I just realized how good you guys really are

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Shawn_epicurious

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One other tip learned the hard way. It doesn't matter what gear you buy, if your glass sucks, your photos will suck.

I could stick my 70-200 f2.8 on my battered EOS 20D with the scratched sensor and get good shots.. Put the crap kit lens on my 7D a and shoot garbage...

Good glass is expensive because it's worth it.
I’ve reached a point in my life where I am able to remove “certain variable” by getting really good equipment. ....same approach I take with the my tank Here is what I’ve been using : )

The irony of these pics? Yeah, had to take them with my phone lol

7BBDC4D1-EB14-4837-B206-5D48E1AABAFC.jpeg
51F466A2-1E54-4210-A3F2-D31CBAAA8CC8.jpeg
 

AZMSGT

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Yea, you need to learn how to use the equipment, then composition, then the software.
Back in the days when I shot film, it was very expensive. You didn’t want to waste film so you took the time to really learn how to get “the shot”.

Now days with digital people just take hundreds of pictures till they get a good one. This is what my wife does... sigh

Some of my work can be seen here:
I do allot of work in the automotive world.
 
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Yea, you need to learn how to use the equipment, then composition, then the software.
Back in the days when I shot film, it was very expensive. You didn’t want to waste film so you took the time to really learn how to get “the shot”.

Now days with digital people just take hundreds of pictures till they get a good one. This is what my wife does... sigh

Some of my work can be seen here:
I do allot of work in the automotive world.
I just flipped thru your portfolio... you are the real deal!
 

Rick.45cal

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I’ve reached a point in my life where I am able to remove “certain variable” by getting really good equipment. ....same approach I take with the my tank Here is what I’ve been using : )

The irony of these pics? Yeah, had to take them with my phone lol

7BBDC4D1-EB14-4837-B206-5D48E1AABAFC.jpeg
51F466A2-1E54-4210-A3F2-D31CBAAA8CC8.jpeg

FWIW flash photography is the absolute hardest to do extremely well and make it look natural. Especially when the flash is attached to the hotfoot of the camera. Your brain instantly realizes when there’s frontal lighting on a subject because it’s “unnatural” and our brains are very adept at noticing when things aren’t “natural” or “normal”. You’ll likely be much happier with your photos if you put your flash away and learn to use your light meter and exposure to use natural lighting to your advantage. ;)
 
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Shawn_epicurious

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FWIW flash photography is the absolute hardest to do extremely well and make it look natural. Especially when the flash is attached to the hotfoot of the camera. Your brain instantly realizes when there’s frontal lighting on a subject because it’s “unnatural” and our brains are very adept at noticing when things aren’t “natural” or “normal”. You’ll likely be much happier with your photos if you put your flash away and learn to use your light meter and exposure to use natural lighting to your advantage. ;)
That’s good advice... that I needed to hear. Because you are right. The flash feels like it’s in my way right now. The flash is a Cannon speedlite 470EX-AI. It does the automated computerized bouncing technique on its own. It’s been fun watching it spin around by itself depending on the pic I take. Lol.
 

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Cool! Awesome pics! Hw do you shoot the black out background ? Or is that part photoshop?

You use something that absorbs light and doesn’t reflect it back, in the photo with the flower it’s black felt, in the self portrait it’s taken in complete darkness with the shutter open for 30 seconds and the only light is from an LED flashlights (red and blue). I believe I was standing in front of a black felt backdrop too. It took several hundred shots to get that one. (I was doing it all by myself).
 
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You use something that absorbs light and doesn’t reflect it back, in the photo with the flower it’s black felt, in the self portrait it’s taken in complete darkness with the shutter open for 30 seconds and the only light is from an LED flashlights (red and blue). I believe I was standing in front of a black felt backdrop too. It took several hundred shots to get that one. (I was doing it all by myself).
I think I’ll fit in well with this hobby. Lol you just described my day today.
 

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I think I’ll fit in well with this hobby. Lol you just described my day today.

Yeah there’s no one that gets the best shot first time everytime! There are lots of photographers that can get great shots most of the time, but they’ve got years and years and years of messing up to get to that level. Sports photographers are the guys that come to mind in that regard. Even then not every photo they take makes the cut, what we dont see are the thousands and thousands of images that were anything from crap to great but not outstanding. You’re in good company, it comes with the territory!
 

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Photography fits everyone on this site! An expensive hobby with lots of gadgets, most of which we stop using, and takes a while to get right.
Most of the shots I've posted were taken on a reef. Aquarium shots to me are much harder.
But imagine (especially if you've kept one) trying to get an image of a Royal Gramma. They never sit still, are always skittish,
live in caves or overhangs, and swim upside down. So they are moving, you are moving with every breath (scuba) and there is always some current.
The saving element is flash because it freezes action, and is necessary to see beyond blue/green color underwater.
The same can be true for the aquarium but for the issue of over exposing a reflective fish (true UW as well) and reflections off the tank surface. For the latter, if you have a DSLR one can be helped with this:

In the film days your number of shots on a dive was 32. You couldn't change film, and as above had no idea what you had until the film was developed, often days after returning from a shoot. With digital, UW is confined only by the lenght of the dive and there is instant feedback. Like on land a real game changer.

I don't recall ever getting a good film image of a Royal Gramma and it took hundreds of shots to get a few I liked. Post processing on this was minimal. The black background is a function of the flash and camera settings (and what's behind the fish). People who don't know marine fish can't believe the color is real.

Stan 1.jpg
 
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Shawn_epicurious

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Photography fits everyone on this site! An expensive hobby with lots of gadgets, most of which we stop using, and takes a while to get right.
Most of the shots I've posted were taken on a reef. Aquarium shots to me are much harder.
But imagine (especially if you've kept one) trying to get an image of a Royal Gramma. They never sit still, are always skittish,
live in caves or overhangs, and swim upside down. So they are moving, you are moving with every breath (scuba) and there is always some current.
The saving element is flash because it freezes action, and is necessary to see beyond blue/green color underwater.
The same can be true for the aquarium but for the issue of over exposing a reflective fish (true UW as well) and reflections off the tank surface. For the latter, if you have a DSLR one can be helped with this:

In the film days your number of shots on a dive was 32. You couldn't change film, and as above had no idea what you had until the film was developed, often days after returning from a shoot. With digital, UW is confined only by the lenght of the dive and there is instant feedback. Like on land a real game changer.

I don't recall ever getting a good film image of a Royal Gramma and it took hundreds of shots to get a few I liked. Post processing on this was minimal. The black background is a function of the flash and camera settings (and what's behind the fish). People who don't know marine fish can't believe the color is real.

Stan 1.jpg
Gorgeous picture! You got skilz I’ll never catch up to! After what you just walked us thru on what it took to get that pic! Serious Props! I’d buy that pic and frame it! Instead .... yeah... (evil grin) I did just stole it!
 
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Shawn_epicurious

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Photography fits everyone on this site! An expensive hobby with lots of gadgets, most of which we stop using, and takes a while to get right.
Most of the shots I've posted were taken on a reef. Aquarium shots to me are much harder.
But imagine (especially if you've kept one) trying to get an image of a Royal Gramma. They never sit still, are always skittish,
live in caves or overhangs, and swim upside down. So they are moving, you are moving with every breath (scuba) and there is always some current.
The saving element is flash because it freezes action, and is necessary to see beyond blue/green color underwater.
The same can be true for the aquarium but for the issue of over exposing a reflective fish (true UW as well) and reflections off the tank surface. For the latter, if you have a DSLR one can be helped with this:

In the film days your number of shots on a dive was 32. You couldn't change film, and as above had no idea what you had until the film was developed, often days after returning from a shoot. With digital, UW is confined only by the lenght of the dive and there is instant feedback. Like on land a real game changer.

I don't recall ever getting a good film image of a Royal Gramma and it took hundreds of shots to get a few I liked. Post processing on this was minimal. The black background is a function of the flash and camera settings (and what's behind the fish). People who don't know marine fish can't believe the color is real.

Stan 1.jpg
I just looked at the link you put up there. That thing looks crazy! I have been using this... it helps:
7416F4DF-2EBD-48FD-9754-6447044D563A.jpeg
 

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The black background is a function of the flash and camera settings (and what's behind the fish). People who don't know marine fish can't believe the color is real.

I need to learn more about using flash with my fish pics. Do you put your flash at an angle to the camera?

How far from the tank do you keep the front of the lens?
 

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Gorgeous picture! You got skilz I’ll never catch up to! After what you just walked us thru on what it took to get that pic! Serious Props! I’d buy that pic and frame it! Instead .... yeah... (evil grin) I did just stole it!
I'll print it for you, and mail it cheap! Send me a PM.
 
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Shawn_epicurious

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I need to learn more about using flash with my fish pics. Do you put your flash at an angle to the camera?

How far from the tank do you keep the front of the lens?
I read the specs on my lens, it said .8 feet... so I stayed about 6” inches from the glass plus the length of the hood... another 4”. Thats with the 100mm lens... my 18-35mm... I can almost touch the glass with the lens.

I bought my way out of learning lighting lol. The flash I got does an automated, computerized light bouncing technique that used to take decades of experience to be able to do correctly. Me... I just get the watch the silly thing spin around in weird directions depending on the pic I take lol
 

High pressure shells: Do you look for signs of stress in the invertebrates in your reef tank?

  • I regularly look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 23 35.4%
  • I occasionally look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 15 23.1%
  • I rarely look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 12 18.5%
  • I never look for signs of invertebrate stress in my reef tank.

    Votes: 15 23.1%
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