Exposing the truth: How to take unreal pics with your DSLR!!! -or- You are EXPOSED!

[Mattrg02]

I don't think it works on a Nikon, I tried it for Sx##S and giggles but didn't work but I'm not camera savvy either.

That sucks. Just bought a Nikon a month ago.

 

[pledosophy]

I don't think it works on a Nikon, I tried it for Sx##S and giggles but didn't work but I'm not camera savvy either.

It will work on a Nikon, an Olympus, a Canon, a Sony, a Fuji. They all essentially process data the same way.

 

[Battlecorals]

Thank you for reminding me of how awesome the word "smarmy" is. And for everything else too...

And with that, my day has just been made

 

[Battlecorals]

It will work on a Nikon, an Olympus, a Canon, a Sony, a Fuji. They all essentially process data the same way.

Agree. The function is essentially the same the result may not be identical but the effect will be something close.

The key to this ridiculousness, as a rash of head strong and confused face bookers failed to get yesterday, is to take the pic under solid blue led. This is the only way to get the camera to overproduce when trying to correct all that heavy blue it takes in. Mind you, I had no real intention of people actually doing this with any real seriousness.

 

[malira]

After you take your coral pics do you have to go back and undo the CWB for normal pics?

 

[650-IS350]

Agree. The function is essentially the same the result may not be identical but the effect will be something close.

The key to this ridiculousness, as a rash of head strong and confused face bookers failed to get yesterday, is to take the pic under solid blue led. This is the only way to get the camera to overproduce when trying to correct all that heavy blue it takes in. Mind you, I had no real intention of people actually doing this with any real seriousness.

I did, took a bunch of shots to finally get the camera to measure with the blue's on max with no white. Outcome didn't come out as planned, maybe need to redo.

 

[Battlecorals]

After you take your coral pics do you have to go back and undo the CWB for normal pics?

To be clear, I do not shoot my own pics this way at all lol. Not even close really. I wanted to stay away from any comparing "mine" to "theirs" type stuff here, or any other self indulging grandiosity regarding the way I take my pics. To clear up any question about my process, all the pics I use here and on the site are shot under a much more neutral halide light in RAW using the AWB (auto white balance) mode, then clean them up a little in Lightroom. My lens really dose all the heavy lifting for my own photography.

 

[Rinks]

That is a great tip!!

 

[DMCM]

This is awesome. SO before you drop $200 for 1/2 inch frag google is the key look for a pic in a hobbyist tank to see the real color or start reading some feedback. If its a new release cross your fingers and hope for the colors you paid for

 

[Marquiseo]

I think the misconception is that people automatically assume that if you take great pics and use a post processing software, you are doctoring your photos to make them better than what that are (in regards to selling). 80% of the cases that is not true. It takes patience to get a great photo and of course you want the best photo to represent your coral. You may end up taking over 10 photos till you get the best photo that is in focus. Then from there, you make sure that you remove that the blue haze is not there in which you remove using the software. I think if people took the time to learn the software, they would know when it is the appropriate time to call people out. There are plenty of YouTube videos to teach the average joe how to.


Side rant: If you are regularly selling high end corals ($200+), invest in a camera and stop using the severely out of focus, blued-out pics taken with your flip phone. At least upgrade your phone to a recent phone which had the capability to take decent photos.

 

[malira]

Side rant: If you are regularly selling high end corals ($200+), invest in a camera and stop using the severely out of focus, blued-out pics taken with your flip phone. At least upgrade your phone to a recent phone which had the capability to take decent photos.

Too dang funny.

 

[650-IS350]

80% of the cases that is not true.

Is that for this site in general or the hobby in general,

All you have to look at is ebay coral sales & other vendor sites pictures and that will speak for it self in regards to doctored pictures, blue'd out pics, people's hand looking like smurfs, egg crates or frag disks with unnatural color, back ground pictures purposely taken or blacked out to only show the specific coral piece so you can't see the blue hue or unnatural color of surroundings or worst case severely saturated colored pictures where it looks cartoonish.

 

[jasonandsarah]

Is that for this site in general or the hobby in general,

All you have to look at is ebay coral sales & other vendor sites pictures and that will speak for it self in regards to doctored pictures, blue'd out pics, people's hand looking like smurfs, egg crates or frag disks with unnatural color, back ground pictures purposely taken or blacked out to only show the specific coral piece so you can't see the blue hue or unnatural color of surroundings or worst case severely saturated colored pictures where it looks cartoonish.

I think what a lot of people should remember is that every pic with slightly blue egg crate (I don't use egg crate) or a little bit of a blue hue in the back round isn't using a Dslr to "trick" people. I personally use my Note 4 and it got a decent camera, but I still have a hard time getting rid of all the blue. I also have a hard time dropping 600+ on a camera lens combo as a hobbyist just my opinion.
I should also state that I agree with 95% of the comments so far. I just feel like this can be brought to everyone's attention without making everyone feel like every person in this hobby (online) is trying to rip them off.

 

[Marquiseo]

Is that for this site in general or the hobby in general,

All you have to look at is ebay coral sales & other vendor sites pictures and that will speak for it self in regards to doctored pictures, blue'd out pics If you take a pic above the water surface (without a porthole, for example) the blue light is reflected into the camera lens which is why you see all that blue, people's hand looking like smurfs Stick your hang under blue leds and tell me which color your hands appear to be; if you have a lighter skin tone it will be even bluer, egg crates or frag disks with unnatural color if you have full spectrum LED fixture you have not installed, get them and hold a sheet of paper under it. As you move the paper further away, the leds will start to blend and that is what you see sometimes in images. Some cases it is an issue with the camera's interpretation, back ground pictures purposely taken or blacked out to only show the specific coral piece so you can't see the blue hue or unnatural color of surroundings or worst case severely saturated colored pictures where it looks cartoonish. That's not true. With a black background, a colorful object can appear more vivid. Not that it is deceiving a viewer or false; the colors show up better compared to a white background or any other color that may cancel out the colors in the coral. It, also, focuses the attention of the viewer on the object instead of what is going on in the background

Responses above in red.


Like mentioned earlier, if you are basing a photo on being doctored from egg crate and frag discs, you are being misinformed. As I stated before, learn about the process instead of following others who are ignorant of the process. It is basically "the Blind leading the Blind" and this is a general statement and in no way aimed at you. Overall, even an untrained eye can still detect over saturation.



Disclaimer: I am not a pro and still learning but I took the time to research photography by countless videos, articles, as well as getting small tips from an old buddy who majored in it while in college. I do not condone or support others that use shady photography tactics. I don't like the fact that people are starting to automatically assume that everyone who take nice photos of corals are deceiving people.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Hmmm will have to try it out on the Nikon when I'm home. Last time I read it says to use a white plate submerged in the tank & focus lens on plate to "calibrate" the White balance to create a custom white balance settings for the camera ... tried it & not convinced ...

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Or does it work for macro lens only?

 

[Battlecorals]

Or does it work for macro lens only?

LOL. Well my good friend like I had said, this really is an effect that manipulates the camera to SHOOT UNDER 100% BLUE LED, nothing more. You "calibrate" the camera to the heavy blue as opposed to a standard white. This is why the effect is so dramatic. At no point did I claim this was the correct way, in fact the entire purpose of the write up was to demonstrate the exact opposite The intended deadpan may have been lost in the prose on this one...

 

[jasonandsarah]

LOL. Well my good friend like I had said, this really is an effect that manipulates the camera to SHOOT UNDER 100% BLUE LED, nothing more. You "calibrate" the camera to the heavy blue as opposed to a standard white. This is why the effect is so dramatic. At no point did I claim this was the correct way, in fact the entire purpose of the write up was to demonstrate the exact opposite The intended deadpan may have been lost in the prose on this one...

For sure! I think people should be finding corals listed for sale that are definitely photoshoped/deceptive and bringing them to light here on this thread! I'm of the belief that anyone trying to make a single colored or drab coral as a rainbow, limited edition, killer super new, never seen before coral should be called out!

 

[FranklinDattein]

I usually have results with a $1 buck gel filters, than with WB settings, but I am DSLR wannabie.

 

[XRayLee]

Great looking pic's for a Canon guy. I will have to check out your method with my Nikon D-300 when I get my saltwater tank up and running. Still in the freshwater stage.