Finally got a camera

[Covey]

Well after 6 months of procrastination I finally got a camera.

I got the Canon Powershot S3. I thought I would share some of my pics for the out of town people who have not seen my tank. This is only Day 1 with this camera so cut me some slack if the photo are not perfect

Anyway even with out really knowing how to use the camera it is blowing the doors off the old Aiptek POS I had.

Anyway almost everything is shot in full auto and I realize I had it set at the lowest picture quality at this point but enough of the typing...

FTS


side shot


The scripps and the green prostrata both from Bob's growing like weeds now


more scripps


and a top down its doubled in size since I got it last sept.


more to come

[Covey]

The fastest grower is the other green prostrata I got fropm Bob this one like 7 or 8" now.


Blue Bottlebrush. It's really really bright reflective blue at this point and the photo of it are coming off dull


My freebie brown out M. danae from Reefer Madness its brigth green with purple polyps now. Everybody that sees it is person seem to really like it and the old camera never got a decent pic of it. This one will be sweet if I can get a macro


And the zoas


still have got a lot of play to do but at least I can get a decent picture now.

[xroads]

I really like your rockwork, espcially that little arch in the middle. The rock looks nice & porous. One rock almost looks like a human head in the left middle. How about a clam shot.

Nice pics.

[Coralfreak]

Wow Clayton, looking good

[Atticus]

Hows the idol been? You have had him a few months now right? What is he eating?

[leeweber85]

your frags have really grown since the last pics I've seen. The powder blue and idol look awesome!

[Covey]

Originally posted by Atticus
Hows the idol been? You have had him a few months now right? What is he eating?

Ok until he tried to bully the well armed Powder Blue but I think he learned his lesson.

4 months I think.

Everything and more of it. If he could get to it before the other fish I think he would down a couple cubes of frozen food a day. I feed him and the other fish a lot. Formula 2 flake. Frozen mysis, krill, brine shrimp plus, squid, and even nori.

Did someone say clam shot.


Here is the only leather in the tank too. A green sinularia. I won it in a raffle from 3reef before I even had a SW tank. The original cutting was like the size of a pencil eraser and 2.5 years later it is about 6" around


Travis you got the same camera right, what did you think?

[Covey]

Got a pic of the blennie I think it is a little under exposed

[Atticus]

Still been toying with it. I have found some of the other settings can give you a less blue color. Just can't remember which ones they were...

[einsteins]

The white balance is what is giving the blue color....does the camera have custom white balance?
That is critical for photographing reefs.

Can it shoot in RAW format? If so that is what you want to use as you then dont need to worry about white balance, exposure, tint, contrast etc.

here is a quick touch up for your blenny....
Enjoy, its a good shot


and ft shot


I was bored thought I would play with your pics....hope you dont mind Covey


ein

[Covey]

It does have a custom white balance but no RAW.

Have started playing with the white balance yet.

Do you set it off of a white piece of paper or do you have one of the 18% gray cards?

[einsteins]

I use my sand as a white reference...

[Covey]

I tried the custom white balance a few time in a few different ways but it seem too over aggressive. I ended up shooting the following pics using the WB set to fluorH which to look the most naturally to the naked eye.

So I knew this camera would do the walk around P&S stuff just fine. I was curious to know if a high end P&S would do a decent macro.

I think I am making progress.

Again now on day 3 mind you.

Custom mode
Super Macro mode
Manual Focus
Highest Res possible
With the camera held to the glass
and some cropping on the computer



This is zoomed out the only different to the early pictures of it is the resolution I have to work with.

So you can do things like this


or Allen's yellow millie (was a little ticked I hit it with the algae magnet )


I just have to work on the exposure I think as a lot of the close ups were washed out. I don't know how to do that yet any tips?

[RobynT]

Great pictures, keep them coming!!

[Covey]

Well Big Boy finally got dethroned from my avatar as I managed to get a picture of my idol singing opera


and with some help from gregr I think I have managed some better macros
reducing the exposure really seem to help the color come out.
the blue bottle brush again


with the tips less than 12" from the 400W bulbs the little exposure trick was the only way I ever got a decent shot of my robusta stag

Coming to a frag auction near you.

for anyone thinking of buying Allen's yellow millie it does hold its color



check out the detail on this one!


so what do you guys think?

[Coralfreak]

Dang, those are good shots, very nice.

[Jojoyojimbi]

Great pictures

[atram]

Sweet pics Clayton Are you using a tripod?

Al

[Covey]

I bought one but I am getting the best results holding the camera to the glass.

It limits the angles but still seem the easiest way to get a macro