Studies in Koi Carp

A look at some of my images featuring koi carp.

Studies in Koi Carp

Koi Carp (known as nishikigoi) are descendants from common carp and bred for their color and ornamental value. There are several different varieties which are classified by their color, patterns and their scales; you can read more about them here. Who hasn’t seen wonderful images of ponds and lakes with these beautifully colored, large fish, cruising the surface?

Capturing images of These Colorful Fish

Overcoming light and surroundings

The challenge with taking shots of cultivated carp in a pond is working with reflections and any netting in place to protect the fish. I decided to incorporate the reflections and net shadow into my work rather than avoid it.

Carp don’t stand and smile for the camera

It is not so easy to get shots of the fish, particularly if you are aiming for a shot through a viewing window in the pond. The fish are very active and I wanted to capture the fish rather than the surroundings.  I quite like this image ‘Majestic Koi Carp’ as it shows the range of fish, the beautiful colors and some interesting angles for them.

Not just surface shots

There are so many images available of the Carp swimming close to the surface I wanted to try and get something a bit different. With this image ‘Koi Carp Swimming Deep’ I was able to explore their relationship with the water a bit more. In fact the water is as much a part of this image as the shapes of the fish.

Koi Carp are more than their color

A bit later I had the opportunity to look at the Carp from a different angle, though a viewing window. This enabled me to have yet more arguments with reflections and lighting of course. But I was able to get a sideways shot of some of the fish. I thought it would be fun to view them without their colour, so that we could appreciate their form and how they blend together tonally. That led to this tonal study which I think is one of my favorites of these images.

See these and more images of these beautiful fish at my RedBubble (worldwide shipping) and Pictorem (fee shipping in North America) stores.

Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

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Thank you for reading!