Coral Fantasy.... is it just a fantasy?

[BanjoBandito]

All my photos are REALLY BLUE

I think the macro shots are super cool and useful to some degree, but for me....I want that "whole tank wow" factor. It's the sum of the parts, not the parts that really make me gasp when I see a tank.

 

[Smite]

The macro lens really does show you things you don't normally get to enjoy and in great detail. I enjoy taking pictures of my coral, macros included so for that reason I don't mind it so much. I could see how if someone has never used a macro lens or a DSLR how it could be frustrating when the piece shows up. It would be nice if the staple was:
first picture - "daylight" colony shot
Then from there do you blues, macro ect for WYSIWYG ect.

It's the crazy blues that I'm starting to get over. It's fun to look at, but for me I have to wear the orange shades, so I do see the colors vendors are representing. I don't understand turning that gnarly spectrum on then trying to squint into the blue abyss..... But is flicking on a super unnatural light source just to filter it out to see some color that is truly(?) there any better....?

 

[mabner]

I don't fall for the fantasy.

I know that most macro shots don't really represent what you see in person because normally the light is different and colour may render different as a result. And also because of all the details that would otherwise go unnoticed if you've never seen your coral at macro range.

I like taking macro shots of the coral because it shows you a lot of details that are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. But I don't use anything fancy though, just reverse rings and coupling rings with old manual lenses.

 

[Waynerock]

Too poor to afford a nice camera and def agree I don’t get to see the sweet complex parts of the corals unless I got my magnifying lenses out but I can do pretty decent with the iPhone

 

[Billldg]

I feel we are always trying to better our reefing abilities, thus, trying to achieve perfection in the photos.

 

[Jekyl]

I got a pair of orange glasses in the R2R partner member care package. Works pretty good just sticking them to my phone.

 

[X-37B]

Too poor to afford a nice camera and def agree I don’t get to see the sweet complex parts of the corals unless I got my magnifying lenses out but I can do pretty decent with the iPhone

Can you afford $30, the price of alot of frags?
I just got the IceCap macro lens kit for my phone. Here is what it does. Its woth the frag price, imo lol!
Very realistic and accurate colors.

 

[Goaway]

I learned this lesson 10 yrs ago buying a blasto from saltwaterfish it was all nicely orange with red stripes and all glitter like. Shows up a few days later, it's just a nice red blasto. I never expected to see what I see in a photo. I'm shocked when I do. Sometimes, the corals even better.
I avoid buying obviously touched up corals.
As far as my own photos go, I don't care right now. I'm not yet selling coral photos yet.
Edit: I'm losing my mind here....