The latest mirrorless camera, the EOS M10, with its lightweight and chic design, is popular due to its ease of use even for those who are not proficient with a camera! In this lesson I will share some tips on using the EOS M10 to take beautiful photos at the aquarium, such as how to control brightness and contrast. The Creative Assist function, which explains the resulting effect in an easy-to-understand way that is suitable even for beginners, will let you operate the camera with ease. (Photos by: Takeshi Akaogi, Edited by: Etica)

 

Control the brightness and contrast when shooting in an aquarium

Depending on the water tanks in an aquarium, conditions such as the brightness and colour can differ, resulting in photos that appear brighter or darker, bluer or redder. This poses quite a challenge when choosing to photograph there. However, by using the Creative Assist function that you learned about in Lesson 1  and Lesson 2, even beginners can shoot with ease the kind of photos they envision. 

 

EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM / Creative Assist/ Brightness -5, Contrast +4
Make your shots darker and increase the contrast to draw attention to silhouettes

 

EF-M11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM/ Creative Assist/ Brightness +5, Contrast -4
Increase the brightness and reduce the contrast for a clean, fresh-looking image

 

EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM/ Creative Assist/ Brightness +3, Contrast +3
Increase the brightness and contrast for vivid emphasis on the shapes of the swimming fish

 

> Click below to review how to use Creative Assist!
EOS M10 Lesson 1: Controlling brightness and background blur to enhance your subject
EOS M10 Lesson 2: Controlling contrast and saturation to enhance your subject

 

POINT: Be careful of reflection off the tank and blurring

At an aquarium, there is a tendency for the reflection of the photographer or the lights to show up in the final image. Moreover, because the shutter speed slows down in dark places to compensate for the lack of light, camera shake or subject blurring can occur more easily.

Avoid capturing the reflection of the photographer, the camera, or the lights in your photos
To avoid capturing such things in your photos, the trick is to place your lens right up close to the tank. If you position the lens perpendicular to the tank, it cuts the chances of image distortion, even when shooting through the thick glass of the tank.

Hold your camera firmly to avoid blurring your shots
Tuck your arms closely against your body and support your camera from underneath with your left hand. If you want to stretch out your arms to take shots, pull the strap taut to give your camera stability.

 

Tip: Make use of the Touch Shutter!

Deciding on a composition and taking shots while following a subject that moves quickly in the water, such as a fish or penguin, is an extremely challenging technique for beginners.
On the EOS M10, I recommend deciding on your composition before using the Touch Shutter to capture the subject. The camera will rapidly focus and release the shutter, allowing you to successfully capture your intended subject.

 

Press the Touch Shutter button on the bottom left of the LCD monitor to activate the Touch Shutter mode, which allows you to touch the monitor to focus the camera and take the shot.

 

EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
With the Touch Shutter, it's easier to capture clear shots of moving subjects such as this penguin.

 

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