really plain fish

[gregr]

this fish is just so plain looking...
taken at the lfs (hence the scratches on the glass).
greg

[Doug]

Hi Greg,

Plain? What are you talking about? :D

What a great pic. The colors on that fish are excellent!

Doug

[Avi]

you take awesome pics!!

[finatic]

Wow!

[gregr]

thanks yous all- keep saying stuff like that and i'll keep posting the pictures :D
here's another fish that is really plain looking~
greg

[NKT]

Heyyyyyyy....I recognize that tank... that's Jeff's in Gardena, right? BTW, GREAT pics...I think I bought a better digital camera (995) after seeing the pics you've taken :P. But, alas, I realize that it's skill that counts, and not the equipment. :(

[gregr]

that is totally amazing that you were able to recognize the tank from the [close up] photo. cool!
i have the same sort of lighting you do (half actinic half white- all pc). do you have much in the way of corals? i am having some serious tank envy looking at everyone's pictures.
greg

[NKT]

Yep...recognized that Trachyphyllia because I asked Jeff if he would sell it to me :). He wanted $70 for it, so I passed.
My tank's relatively new...~5months or so, so I don't have much in terms of corals...some sps frags, lps, softies, and a bird's nest colony. Actually...I posted some not-so-good pics at this thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69811

[duc996]

very crisp detail.......I've seen your other pics and they are also amazing. Keep them coming....I'll get that good someday as soon as I can get use to my camera

[gregr]

thanks Duc996- i appreciate the comments!
NKT- i just looked at all your photos- very cool! that candy hog definitely qualifies as totally boring :p the flasher wrasse has very different colors than mine- i am betting they change as they get bigger because i saw one in the store that was almost twice as big as mine and it wasn't nearly as orange (more of a brown).
and the ricordea florida- that was my favorite of your photos... i didn't know that was a mushroom. i think i'll be making a trip to the lfs soon to get one, assuming i am thinking of the right thing- is this a ricordea? it looks more like an anemone than a mushroom.
thanks for the help,
greg

[LisaP]

gregr,

Superb pictures as always, in fact I think that you might have out done yourself with the Tuskfish pic. Can you explain how you took that piccie? F-stop, shutter speed, use of flash, tripod etc etc. Any secret tips to pass on? LOL! Did you hypnotise the fish first so that he sat still for you ;)

Regards

Lisa

[NKT]

Hi Greg...the pic you posted was actually a torch coral. Ricordea mushrooms are basically just bumpy versions of regular mushrooms...two main varieties, the Pacific ricordea (ricordea yuma) and Atlantic (ricordea florida). I just think they're cool cause they look interesting and cover lots of bare rock. :) I know Aq. City in Canoga frequently stocks different types of ricordea...but their prices tend to run a little on the "oh my God!" side...

I noticed you also mentioned a Mark's aquarium on your site...is that a decent LFS with interesting stuff? I might check it out... Thanks!

Nico

[gregr]

thanks Lisa-
i did indeed use a flash- i almost always do. i know lots of people don't like to use a flash but i do. so since i used a flash the shutterspeed was 1/60, and the fstop was probably around f5.6 or 8. i wasn't using a tripod since with a flash it's not necessary.
i didn't hypnotize the fish- i have them on payroll :p
NKT- thanks for the info.
re. Mark's- his store is not as big as Jeff's but he has great stuff and he is a class act. his prices are usually better than the other stores in the area (not including Jeff's, which are the lowest i've seen anywhere). someone mentioned a place called Indorica's, but i haven't had a chance to go there yet.
greg

[LisaP]

Greg,

Hmmmm, OK! So how far away from the subject and where did you position the flash?? What I like most about the pic (apart from it being in focus of course) is that it doesn't have a spotlit effect like flash pictures can have. Did you use a diffuser?

Thanks :D I need to practice some more I guess :rolleyes:

Regards

Lisa

[gregr]

the flash i'm using (Canon 550ex) has a little plastic door that swings down over the flash that enables wide angle coverage- in effect it is diffusion, but not the normal kind.
i would say the lens was about 6 inches or less from the front of the aquarium and the fish was only a couple of inches from the glass- so maybe 8 inches away total.
i didn't mention one other thing that is pretty important because of the time it takes the lens to focus. i usually prefocus on something besides the [usually moving] fish- that cuts down on the frustration factor. from everything i've read, and from what i've experienced (G1, G2, Nikon 990 and 5000) all digital cameras with fixed lenses take a beat or two (or three) to get a focus lock- so if i'm shooting a moving subject i usually just prefocus on something nearby.
did i mention patience helps? :p
greg

[LisaP]

Greg,

Thanks for the information :D

I tried using the flash this morning to take some shots of my pyjama wrasse, tricky subject so a good test of technique :). The results are nowhere near as nice as your photos but for me they're a definite improvement on what I've taken so far of this fish.

Whatcha think?

Regards

[LisaP]

Here's another :D

Thanks again for the pointers, I'm just gonna keep practicing, practicing, practicing ;)

Regards

Lisa

[gregr]

whaddaya mean they aren't as nice as mine?! they are AWESOME! seriously- beautiful all the way around. if my suggestions helped you i am very happy they did- but i suspect the talent was already there and you're just being nice. either way's ok with me :p
greg

[gljjr]

Well you guys are giving me Camera Envy! my old Kodak DC210 just doesn't do as well. It does an OK job but just doesn't have the resolution to do great.http://fp1.centurytel.net/TheAerie/images/DCP00403.JPG

Gary

[gregr]

Gary-
that is a great photo.
i think what you are suffering from is G.A.S.- also know as Gear Aquisition Syndrome. i am suffering from it myself right now with the announcement of the Canon D60.
and if i get that then there's the 100-400mmL IS zoom that i've been dreaming of... and then there's the 180mm macro lens. and there's sure to be more after that...
greg

[ToddsReef]

That first picture takes my breath away!

[gljjr]

Well I just hope the D30 comes down in price when the D60 ships. That way I might be able to get one! :) I already have 2 Elan bodies and 5 lenses so being able to get a D30/60 would be great. I just can't justify spending the money on the camera right now. Plus I would probably sell my Sony Digital Camcorder as I never use it.

Maybe this weekend I can take some pics with the Elan and get them scanned in. One of the LFS has some beautiful Blue Spot Jawfish I would love to get a pic of!