Photographing koi is a challenging task unless you know what you’re doing. Lighting, weather and technical considerations all affect your end results. Whether you want to document your hobby or frame some prints for your wall, these expert tips will help you improve your photography skills.

Proper Equipment
The first step in quality koi and pond photography is proper equipment.
“As in any photography, the best equipment you can afford will give you the best pictures of your koi,” says Jean Fogle, a freelance photographer based in Virginia. You don’t need to break the bank to achieve beautiful pictures of your koi pond, however.

“For most hobbyists, digital cameras will be the best bet for photographing koi,” Fogle says. “With the ability to look at the photo you just took, you can adjust white balance or film speed for better photos.”

Another viable option is a 35 mm camera, either automatic or manual. Each hobbyist must make the best selection for his or her goals and needs.

“I recommend a SLR (single-lens reflex) camera with interchangeable lenses,” says John Tyson, a professional photographer with Natural Focus in Eustis, Fla. “Point-and-shoot cameras can take some excellent images, but I like being able to use different lenses for zooming in on head shots or from the far end of the pond, or wide angle lenses for photographing the koi in the entire environment with a lily pad in the foreground.”

Film speed is also an important aspect of photographing your koi. The slower, the better.

“Slow speed film, such as 100 speed, or a low exposure setting on digital cameras is best,” says Larry Maupin, a professional photographer with Maupin Photography in Dallas.

Use a tripod to hold your camera steady. Prices range from under $20 up to the hundreds, so you’re sure to find the best fit for your financial and photographic needs.

"This extra piece of equipment will help your pictures appear sharper," says Debbie Dineen, a professional photographer for 15 years with Longshots in Sudbury, Mass.

“Any slight amount the camera shakes will show up when you enlarge your picture,” she says.

Filtering out the glare from shimmering water is also a big concern.

“Try to use a polarizing filter—a piece of glass that screws on the front of your lens,” Dineen says. “As you turn the glass it filters out reflection and saturates colors better.”

“I always use a polarizing filter on my camera lens to cut back on water glare and the shiny glare on the fish,” Tyson says.

Both Dineen and Tyson warn that the filter will make your pictures darker, but you can adjust the SLR camera’s meter reading and add light to the exposure, or take one picture with the filter and one without on your digital camera to see what works best for that day and time.

Master Your Technique
Now that you have your equipment and know its capabilities, it’s time to work on technique. Because you’re working with an outdoor subject, the weather is of paramount importance.

“The best conditions are calm days that are overcast,” Dineen says.
Calm weather keeps water from rippling, which would make it hard to see the fish and can blur the plants. Moving water also distorts the fish and causes them to appear lumpy. An overcast environment provides even light. If it’s too dark, you will lose detail; if it’s too light, your photos will be washed out.

To showcase your pond and fish in the best way possible, you must know what your focal point is for the picture. Do you want to capture the fish, a feature around the pond, a waterfall? Look at your pond and ask yourself, “What is my center of interest?”

“Make sure there are steps in your picture that lead the viewer to the main element,” Dineen says. “You’ll want a foreground interest, middle-zone interest and rear-zone interest. Lead people through everything that makes up your pond.”
When shooting on a sunny day, put the sun behind you. Tyson recommends walking around your pond to see the different reflections and water clarity.

“Also try shooting from different angles,” he says. “Koi will not pose for you, so you need to be ready and keep shooting.”

Try baiting your fish to the surface. Dineen  desensitized her fish to the camera flash by feeding them a bit after each shot. Now they associate her camera with getting a treat and they swim over to her after seeing the first flash. Baiting is also the easiest way to get a shot with multiple koi.

Not surprisingly, practice is the best way to improve your koi photography.
“Go into taking pond pictures with an open mind, and experiment to find out how to get what you want,” Dineen says.

Koi photography will not only provide you with ever-improving photos of your fish and pond, but it gives you a great opportunity to really get to know your fish, so make it a fun and enjoyable experience.