206 GOLDFISH VARIETIES AND 
PHOTOGRAPHING FISHES 
Achievements of modern photography have done much to lessen the 
difficulties of photographing living fish, although a picture good in every 
respect demands all the patience and care at one’s disposal. Exact 
photographic records are extremely interesting to the fancier, valuable 
to the scientist and form the only certain basis for noting the changes in 
the fancy breeds of goldfish. 
A high-grade lens that will work at F 6 or better and a shutter that 
will give an exposure of 1-25 second should be used. Sufficient length 
of bellows is needed so that the fish may be photographed about two- 
thirds life size. Sharp negatives can be had in this way and those which 
turn out well can be enlarged. Direct photography at life size is not 
practicable, as the depth of focus and power of the light are very much 
cut down at this close range. The chances of blurring by movement are 
greatly increased by attempting to photograph at life size. A photo- 
graphic plate size 5 x 7 is quite satisfactory for photographing goldfish. 
For the most of the tropicals, 4 x 5 is sufficient. The Graflex camera 
is very convenient, allowing one to focus up to the instant of exposure. 
To properly carry out this work a special photographing aquarium 
should be prepared. It should be seven inches deep, seven inches wide 
and two and one-half inches through from front to back. The front 
should be of 1%-inch plate glass. This is important. A white background 
for photographing dark subjects and a black for light ones will be 
needed. A piece of cardboard folded twice and stood on end immediately 
in back of the aquarium will be found to be satisfactory. The back may 
be painted with flat black to serve for the alternate background. If this 
is done the two creases should be stripped with tape so the board will not 
separate when the fold is reversed. To carry out the background effect 
completely, cut a piece of glass the size of the inside bottom of the 
aquarium. Paint one side white and the other black, using either -as 
required. The fish will frequently sink to the bottom, and if the back- 
ground is of the proper color throughout, the photograph can be as well 
miade there as higher in the water. 
A very important item is to have a movable glass partition so that 
the fish may be forced near the front glass and thus kept in focus. Thin 
brass forms to snap on either top end of the aquarium and leaving 
notches filed to held glass partition in position will be found most 
convenient. 
