Goldfish Photography Tips and Tricks

I want to start by saying I’m not a professional photographer. My experience comes from years of owning and showing horses and several breeds of dogs. During that time, I had the pleasure of watching many professional photographers capture incredible images of the animals I was showing. I learned a lot of tricks about how to bring out the best in an animal you’re photographing, and much of that knowledge carries over perfectly into photographing goldfish.

My involvement with goldfish began many years ago. Always a nature and animal lover, I became fascinated with the aquarium hobby around the age of eight when I received my first aquarium as a Christmas present. I became obsessed, and by the end of that year I had six aquariums actively running. Even at that young age, I wasn’t satisfied just keeping display tanks—I wanted to breed the fish as well.

I started with guppies, and as I grew older, I got involved in breeding the more difficult egg-laying species. Throughout that time, I always had at least one goldfish as a pet. Then one day, I saw my first Oranda in a pet store. It was love at first sight. After that, I bought every book I could find to learn more about goldfish. Eventually, after mastering how to keep them thriving, I became interested in breeding them.

Discovering The Goldfish Report changed everything for me. It was packed with knowledge and introduced me to the top breeders. Finding and purchasing fish from the legendary Al Foster sealed the deal. I will always remember getting my first batch of his wonderful Philly Veiltails—absolutely stunning and captivating fish. From that moment, I was hooked on Veiltails for life.

Unfortunately, I lost most of my breeding stock when I moved to Florida in 2004, and it was discouraging. But I remembered that Gary Hater bred Philly Veiltails, and he generously sent me some excellent young stock to work with. He is not only a talented breeder but also a great mentor. By adding some English Veiltail blood from another outstanding breeder, Brian Rhodes, I’ve now produced nine generations of fish from those lines.

To start with, I recommend using a decent digital camera. Since you can’t exactly pose a goldfish, you’ll need to take a lot of photos to get a really good one. Thankfully, digital makes it easy to delete the bad ones. Many newer smartphones also have surprisingly good cameras. They don’t offer quite as much control over settings, but they can still get excellent results.

When photographing goldfish, shutter speed becomes one of the most important settings. Most of the shots you’ll take are of moving fish, so if your photos are coming out blurry, increase your shutter speed. Many digital cameras also have a burst mode (multiple shots per second), which dramatically improves your chances of capturing the moment you want.

I use autofocus most of the time. With fast-moving fish, it’s simply easier and more reliable. Try to anticipate your fish’s movements, and hold your body as still as possible when pressing the shutter to reduce shake and keep the image sharp.

Lighting is another key factor. Good lighting brings out your goldfish’s true colors. Full-spectrum lighting works very well, and natural sunlight can be excellent if your setup allows it.

Now let’s talk about the fish themselves. Learn the correct conformation for the variety of goldfish you’re photographing so you can highlight those traits. This is similar to photographing show animals—you want to flatter the fish’s structure, not distort it.

Here’s a tip I learned from animal photographers: find a way to gently “wake up” the animal without overstimulating it. Goldfish often get excited when you approach the aquarium, but that excitement tends to look frantic and food-driven, which doesn’t always make for the best photos. Try teasing them with just a little food. This often gets them away from the glass while keeping them alert but not chaotic. Be ready to shoot as soon as you drop the food in.

Another effective method is placing the fish in a new environment with a few plants. Once they calm down and begin exploring, you can often capture some beautiful poses. Even placing a new object in their regular tank can work—something that breaks their usual swimming pattern. Fish often pause, flare their fins, and show curiosity when something new appears, and those moments are perfect for photos.

Once you get a shot you’re happy with, cropping can make a big difference. Cropping tighter around the fish helps it stand out and gives your image a stronger impact.

Hopefully, these tips help you capture some great shots of your goldfish. Have fun—and best of luck to those entering the Goldfish Photo Contest!