Megabite's 180 Reef - Round 2

You talk like you know a heck of lot more about photography than i do. I have the feeling that my assumption is not much of an assumption.

Ice T React GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
I was okay but I never did much after selling off my Olympus film gear back in 1999. I still follow some photography gear sites from time to time, I guess for old times sake. Between Smartphones and now AI about the only draw it has for me is reef tank documenting and maybe the odd candid, bird or landscape but it would cost a lot to get into it at the level I used to be.

What I am terrible with is digital color correction. I used photoshop and lightroom for years when I was doing the web site and the print ads for a Ferrari broker but they didn't require a lot of color correction. It just takes time but I don't know that I want to spend too much time on yet another area of endeavour.
 
I was okay but I never did much after selling off my Olympus film gear back in 1999. I still follow some photography gear sites from time to time, I guess for old times sake. Between Smartphones and now AI about the only draw it has for me is reef tank documenting and maybe the odd candid, bird or landscape but it would cost a lot to get into it at the level I used to be.

What I am terrible with is digital color correction. I used photoshop and lightroom for years when I was doing the web site and the print ads for a Ferrari broker but they didn't require a lot of color correction. It just takes time but I don't know that I want to spend too much time on yet another area of endeavour.
No kidding. You actually did some professional work. Very cool. I never had the opportunity to develop film. I would like to have learned to do that.

As for lightroom, a monkey can learn to use it. Even I can use it. It's so easy now compared to back when you're talking about. My cousin is a professional photographer and I remember her in PS and LR processing. It seemed like it was A LOT more work than it is now. I can process 10 pictures in about 5 minutes with LR. Super fast.

And as for time, just steal it from the wife and kids to do it. They won't mind. 🙂
 
I just started looking at KEH. Nice place. We also have a good camera shop in the area here, Tempe Camera. I may have to swing by and handle some of this stuff.
Bad influence..............
Check Checkmark GIF by MOST EXPENSIVEST
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the lord of the rings GIF
 
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I never had the opportunity to develop film. I would like to have learned to do that.
You haven't lived until you have developed some film.

I feel very comfortable in saying that I have developed more film than anyone you may or will ever know. Not the exact film you're speaking to but film nonetheless. I spent the first 10 years of my professional life in printing. The pre-press department specifically. My technical job title was, get this, "film stripper" or "stripper" for short.

Along the same vein, after my father got out of fighting in the Korean war, he got a job in printing. It was rotogravure, at that time, and he became a "dot etcher". This was a person that would alter negatives by "etching" them that would impact the picture(s) that were printed of them. He worked his way through the industry and became a color separation cameraman. The biggest account where he worked was National Geographic. As you can imagine, Nat Geo was a huge account and everything had to be perfect. It got to the point that Nat Geo requested that the only one to work on their film would be my dad. He was so good that he was asked to put on classes and workshops which he did for a number of years. He also had a fondness for personal/semi-professional photography. He forgot more about cameras, film and everything encompassing them than most people will ever know.
I miss the little guy.
 
You haven't lived until you have developed some film.

I feel very comfortable in saying that I have developed more film than anyone you may or will ever know. Not the exact film you're speaking to but film nonetheless. I spent the first 10 years of my professional life in printing. The pre-press department specifically. My technical job title was, get this, "film stripper" or "stripper" for short.

Along the same vein, after my father got out of fighting in the Korean war, he got a job in printing. It was rotogravure, at that time, and he became a "dot etcher". This was a person that would alter negatives by "etching" them that would impact the picture(s) that were printed of them. He worked his way through the industry and became a color separation cameraman. The biggest account where he worked was National Geographic. As you can imagine, Nat Geo was a huge account and everything had to be perfect. It got to the point that Nat Geo requested that the only one to work on their film would be my dad. He was so good that he was asked to put on classes and workshops which he did for a number of years. He also had a fondness for personal/semi-professional photography. He forgot more about cameras, film and everything encompassing them than most people will ever know.
I miss the little guy.
Man, that is so cool! And what an awesome story about your dad. He must of been an amazing artist at his discipline. What a professional honor that must of been.

As for you, we need to consider changing your handle to @That Stripper Kid. 😜 What a great story. Thanks for sharing.
 
No kidding. You actually did some professional work. Very cool. I never had the opportunity to develop film. I would like to have learned to do that.

As for lightroom, a monkey can learn to use it. Even I can use it. It's so easy now compared to back when you're talking about. My cousin is a professional photographer and I remember her in PS and LR processing. It seemed like it was A LOT more work than it is now. I can process 10 pictures in about 5 minutes with LR. Super fast.

And as for time, just steal it from the wife and kids to do it. They won't mind. 🙂
I did not do professional photography. I was never that good. I did shot some cars that happened to be in the Phoenix area, but most were shot by the owners, the Ferrari broker or a professional photographer. I took the photos processed them into a photo montage or magazine ads using Photoshop, InDesign and, after it was released, Lightroom. I did do a lot of correction to the scenes and corrected exposure or white balance problems but we never retouched the actual vehicle other than dodging or burning to improve detail.
 
Weekly Aquadelight update. New camera position for a while. Still doing well and really starting to encrust on the rock.

4J9A0021-2.JPG

Screenshot 2026-05-21 142323.JPG


4-23 to 5-7 (1).jpg


3-13 to 3-16 (1).jpg
Nice little photobomber on this week's episode of AD growth rate.
 
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I picture of every week since I got it.
Really? Are you sure? How can you be so sure? It's not like you don't post pictures of it weekly or anything. 😂





I do enjoy your picture updates.
 
Really? Are you sure? How can you be so sure? It's not like you don't post pictures of it weekly or anything. 😂





I do enjoy your picture updates.
I can’t believe you figured it out! 😜

I’m moving these posts to monthly as it’s getting crowded and now have three months. I will still take the weekly one for me. Here's the first quarter.

Screenshot 2026-05-28 211628.JPG
 
So, I went ahead and bought a new camera body. 💸 Still using the same lens with an adapter and on a look out for 24mm-70mm or 24mm-105mm. This a full frame sensor and not cropped like my D7 which magnified lenses by 1.6x. Full frame has less reach but a wider field of view. Perfect for me as I wanted a wider FOV.

Here's a test shot while the tank was very dark before lights out. So far I'm impressed with how much more light this sensor can take without noise along with the very robust toolset. I'm getting more out of my lens. Now, to learn how to use it. PS - Hawk pics were taken with this camera.

Screenshot 2026-05-28 213448.JPG


Test shot 1
4J9A0056.jpg


Test shot 1 (Cropped to see detail)
Screenshot 2026-05-28 213027.JPG
 
I can’t believe you figured it out! 😜

I’m moving these posts to monthly as it’s getting crowded and now have three months. I will still take the weekly one for me. Here's the first quarter.

Screenshot 2026-05-28 211628.JPG
Monthly? Really? That kind of bums me out as I enjoy seeing the weekly comparisons. Maybe compromise at biweekly?

So, I went ahead and bought a new camera body. 💸 Still using the same lens with an adapter and on a look out for 24mm-70mm or 24mm-105mm. This a full frame sensor and not cropped like my D7 which magnified lenses by 1.6x. Full frame has less reach but a wider field of view. Perfect for me as I wanted a wider FOV.

Here's a test shot while the tank was very dark before lights out. So far I'm impressed with how much more light this sensor can take without noise along with the very robust toolset. I'm getting more out of my lens. Now, to learn how to use it. PS - Hawk pics were taken with this camera.

Screenshot 2026-05-28 213448.JPG


Test shot 1
4J9A0056.jpg


Test shot 1 (Cropped to see detail)
Screenshot 2026-05-28 213027.JPG
What's the new body you picked up?
 
I went with the Canon R6 mkii. It was on sale and used ones weren't much cheaper at all. It's crazy how much tech is stuffed into these cameras now.
 
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I went with the Canon R6 ii. It was on sale and used ones weren't much cheaper at all. It's crazy how much tech is stuffed into these cameras now.
Very nice!

Another quick "dad" story. So, my dad had cameras. A lot of cameras. A big collection of antique cameras and also all the cameras he had used throughout his life. Lenses? Pfffttt... too many to count. When my sister was packing my mom to move to TX last year, she threw everything into the dumpster they had. I was very upset, at first, but then figured that I never mentioned my interest and I wasn't able to be there to help.
Still miss the little guy.
 
You might be wondering why I keep referring to my dad as “the little guy.” This might help. I think this was taken about a year before he died so, in 2020.

20170618_153330.jpeg
 
You haven't lived until you have developed some film.

I feel very comfortable in saying that I have developed more film than anyone you may or will ever know. Not the exact film you're speaking to but film nonetheless. I spent the first 10 years of my professional life in printing. The pre-press department specifically. My technical job title was, get this, "film stripper" or "stripper" for short.

Along the same vein, after my father got out of fighting in the Korean war, he got a job in printing. It was rotogravure, at that time, and he became a "dot etcher". This was a person that would alter negatives by "etching" them that would impact the picture(s) that were printed of them. He worked his way through the industry and became a color separation cameraman. The biggest account where he worked was National Geographic. As you can imagine, Nat Geo was a huge account and everything had to be perfect. It got to the point that Nat Geo requested that the only one to work on their film would be my dad. He was so good that he was asked to put on classes and workshops which he did for a number of years. He also had a fondness for personal/semi-professional photography. He forgot more about cameras, film and everything encompassing them than most people will ever know.
I miss the little guy.
My dad was in the other end of things. He was a graphic designer for 34 years at Boston University. In fact he started the in house publication production there when a buddy he worked with in Pittsburgh who was then a dean at BU asked him to. He started in advertising and had some interesting stories about that as well. Then it grew around him into a multifaceted beast. He had a small connection to Nat Geo as well as a photographer who was a friend would do work for them. He also freelanced for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, among other things designed the original Tanglewood logo in the 70s. And a few others including Zparuder Films who specialised in documentaries. Also actual artist, graduating from Cleveland Institute of Art.
 

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