Photos using Reefbrite XHO all blue leds with filter

I don't understand how blue LED lit pictures are photographed. I ordered a large sample of "sample" plastic filters to see how photos might turn out. I have been impressed by the Walt Disney photos and videos under all blue LEDS that show all the color on this coral that might otherwise not look so stellar under virtually any other lighting.

My thoughts are that I failed miserably. I really want to be able to photograph under this extreme light but I did not get quite what I had hoped for. I want pictures that ideally would be representative under this lighting, with easily reproducible results. Such that, when anyone who looked at the photo could say, yup that is "blank" coral and that is exactly how the "blank" coral looks under blue leds. Having bright or misrepresented colors is not it.

Anyway, so this is what I tried: I used a top down Avast and placed the filter in the Avast. I found I could not get sharp focus no matter how hard I tried. Also using Lightroom was challenging because the craziness of the colors varies whether top down or from the front, and anyway the colors look crazy which ever way you look at it under Blue LEDS. It was just harder to have a non-biased color correction in Lightroom than what I find with Metal halides and T5's. That may have more to do with the fact that I stare at my corals mainly under the metal halides so I am pretty familiar with their colors under that lighting and not so familiar with how my corals look under reefbrite xho blues (thus leading to some color over or under enhancement ).

So here are a few pictures. If someone has a technique that they are willing to share, I certainly would appreciate it. I like my metal halides and t5's. But more and more, photos are from blue led's, some are just all blue and crummy, but some people are able to get amazing photography. I sure would like a primer on blue LED reef photography


Pink Panther Tenuis (it is really unsharp, actually all the pictures to follow are not sharp)

Mango Passion

Z Wonder

RR USA Orange Passion (I am not really sure which of these two is most correct looking under reefbrite xho)

Yellow Eyed Jawdropper

RR Canada Orange Passion

RR USA Pink Floyd

What body, lens and settings are you using? Also did you turn off all pumps/water flow inside the tank?

I'm using a sonynex7 with a kit lens 18-55, white balance either custom or automatic(I've done both), I usually am speed controlled 1\60, IS0 100-800 depending. I can get pretty darn good focus with this set up under t5 or metal halide but not xho blue. I never turn off pumps but it is not polyp movement that I am concerned with rather acro body focus. Perhaps the dark field is making sharp focus difficult

I don't know many photographers that can hand hold 1/60th of a second shutter speed with water moving. Water moving will cause refraction of light which will cause bluryness. Just like if your subject moved.
I'd turn off all water movement up the shutter speed or use a tripod.

I think your pictures look great the way it is. Looks soo nice. 😎 Job well done!

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Since I am a photographer I'll chime in. With any picture even diffuse d lighting is very important first step of getting it right. Meter and under Expose the brightest part of the coral by 1/2 stop either bring up shutter speed from 60 to 1/160 sec that's about half stop down. Set your dof for narrow (bigger f number) 5.6 good starting point. Depend on the gel filter you use usually the amber filter color I would adjust my wb to 4200k and adjust there don't be afraid to raise your iso 1600 is a good starting point. Try to manual focus.
Color correct in post to lr or ps

Nice!


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Shot under blue

Each of your pictures is spectacular