Class Schedule

The course will be held at 4:30 to 6:30pm (Pacific Time) / 7:30-9:30 EST and operate weekly starting approximately July 11th.

Topics

Cameras and Photographic Equipment

You don’t need lots of specialized equipment to capture stunning aquarium photographs, but we will discuss the best cameras and other photography equipment available for you to use.

Digital Imaging - Part 1

DPI, .JPG, ICC, .TIF, .NEF, RGB, PPI, .PSD, pica, pixel, resample, interpolate…what does it all mean? And, why should you care? What type of file formats work best for different situations ? What about resolution? Find out everything you'll need to know to successfully digitally 'process' your images for your aquarium photography course assignments and upload them to your personal, online MACO photo gallery.

Preparing an Aquarium for a Photo Shoot

Much of the work you'll do to ensure the quality of your aquarium photographs happens long before you pick up your camera. We'll look at how to set-up, clean and prepare your aquarium to be 'picture perfect'.

Creative Use of Camera Controls

You can use your camera's exposure, focus and color controls to do more than just take technically 'correct' pictures, you can use them creatively to 'craft' beautiful photographs that convey the image you have in your mind's eye.

Capturing Light

There is more to good pictures than pointing the camera at a pretty subject and pushing the button. Good photographers have an ability to recognize quality light or create it themselves and capture it in their images.

We'll also be looking at how reflections in an aquarium's glass surfaces (the bane of aquarium photographers) are created and how to avoid them.

Digital Imaging - Part 2

Getting back onto the computer, we’ll learn about some additional tools that will help you improve your images and correct problems using digital image editing software.

Composition and Visual Design

Like any form of photography, aquarium photography is no different than any other art form. There are principles of composition and visual design that, when used as a guide, can add impact or feeling, create a dynamic nature, or just generally improve the aesthetics of your photographs.

Aquatic Subject Matter – fish / coral / invertebrates

We'll discuss how to capture images of corals with accurate, vibrant colors and sharp detail. You know you can’t get your fish to pose for the camera, but knowing the behavior and habits of the aquatic inhabitants in your aquarium will really help with the success of your photo-shoots.

Photographing Entire Aquariums

With mixed light sources, reflective surfaces and fast moving subjects, photographing entire aquariums in a room is arguably one of the most technically challenging types of photography. Learn some of the photography and post-production techniques most often utilized to help overcome these challenges.

Macro and Close-up Photography

With just a little different camera equipment and know-how you'll have everything you need for great close-up photography. You too can capture great macro images with fascinating details of the tiny environment that exists in many aquariums.

Photo-Specific Tanks

Are you tired of chasing fish around a huge aquarium, in and out of their hiding spots with your camera in your efforts to get a good photo? Far and away the easiest way to capture compelling portraits of your fish and many other types of aquatic animals is to set up a separate aquarium specifically for your photography project.

Introduction to Lighting Theory

Have you ever wondered why one photo looks okay while another photograph of the same subject is extraordinary? The answer to this question will more often than not be the quality of the light illuminating the image. We'll examine the basics of the physics of light and it's qualities that allow it to make or break an image.

Digital Imaging - Part 3

We'll cover some of the more advanced digital imaging techniques that will really add some punch to your images, while doing some final image editing and file formatting to get your images ready for their final use.

Photo Sharing / Output

Be it printing enlargements of your photos, uploading photos to a photo sharing website, creating a personal gallery, making a slide-show, producing your own photo-book or even getting your photo onto an actual United States Postal Service postage stamp; there is a multitude of things that you can do with your aquarium photos, other than taking up space on your computer's hard drive.