DAMN, GET ME ANOTHER BEER or HOW I PHOTOGRAPH BETTAS

So, you have this fantastic Betta, the best you hav e ever raised. It's a best of show winner for sure - if it doesn't bite its tail, develop fin rot or suffer some other equally horrible fate.

Under such circumstances, it is only natural to succumb to an overwhelming urge to preserve it for posterity. At the very least, you want to be abl e to brag about it the next few times you meet fellow

Betta nuts - just in case it never wins that best of show trophy (and especially if it does). How to do this? Simple: photograph it.

I have never personally felt such an urge, except when not so subtly encouraged by an unnamed member of my family. Oh well, I really didn't have anything else planned for the evening anyway. Out come the flash units, tripods and camera in anticipation of an exciting evening of watching sulking Bettas through the bottom of a beer glass. A word of advice is in order at this point - never invite friends to a photographic orgy. Because of boredom or aversion to profanity, they invariably leave

before the action begins - but after the supply of liquid refreshments have been depleted.

Once you have decided to take the big step, things get a bit sticky. A multitude of questions arise immediately. What kind of equipment (besides the beer) will you need? Will the old Brownie camera that has lived in the back of the closet since your eldest heir was 18 months old still work? Will the partly used roll of film in it still be any good? What kind of flash bulbs will you need? But don't despair. Brownie really isn't up to the task, the film is the wrong kind, and flash bulbs are too expensive

unless your name is Rockefeller or Vanderbilt.

Let's consider these things one at a time. First, the camera, at the very least you will need one that is adjustable. I use a Pentax and it works well, although less expensive models will do. After all, you have already depleted the family treasury setti ng up the fish room, and a new $500 camera may be just too much, not to mention all the other necessary items.

With regard to the proper lens, the one that comes with the camera (usually about 50mm) will work, but you will need to get close to the tank in order to get a print or slide in which the Betta can be seen without a magnifying glass. The difficulty: mo st likely you have nervous fish. Even if you have established suitable rapport with the little beasts, your head will do an effective job of blocking the light. The solution: Use a lens with a longer focal length (more $$) so that you will be farther from the photo

tank. Many people prefer a 90mm lens, but I regularly use a 135mm lens (because I own one) with good results. This setup enables me to fill the frame with a 4"x6" area when the camera is placed about 5 feet from the tank. With females and small males I use an extension tube in order to get a larger image.

Next, consider the type of film to use. To a certain extent, the choice of film is a matter of taste. Films come in assorted speeds (ASA rating - the faster the film, the higher the ASA number) and are balanced for certain types of light (daylight, photofl oods, flash bulbs, etc.). My choice is a medium speed daylight film such as Kodachrome 64 or Ectachrome X . With most types of flash a really fast film is not necessary; furthermore, slower films tend to produce more pleasing slides and prints. Koda- chrome tends to emphasize warm colors such as red, while Ectachrome gives better rendition to blues and greens. You will need to experiment to determine which you find more pleasing. A final note - after you select the right film, put it in the camera. It's a discouraging note to discover the roll in your coat pocket two days after a photo session.

Finally, light is the most important ingredient of any photo. You will need the right amount of the right kind of light. I have experimented with a number of different light sources - flash bulbs, photofloods, daylight and electronic flash. Flash bulbs are expensive, and daylight alone is probably

inadequate except in the middle of the back yard early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Photofloods are ok if you don't mind boiled Betta and fried brains (yours). The biggest problem is the amount of heat they generate. Two photofloods can raise the temperature of the water in a three-gallon tank by as much as 5 degrees in an hour.

In my opinion, electronic flash wins hands down. One flash unit is all right for starters, two are better and three are ideal. While electronic flash uni ts can be expensive, I have found that inexpensive manual ones are completely adequate for my setup. Pr esently, I use two Kako 818 flash units (recently discontinued - the story of my life), which cost about $20 each. For more information check the May 1977 consumer reports, in which over 40 models are ra ted. The amount of light a flash unit produces is given in terms of a guide number - the higher the number, the more light. Since the unit can be placed close to the tank, a large guide number is not necessary, especially if you use more than one unit.

At this point, assuming you haven't already decided to abort this ill-conceived brainchild, we have considered the basic necessary photographic equipment. All else you need are a few miscellaneous items such as tripods to hold the flash units and camera and extension cords to connect everything together.

If you still think your prizewinner is worth all the trouble and expense, we can move on to consider the setup for actually photographing it. You will need a suitable photo tank and background, and you will have to position flash units and camera properly.

My photo tank is a standard killifish show tank, wh ich is 12" long by 8" high by 6" deep, but any reasonably small aquarium will do. At the front of the tank I place an 8"x6"x2" photocell to hold the Betta to be photographed. A teaser (dither) fish is placed behind. Unless you are turned on by Bettas flaring in weird positions, you will do well to design the photo cell so that the teases cannot get under it or around the ends. This is easy to do by making the back of the photocell from a piece of glass with the same dimensions as the length and height of the larger tank as shown in the sketch. The front can be left open and taped to the front of the larger aquarium. It might be worthwhile to use a V-shaped

photocell so the Betta cannot comfortably sulk on the bottom. Anything you can do (within reason) to increase the action will decrease the amount of time spent staring through the viewfinder of the camera.

The background can make the difference between an ordinary and an outstanding photo. Like the choice of film, choice of background is largely a matter of personal taste. Obviously, the background should eliminate clutter such as electric cords, fishnets and the like. It should be of a color which contrasts with that of the Betta so the fish stands out in the picture. I prefer "natural" colors such as blue, green and light brown, and I usually avoid "unnatural" colors such as pink and yellow.

A mottled background can be quite pleasing if it is placed far enough from the tank (18" or more) so it is out of focus and does not detract from the Betta. A large-leafed plastic plant taped to a piece of construction paper works quite well. It is fair to say the editors of TFH disagree with this statement. They very much prefer a plain background. One suggestion, which I have not yet tried, sounds promising. Take a piece of dark blue construction paper, spray it in horizontal strokes with white paint until the paint star ts to run , let it dry , and place it up side down

behind the tank. The likeness to underwater reflections is said to be remarkable.

Since light is the most important ingredient of any photograph, you should use particular care in positioning the flash units. They should not be placed in line with the tank and camera unless you want

a roll of reflections. This problem is solved by placing one or two units so the light strikes the front of the tank at about a 45-degree angle. If you use a third light , it should be place above and slightly behind

the tank so it is aimed down it the Betta. A third unit so positioned tends to make the fish stand out in sharp relief, giving the picture more of a 3-dimensional effect. This is especially desirable if the fish has clear fins which blend into the background when lighted entirely from the front. When using a light in this position, place a white sheet of paper under the photo tank to get a more natural effect.

So much for positioning the lights, but what about distance from the tank? It is best to move the lights close enough to the aquarium so that you can use the camera at a small aperture, say f11 or f16. The lens is marked in f-stops - the larger the f-stop the smaller the aperture (lens opening) and the amount of light passing through the lens. Tables on the 'flash unit will help you determine that distance, but you will have to make certain adjustments to get a proper setting. Suppose, for example, you find that f11 is the correct setting for one flash unit placed two feet from the tank. A second unit placed two feet from the tank will produce twice as much li ght, so you will have to reduce the aperture one-half

stop (f16) to compensate. Simple, right? But there are some complications. With the lights positioned as described above, it is my experience that about hal f the light from each unit is reflected back by the front of the tank and never reaches the fish. You need to compensate for this by opening the lens aperture one-half f-stop for each light. In the above example, this gives f8 as the basic initial setting. Later we will consider one final adjustment depending upon the color of the fish.

In all this hullabaloo about lights, it is worthwhile to remember that the important measurement is the distance from the lights to the tank. The distance from the camera to the photo tank has no

bearing on the light setup.

With all the business about equipment and setup out of the way, you are ready to throw showfish Charlie into the tank (add water first) and shoot away. Now the fun begins. At first he (sorry, women's libbers) will sulk as only Bettas can, not rea lly convinced he is still aliv e. You will just have to

wait. Hopefully, he will eventually discover the teaser fish and start to flare.

There are some things to be done while you are waiting. First, decide whether the fish is dark or light colored and adjust the camera accordingly. Light fish require less light and dark fish more for proper exposure. Close the lens aperture ½ -1 stop for light fish (based on the example above, this gives f8/11 or f11) and open it ½ -1 stop (f5.6/8 or f5.6) for dark fish. Secondly, make sure the camera is properly focused.

When the action starts, if ever, it is likely to be pretty fast. To avoid missing good shots because the Betta is out of range, I mount the camera on a tripod so I can tilt or swivel it quickly. Another possibility which works well for me is to use the tripod as a unipod by tying the three legs together. This keeps the camera at the correct height and approximate distance from the photo tank but permits easy

movement. You are welcome to hand hold the camera if you like, but it will never be in proper focus, and continual adjustment gets tiring after a while.

Now there is absolutely nothing to do but sit back, have another beer, and wait and wait and wait... Any suggestions for improving the action at this point would be most welcome. Some possibilities

include raising the temperature of the water in the photo tank a degree or two (but not more) above that of the water in the fish's jar, putting a female into the photo cell with the male, or putting two males into

the cell together. At least one IBC'er from south of the Mason-Dixon line does not recommend the last procedure, as it tends to be hard on showfish (goodbye to Charlies tail.) Finally, the big moment arrives. Showfish Charlie , in full flare, moves slowly across the viewing

area. You click the shutter (along with much profani ty if you forgot to advance the film beforehand) and look up, only to see Charlie moving in the opposite direction. "Did I get him?" This question will haunt

you until the film comes back from processing. Only then will your worst fears be realized. You have become the owner of a distorted south-end view of Charlie headed north. Sometimes you will luck out,

though as we did with one photo which provided the inspiration for the present FLARE! cover.

Rummaging through the other photos from the session, you will find a few too dark or too light, several with terrible backgrounds, and some which are out of focus. There might even be several left which fall into the acceptable category, and perhaps when a few which might be classified as good. If so, be encouraged, and give it another try.

It has been said that those who forget history are destined to repeat it. The same adage applies to photography. As with breeding, good notes are invaluable for avoiding repeat of past failures. Take a

careful and critical look at the pictures from the last session, decide precisely what you do and do not like about each, and modify your setup accordingly, always trying to retain or enhance the qualities you

like while eliminating those you do not. It is here that notes are most helpful. Notes on each photo should include f-stops, position of lights and distance fr om the photo tank, any filters or extension tubes

used, and a description of the fish. The description of the fish is useful for distinguishing among those three matched males when the slides come back from processing. Some of the more ardent breeders I

know identify their betta with colorful and clever names such as Leverboy Luigi, Fanne Fox, and of all things, Scaramouche.

By now, you have made it over a few of the hurdles to successful Betta photography. A few parting comments and you will, mercifully, be on your own. Other problems which may appear in your slides are reflections, scratches and dirt spots on the photo tank, and cloudy water. With a little care, these problems are easily eliminated. Locate y our setup so that you do not have background reflections, such as overhead lights or aquarium bulbs, visible on the tank when you view it from the camera. Make sure your photo tank is clean and scratch-free. Bubbles and cloudiness can be eliminated by setting up a day early with aged water.

After having gone to all the trouble to get Charlie to say "cheese" on film, the final step to a good photograph - processing - is out of your hands. Don' t scrimp on processing by sending your precious roll of film to just anyone. Unless you want to learn to do it yourself, spend the extra dollar to get quality processing. In my opinion, Kodak is the best in the business.

Finally, ignore everything you have read in the la st 20 minutes, have fun working out your own system, and tell me what is wrong with mine. Meanwhile , having finished this article, I am in the same mood as at the end of a photography session. Guess I'll go have another beer.