When someone trys to sell a coral on a reefing forum such as Socalireefs.com or Reef2Reef.com there are many aspects that can either make or break the deal. People looking to buy your corals look for certain aspects to comfort them in there purchase. Most people get the basics when posting there selection...Sort of the "who, when, where, why" aspect of posting online. Most people get the name of the coral, either common or scientific, they get the price, location and so on. However, many people forget that when they are posting online to such a large audience, people may not know what a specific coral looks like. This is where literally a picture can equal 1,000 words or more!
When I look at buying livestock for my own aquarium. One of the first things I ask myself is "do they have pictures posted of the specific coral in question?" If they do then the picture can actually provide much more information than just what it looks like. From that picture, you should be able to tell: if the coral is healthy, is it growing, what is the actual size you will recieve? and so on.
The amount of information a picture can give you is amazing. The problem is, some people post pictures that don't do corals justice. So. what makes a good picture great? And what can you do to make a coral shine in the light as it does in the wild?
In the picture (left) you can see that it is totally out of focus and the color
rendition is not the greatest. This would be a bad photo to publish when trying to sell this coral as the buyer can not really get a good grasp of what the coral looks like other than its type, Acan. Lordhowensis. What it is missing is the size of the coral, how many heads, what type of lighting is it under etc...
This picture (Right) is a great example of a coral that a person looking to sell this piece would want to post. It shows the amazing colors of the piece as well as the size and what type of lighting it is under. Despite the fact that this is actual a picture I took of my Rainbow chalice 
and it is a choice coral. Someone looking through the "for sale" forums who didn't know what it was, would probably inquire as to price and availablity just on the picture alone. So, the biggest question I get is. How do I make my pictures appeal to the buyer? And the answer to that is quite simplistic. Make your pictures better. But how?
Most people think that you need a super expensive camera in order to get amazing shots of your corals. The fact is this is not one hundred percent accurate. It is possible to get great shots with out expensive equipment, using just a little fundamental knowledge and a basic point and shoot camera. As I go further and further in detail, you will begin to understand the fundamentals need to insure your shot comes out. A rule of thumb is: for every ten photos you take only one photo will come out the way you want it to. When I shoot my reef, I have this mindset.
One of the most stubborn problems to get rid of is what is known as camera shake. Naturally our bodies pulse and pump, usually due to our heart beat and the blood surging through our bodies. Unfortunately, this little aspect along with muscle fatigue and patience can combine for a frustrating time behind the lens. To combat this slight problem, you can either get creative or you can get simple. The simple solution is to purchase a tripod to mount the camera on. Though this doesn't always solve the problem it will help you eliminate most of the blurriness due to shaking. Tripods can range in price from about $20.00 up to a couple hundred depending upon what features you are looking for. For the basic reef scape photographer I would recommend getting something in the $50 - $100 range.
As for the creative side there are a couple of options that you can do utilize to help stop camera shake while trying to focus on a specific subject. The first and usually the easiest is to try and lean up against something, a wall, a chair, the tank itself. This will dramatically reduce the amount of camera shake that you experience while taking the picture. For another option you can consider getting something to set the camera down on. Maybe a ladder, or the kitchen table, or a chair, the problem then becomes well if it is just sitting there how do I depress the shutter button? Most newer digital cameras come with a timer setting, you can use the time delayed shutter release to make sure the camera is set on what you want and then set the timer and sit back and watch. It might take a little bit to get down, but it definitely has the potential to provide brilliant pictures.
In the picture below you will notice that it is fairly dark and a little blurry. The blurriness is caused by me holding the camera by hand, instead of mounting it on a tripod. The picture appears too dark, because the exposure and white balance settings are off based on the amount of lighting and
Kelvin Temperature of the lighting the coral is under. Always remember to take some test shots of your reef to get your settings down.
Stay tuned for more on reef photography, coming soon!
