best camera...but hey it works for me), I don't know a whole lot about adjusting the settings and I do have the manual. My question is how do you guys get those neon colors in your coral, polyps, clams, etc. I've tried everything and can't get the neon colors that I see in so many of your pictures. Can I do this with my camera? If so how? And any other advice on how to take great close up pics of my tank? Thanks Everyone for any help/advice they may be able to give me...Specifically what levels should I use (ie shutter speed, EV, white balance, etc).

[kwjones]

A lot has to do with the tank lighting...Actinics make everything glow.

A few tips...
1. Use a tripod if possible. Helps to keep your pics shake free, especially helpful for macro photography. A remote timer will help even more.
2. Turn out all the lights in the room.
3. Clean the glass. Your auto focus can pick up on things you don't want it to.
4. Play around with your white balance settings and try to get as close as possible to "true to life colors".
5. If you can, get Photoshop and learn some of the post processing steps.

[Beal09]

Great! Thanks a lot...I am very proficient in photoshop as well as some other image editing software. I will try that, I was mainly curious as to specific settings that most people use with white balance, shutter speed, EV, etc....but the more I think about it, it probably depends largely on light set up, camera, as well as a variety of other variables. I am able to get some really good clear pics with the use of a tripod, but they always seem like they are taken during the day (unless only the actinics are on in which case I just get a blue glow), I mainly wanted to know how to get the bright, vivid, neon colors I see with so many of the clam/coral pics. They seem to be almost blinding because they are so bright, very beautiful though! I can get the good clear pic, but no bright neon colors yet. For example: http://www.thereeftank.com/photopost...cat=503&page=1

Beautiful pic, but are these colors artificial? (in other words are these neon colors simply added in photoshop or are they the natural neon colors of the coral/polyps?). Any advice would be great! Thanks again!!

[Piero]

all you need is actinic lighting, and a tripod. tripod is needed because of longer shutter speeds neeeded for taking pics inder lower light. Good equipment never hurts either, like a DSLR.