Pictures Don't Always Tell The truth

[MikeM]

These black & white photos can be seen in color in the most recent issue of electronic Rinko in English, and you can read all about photographing koi.

[MikeM]

The photos are of the same fish, taken the same day. I found these shots a perfect explanation of why a photo of a koi is a poor basis for evaluating one. The angle of the shot greatly alters the appearance, doesn't it.

[HEADACHE6]

Is that a bubble or something on the head of the koi in the 3rd. pic. .

Interesting that they could change the Comformation like that by the angle of the shot .

[markgardner]

The change in head pattern is caused by the flash reflecting back off of the surface of the water in the 3rd pic.

The article is also in the current Japanese version of Rinko, it's easier to read in the English electronic version though ;-)

The change in body shape is exacerbated by the refraction of water.

[markgardner]

I wrote a series of articles published in Koi magazine in the UK on photographing Koi and used these 2 pics, taken of the 2006 All Japan GC at the show, to show the exact same point!

[MikeM]

Good comparison, Mark. And a grand koi, too!

The koi in the photos I posted does not have a good body shape. The first photo is taken at a 60 degree angle and shows the fish more accurately. It does not have the broad shoulders the second pic makes it appear to have. The third, taken more nearly overhead, accentuates the thin tail.

When thinking about a buying a koi that is nisai or older (tosai are tough regardless), I've found that the most accurate perception comes from viewing several pics taken at different angles. Only personal viewing really suffices.

[RayJordan]

Excellent points Mike.

People send me photos of koi posted on websites they are thinking about buying. I try to explain to them that I can't give accurate advice from a photo. (Not so sure how good my advice is on a koi right in front of me either) Most of us know that the only person with a significant chance of predicting a koi's future is the breeder.

Anyway, hopefully they understand I am not being selfish or lazy but trying to be truthful about buying koi from a photo.

[Richard Rombold]

Lighting, focus and angle are the three big factors in photographing a koi. Lighting being the biggest problem and the hardest to get right, and goes hand in hand with focus. The standard koi photo is worthless in evaluating a koi. The photos are taken head on, well forward of the fish. Impossible to evaluate body conformation or pattern. In my experience the best angle is from above, looking down on the back of the fish, and slightly forward for perspective. This gives a clear view of the entire dorsal surface, and gives a better perspective of the body conformation and pattern. Of course the fish has the last say in which angles it will allow you to get. You need multiple angles that go beyond the typical beauty pageant pose. Angles that include dorsal and side views. The other factor is clarity and size. With large formats and clear focus, there is no room for photoshop magic. There is a tremendous amount of effort that goes into clear photos from multiple angles, and it takes up a lot of bandwidth. There should be a standard, and an insistence from customers, that all dealers do a better job of presenting an honest, timely presentation of each fish with multiple angles for the stock they offer on-line.

[KoiCop]

Richard . . .

If your standard was adopted I think the bottom would drop out of the shop-by-photo market.

After all, there's a very good reason why they don't play by the same rules you do.

[MikeM]

It is quite common, even among many respected dealers, for the posted photo to be from the koi's 'best side'. Unbalanced wrapping, the distracting spot, the vacant area of shiro begging for a splash of sumi.... always seem to be on the side away from the camera.