Photography

A few top down pictures

melev — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 23:28:37 +0000

A few top down pictures

Taken with a Nikon D500 with a 40mm lens

melev Mon, 07/11/2022 - 02:28

These pictures were taken under Neptune SKY lighting in Coral Growth mode. I cleaned up the images in Lightroom.

The reef has been doing well lately. I've been staying on top of water testing, and of course daily glass cleaning duty. Some of the other things I've done lately:

Dosed Prodibio
Changed the RODI filters
Cleaned the Nyos 300 skimmer's collection cup and squeegee assembly
Cleaned and re-set the algae turf scrubber, pulling out over 2 lbs of green hair algae.
Sent off and received a current ICP test.

The reef is fed every night a mixture of thawed frozen foods. Last water change was a month ago.

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How can I take great pictures too?

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:31:36 +0000

How can I take great pictures too? melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 21:31

In a previous article I mentioned how you could decide one what type of camera to buy. This article will go into how you can take beautiful pictures with your digital camera, using a few simple settings.

I used to use an HP215 compact digital camera that would fit into a pocket and only had a 4 meg CF card. After 30 low resolution pictures were taken, the camera was full. Even with this type of camera, it is possible to get some great shots. Many pictures on my site were taken with this camera.

If your camera has a Macro mode, switch to that setting for picture taking. Frame your shot, and depress the shutter button half way and observe on the LCD how the picture appears to you. You may have to adjust your camera’s position several times to get it to handle the lighting properly, but once you find that sweet spot, take the picture.

The HP215 had a 1x and 2x zoom as well, which were really more like a magnification than a true zoom. Sometimes that comes in handy if your object is too far away from the lens.

To avoid a blurry image, steady your camera any way you can. Using a tripod is one way, or using the tank itself to brace your hand works too. When holding the camera near the glass, use your left hand to cradle the camera while your fingertips lean on the glass to keep from shaking.

Now if you have a more expensive camera you should have some excellent tools built right in for you to select. Travis Staut gave the club a nice presentation and went into some of the ways you can be successful. I remember him stating over and over, “take the shot” since you’re not wasting any money in doing so. Your digital camera can hold a certain amount of pictures, so feel free to take many images. Later when you download them to your computer, you’ll have a nice selection to pick from and sometimes you’ll catch a very special shot that was totally unplanned!

Determine lighting needs

In most cases, you will not need a flash to take pictures of your corals, invertebrates, etc. Our reef tanks have so much light pouring down that the camera has quite a bit to work with. You’ll need some light just so the auto-focus can operate.

However, if you have 20,000K bulbs over your tank, the camera will capture a lot of blue even though to your own eyes the colors are interpreted correctly. In the case of these bulbs, you’ll need to set the “white balance” in advance. Find the option on your camera to set white balance manually, and then take a piece of white PVC and hold it in the tank so the light is shining on it. Point your camera at the bright area of the PVC, and press the appropriate button (shutter button on mine) to save the setting. This will be saved in your camera’s settings until you change it again. Change the white balance setting to the one you just saved, and each time you take a picture under the 20,000K bulbs, you’ll see the colors your are expecting. All the pictures at the top of the
newsletter were taken at Saltwater Paradise last month, under 20,000K bulbs. Within two shots, I knew I’d have nothing but blue pictures, and switched the setting. You can see the results above. The rest of the time, I find that I can use the “Auto” white balance mode, and get good results.

Because of the intensity of lighting some tanks have, pictures may appear washed out, with very bright areas and very dark caves and crevices. There is another adjustment called “Exposure
Compensation.” Usually this is set at the center point of the scale. The button may look like “+/-“ on your camera. Under Power Compacts, I had to switch it down two notches below the mid point (or 0). This will reduce the light being allowed into the lens, so that corals will still have their color and not display white patches (excess brilliance). If you are shooting a tank that is a little too dark, you might try adjusting the exposure compensation one or two notches above 0. The nice thing about digital cameras is you can see the results immediately, and change the setting one point and re shoot. You’ll find the perfect combination the more you practice.

When taking pictures of fish, you may need to use the flash. This freezes the moment and the camera tends to get a sharp image. Some cameras allow you to adjust how bright your flash is – which prevents you from washing out your subject. Remember when using the flash, you want to angle your shot slightly so you don’t get a reflection of the flash on the glass.

Film Speed – ISO

With a digital camera, film speed is a little outdated since no film is used. For bright settings, you can use the lowest ISO rating, which may be 50 or 100. If the setting is a little too dark, or you are trying to take pictures of moving fish (action shots), increase the ISO to 400. The higher the ISO, the more grainy your pictures will be.

If you’ve attended Macna, you’ll remember the conference room is very dark inside. All you see is the speaker at the podium, and the slide or PowerPoint presentation on the big screen. Taking a picture in that situation with a low ISO will yield nothing but black shapeless pictures. When I increased my ISO to 400 and set the camera on a stable surface, the results were amazing.
Looking at those pictures, it appeared as if most of the lights were on!

Staying Focused

When taking pictures of corals, the auto-focus of the camera will help, but not always as much as one might hope. Depending on how far the subject is from the lens, you may need to switch to Normal, Macro or even Super Macro mode. The camera should indicate if it has a problem in the current mode. Aim the center target (looks like this: [ ]) of your viewing field at the object you want in focus. If is is a single zoanthid polyp, aim at that. (Macro Mode; f/2.8; no flash; ISO 100; Auto white balance) Press the shutter button half way, and make sure the image is focused. While holding the button down, you can move the camera slightly (laterally) to frame your shot and not ruin the focus. When happy, fully depress the button.

If you find that your camera shakes during a shot, press the lens against the glass to stabilize everything. If you can't do that, use a tripod, or the back of a chair. Whatever you can do to keep the camera steady, do it. I have a rubber guard for my camera, as well as a hard plastic one. Both help keep the camera steady (when pressed against the glass) for macro shots.

If you are taking a picture of a colony, aim at the part of the coral that is closest to you. If your f-stop is a lower number, the coral further away from you will be blurry. To get the whole coral into focus, raise the f-stop to a higher number. Remember, when shooting at a higher f-stop, the camera will take a little longer to take the shot so hold it steady until it is done.

Balancing the lighting situation

No matter what you do, you find part of the picture is too bright and part of it is simply too dark. What happens is the camera is gauging the light intensity and the light meter is making internal adjustments accordingly. To avoid this problem, try to pick a spot in the shot that is neutral. Usually you can find a spot of LR that is not too bright nor too dark. Point your camera at that spot, depressing the shutter button halfway. Now move the camera to frame the shot you wanted to take, and press the shutter down fully. This process is called “spot metering” and is very useful considering all the different objects we take pictures of. Practice using spot metering often, because it is one of those things that should be second nature to a photographer. Using this
technique in outdoor photography yields great results as well.

Other things to remember

Clean the glass extra well the day before you want to shoot, or regularly if you like to shoot all the time. A spray bottle of water and a few paper towels will clean the outside easily, and a scraper or razor blade will clean the inside – all the way down to the substrate.

Turning off all the pumps during a photo session works to your benefit. The soft corals remain stationary, and the fish are confused and may come out and pose.

Using the timer feature of your camera, you can get excellent macro shots with no risk of jarring the camera at all. Put the camera on a tripod, set the camera to a longer exposure (SP mode), and set the timer. Don’t move while taking the shot, so the vibrations of movement don’t transmit through the tripod into the lens.

Wear a dark shirt. When wearing light clothing, the lights from the tank will pour onto anything in the vicinity. Your clothing may be visible as a reflection on the glass.

Shoot in a dark room. Close the curtains, shutters, and doors. This avoids any nuisance reflections in your pictures.

Keep plenty of batteries on hand. You don’t want to run out of power when you need your camera most. Rechargeables will save you a lot of money, if you can find some that work with your camera.

Increase your storage space if it is limited. Buying extra memory cards is a great way to keep shooting when the need arises. When on vacation, you can’t download your images, but you can swap out the card with another one.

There are even more functions available in higher-end cameras, but for most consumer and prosumer camera models, these steps should help you become quite the photographer.

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Port Aransas: Collection Trip

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:20:34 +0000

Port Aransas: Collection Trip melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 21:20

July 20 - 22, 2007: MAAST, MARSH, and DFWMAS all joined together for a fun collection trip near Galveston, Texas. The plan was to scoop out some peppermint shrimp out of the ocean, play in the water, and enjoy a bonfire. We had a great time, and here are some pictures to prove it...

It was a decent drive from Ft Worth to the coastline, probably about six hours total. Fortunately, I was just a passenger helping foot the bill for the gasoline. Robert, a friend of mine, drove since he'd made this trip several times and knew the area well. Several of our group rented rooms at a location about 45 minutes away from the event, because it was near a great Nerite snail breeding ground. This is Robert.

This first picture is a pretty accurate representation of what things looked like...

...but for the next few pictures I tried to make things look a little more perfect. Sue me.

After we got settled in, we met on a nearby pier.

All that work for this?

I think this kid had the right idea.

Steve did pretty good with that net after all.

This crab trap was tied to the pier, and inside were both carcasses and live crabs.

This picture is from the end of that same pier looking back at our accomodations.

While fished off the pier, while others went in search of critters.

Nerite hunters, unite!

We found other stuff out there, including some odd crabs that pinched if you weren't careful, ghost shrimp, pipe fish, flounders and more.

To keep the snails alive overnight, we had styrofoam coolers in our rooms full of saltwater, air pumps and heaters. When we didn't have the option to use electricity, such as in the back of Robert's truck,
we used battery powered air pumps or power inverters.

As night approached, we had to take a ferry to get to the bonfire. This is a drive-on ferry that takes a few minutes to get your vehicle to the opposing shore, as there is no bridge. There are quite a
few ferries in operation, so it isn't too bad. Below, we are waiting in line on a Friday night.

Driving on the ship. Once parked, you turn off your engine for the short trip.

A ferry is returning to get more passengers.

There's our destination approaching.

The bonfire was a on pitch dark beach. Taking pictures was pointless. You could hear the ocean nearby, and saw everyone enjoying themselves. Kids played near the fire, roasting marshmallows. Plenty of
beer was consumed. We were out there for a couple of hours, then it was time to head back to the ferry, and then to our room for the night.

The next day (Saturday), we went to the hotel were many were staying as it was almost time for the BBQ to begin. Some explored the area while others helped get things set up. The BBQ was fun, and quite a
few DFWMAS members won raffle prizes. There were quite a few more people there, but when it got interesting, I'd put my camera down to enjoy the food and the entertainment.

This vendor described one of his newest products, a Lumenbright reflector. It was one of the prizes.

Yes, that's me winning a sump, of all things. ;)

Matt, our club president, won some goods.

As did Rick, our treasurer.

There was a poker game, but I merely observed. Steve (aka Bigbird), the person that organizes the event each year, won the pot. He's the one wearing the starter shirt.

Check out the cool t-shirts they made up.

Anyone that donated stuff to the raffle got listed on the back of the shirt.

We had a few hours to kill, so we took the ferry again, and it began to rain.

Another ferry ahead of us.

Seagulls had no fear of us.

The main point of this trip was to collect peppermint shrimp, but first we had to traverse this huge jetty. Yes, it was as rough as you can imagine trying to walk / climb over those boulders. Some areas
were wet with slick algae spots that could lead to a nasty fall. Try doing this carrying buckets, nets, flashlights, and more. Even worse, try it again coming back with buckets filled with saltwater & shrimp
in pitch darkness while huge mosquitos are sucking you dry!

The picture above is the halfway point, half a mile from shore. The picture below shows what is left to come, another half mile.

You might think SCUBA would be a safer method of getting to the end, but if you'll note this guy's bloody calves...

The trip wasn't a total waste. I found some very pretty wildlife on these rocks.

These medallions were on many of the rocks.

A huge barge moved up a nearby estuary. We tested the salinity of the water on this side and it was quite low, but the other side of the jetty was near reef standards.

These barges were being pushed by a smaller tugboat.

Motor boats worked the choppy water not far from the jetty.

This pelican wasn't shy at all.

Look at all the rock anemones, as well as all those tiny silver fish. These pockets of water were found throughout the jetty.

We found tons of tiny cerith-like snails up on the wet rock,
but figured if they were out of water, they'd climb out of our tanks.

After scouting out the entire structure, we headed back to the truck before dark. I put my camera away to keep it safe, and as twilight approached we hiked all the way back to the end of the jetty once
again. Everyone was dressed to get wet, with nets and flashlights in hand, empty buckets nearby. There were probably 40 of us crawling in and out of those rocks, scooping our nets up against the submerged rocks
hoping to find peppermint shrimp.

It was a little frustrating at first, but after about an hour, they started to come out in a number of spots. With a flashlight, you could see their eyes glow before they'd retreat for cover. Thrusting my
net into the water and then dragging it against the rock and up out of the water, I started catching my very first peppermints. It was exciting to report that I'd caught one or two, but Robert was scooping out 20 or
more at a time like a pro. I didn't give up though, and immersed myself in the water over and over. Waves crashed up on the rocks, soaking me to the bone, but I didn't care because I was having fun. Below was my catch for the night!

Getting the livestock back to the truck was challenging. I had two buckets half-filled with ocean water filled with shrimp and other critters, and I had to navigate over those huge rocks in the dark. It
was wet and slippery where you'd think it was safe, so I had to be extra careful. Every five steps, I had to put down a bucket and try to slap an offending mosquito to death as it slurped up my blood. Five more
steps, stop, put down a bucket, slap the other arm. Repeat about 30 more times over the one mile trek back to shore.

We did another water change at the truck, but Robert wanted to have plenty of water for the trip home. So I just walked out into the surf and brought back bucket after bucket of saltwater. I was wet, so I
saw no reason not to just wade out into the ocean a dozen times. Both my driver's license and my fishing license were in pretty bad shape after that.

Speaking of which, the fishing license I purchased allowed to catch all this stuff for my aquarium. What it prohibits is the selling of this bounty. I didn't care since I had no reason to want to do so. The whole point of the trip was to get the peppermint shrimp so they could devour the aiptasia in my system - it never was going to be for sale.

These shrimp (below) are standing on the rock anemone I brought home.

We caught some other stuff. One scoop was a huge rock blenny, and it was exactly as wide as my net - 6" and thick around like a lemon. No-one could believe that my net held that beast. We dropped it into a bucket of ocean water, and later it was added to one of Robert's tanks back home.

He also caught a tiny fish, what we believe was a baby Racoon Butterfly perhaps.

This little pipefish was so cute, but I don't know if he survived. I put him in the refugium.

Sargeant Majors were easy to catch, but not really a good idea to bring home. Here are a couple I put in my quarantine tank, and they feasted on my peppermints and ghost shrimp.

Here's the rock anemone Robert was able to pluck out of the water. It is in my angled tank.

The next morning, we packed everything up, made sure all the airpumps were on, and made the trip back to Fort Worth. Back home, I had to acclimate my goodies for my reef. Nerites, ghost shrimp, flounders,
and even a pipefish.

I don't know if I brought home a hermit or if it ate my nerite. Hrmph!

Yes, that huge ghost shrimp is as big as you imagine. Maybe it was someone's bait, and not what you'd normally scoop out of the seagrass.

Nerites have beautiful shells.

I put a few peppermints in my quarantine tank to eat the aiptasia in there. Later I saw an aiptasia eating one of my peppermints. Irony at its worst.

Here are a few I put in the angled tank.

Can you believe I got these for free?! Well, if you don't count
the gas to drive both ways, the room rental, the food, and my time...

I poured a bag of these into the back of my reef, and my Longnose Hawkfish quickly disappeared into the back of the tank. He came out later, and looked quite rotund. I'm pretty sure he ate my new crew!
Argh.

This little eel was happy to become part of my suncoral tank. He likes to hide in the sand.

I also brought back some very pretty Ulva for the refugium.

Someday, I'll go back. It was a great trip, as long as I don't think about all those late-night mosquito bites. ;)

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My trip to Cleveland to speak to C-SEA

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:08:11 +0000

My trip to Cleveland to speak to C-SEA melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 21:08

April 18 - 19, 2008: The Board of Directors from the Cleveland Saltwater Enthusiasts Association contacted me to come out and speak to their club... While I was there, I had the opportunity to visit a couple of fish stores and see a member's tank.

That Friday morning I had to be at the airport bright and early to catch the first flight to Chicago, then switch planes to continue to Cleveland. During my two-hour layover in Chicago, a member from Reef Central recognized me as I was heading to the next terminal, and we exchanged a few pleasantries. Yep, I'm famous. LOL I arrived in Cleveland around 2:30pm, and John was waiting to pick me up.

He was ready to take me to a local fish store, which ended up being one of Reef Central's sponsors. I was excited to check out the place at last.

Salty Critter sells all kinds of dry goods and livestock, so it was like being in a reef candy store. If you needed some random item, they had it. The store was expanding with more remodeling to come.

The livestock was plentiful and the prices were great. He ships livestock as well.

You probably noticed the super thick coralline on these tanks. This lobster (below) was pretty big, and those zoanthids and acan polyps help you get a sense of scale.

Check out all the blood shrimp in this LPS tank.

These pink zoas are getting out of control, even engulfing a blue A. tortuosa frag.

He needs to clean his skimmers. ;)

I liked the clean power controls.

I'm assuming these were priced for locals. Great prices for very pretty frags!

This was different. Different water choices for their customers, with salinity at 1.022sg and 1.025sg..

From there we went to Applebees for a dinner and a drink prior to the meeting. These guys know how to have a good time.

The club meets on the third Friday of each month. The sun was out, the weather was beautiful, and the flower beds were bursting with color.

I don't know what was in this building.

We met in the education center.

People signed in with John, and then purchased raffle tickets for the various prizes they hoped to win.

I liked the little raffle ticket spinner GEO created.

The meeting was eventful with a little excitement before my part began. If you want to know more about it, ask them. ;) After my presentation, everyone won their prizes and we headed to our respective homes for the night.

Saturday morning, I was picked up from my hotel and I got to see Chuck Stottlemeir's very interesting filter-feeding tank. It was featured in the February 2008 issue of Reefkeeping Magazine.

He did have a huge Vlamingi tang in the tank.

Most of the corals in this tank are heavy filterfeeders that don't fare well in our normal reef tanks, but Chuck has been able to keep difficult species for years and years. When I arrived, it was early in the day and not when the corals would normally be open. If you want to see more pictures, check the link to the Reefkeeping article to see some great images.

Below you can even see a spiney oyster, just to the right of hte stunning purple-blue gorgonian.

When you compare the picture above from the one below, you'll see the black basket starfish about to unfurl to eat some food. That curly corkscrew looking gorgonian is neat, right?

Daily he doses Phytoplankton into the tank for the corals to feast upon.

I got to head into the basement to see the sump, refugium, propagation, and the clown fish breeding station.

Pretty amazing stuff. Thanks for having me over Chuck.

We went out to lunch, and then stopped at one more fish store. It was huge, with an attached green house.

The first propagation trough was up and running with some frags growing out.

Shade cloth has to be opened and closed based on the amount of light and heat coming in.

Tons of drygoods were available. And I never remember to check to see what I need before I go on these trips, like replacement test kits.

Chuck checking out the tanks.

Another basket starfish begging Chuck to go home with him.

This favia had huge sweepers out, trying to nuke a neighboring coral (clove polyps).

This was a huge Wobegong shark (below).

I'm always surprised when I see various invertebrates in small acrylic cages, although it helps the staff quickly bag them and lets the customers see them easily.

This diver provided oxygen in the tank, but the Yellow tang was not impressed.

One other store I stopped in briefly was this one:

This lionfish was pretty expensive, but I heard most of the prices were high in this store.

And it wasn't long before I was back up in the air heading home.

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Photographing Tiny Subjects

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:05:23 +0000

Photographing Tiny Subjects melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 21:05

You will recognize some or most of these images, but I was thinking how it would be nice to put these in one webpage, especially describing the techniques used to get the images.

In the past couple of weeks, I have had three opportunities to photography newly released baby Peppermint Shrimp in my tank. I didn't even know what they were at first, but it was fascinating to study them up close. However, shooting them with my digital camera was challenging.

I have a Fuji S602Z, which is a Prosumer digital camera with a built-in lens. Review on dpreview.com

All of my images are shot or video'd using what the camera comes with. Rarely do I use the built in flash.

These images were taken late at night when the lights were off. The first image is with the flash, to show you want I noticed one night. I don't remember my camera setting for this, but it might have been in Auto mode due to it being a simple shot, in Macro mode.

Now, these little guys jerked around in the water with all the pumps off. Getting them focused was extremely tough due to their speed, so I set my camera to ISO1600, the highest setting I had. Lighting was a single flashlight pointed straight down from above, which drew the shrimp like a moth to a flame.

To take these images, I pressed the camera against the glass of the tank, to keep it steady. I must have taken 100 or more pictures for 15 minutes, resulting in less than a dozen good images.

You'll notice how part of the image is over-exposed in the brightest location where the shrimp are amassed, but that is because my focus was on indiduals rather than the grouping. Plus the area where they gathered, they were cascading and twitching constantly to get away from each other while continually regrouping closest to the light. I don't even know why they are drawn toward light, since that almost assures them death by the mouth of a hungry fish. You'd think they'd hide to have the chance to grow.

I also shot two videos that night, to help the viewer grasp these little guys a little better. Again, lighting was by flashlight, and the camera was set on a tripod. My camera doesn't shoot macro video, but it does a decent job at times. I simply had to move the camera and tripod to the sweet spot, and play with the focus until the camera locked onto the subject.

At my next opportunity, I tried a better method to photograph them more clearly. Essentially these little guys are mostly see-through at this point, and very tiny. Trying to shoot them in super macro mode was impossible in a small dish of water, so I decided to drip them onto a black background in a small puddle.

Using my famous 5100K refugium lightbulb as a source of light from the side, I was able to take these pictures. The material was some black chloroplast (sign material) and an eye dropper was used to get a few shrimp out of the container on to my 'background'. The floodlight bulb was placed to the side of the material, and I held my camera freehand, pointed directly down on the puddle. One thing I did often was adjust my angle to the subject to capture the right amout of lighting.

These were the best out of 73 shots. Due to the speed these little guys zip around, I used IS0 400, no flash, Aperature Priority, f/2.8.

The Fuji S602Z allows the photographer to switch to Super Macro Mode, which means you can get within 1 centimeter of the object. A couple of times, I was pressing the metal frame surrounding the lens into the puddle trying to get close. This was wiped off, and the lens never got wet.

Remember, the three dots are the tail, and the larger end is the head section with a pair of huge eyes apparently. To get even larger images, using a magnification filter might work, or shooting through a magnifying glass. However, now you are juggling even more items, and that may be quite a challenge.

And here for a sense of scale, near a penny. Putting a familiar object in an image helps your viewer get a sense of scale.

The subjects in these images were only 15 minutes old when I took their pictures. ;)

And for fun, you can use a 'thought bubble' in an image, which is available in Photoshop 7. One helpful RC member just posted how to do that, and this is the result:

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Late night Photography

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:01:39 +0000

Late night Photography melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 21:01

My friend Jessy takes great late night pictures, and I asked her to show me some of her secrets. We walked down to the beach and set up our cameras on tripods, and then commenced shooting.

For the stars, 1000 ISO for 8 seconds was just about right for my D90. For the buildings, it was 85 seconds to get an interesting profile with a starburst effect from some lights. I'm shooting with a Nikon D90, and used a 50mm lens. It was set to infinity, 1000 ISO, using a tripod and IR remote trigger to avoid any camera shake. Images of stars took 8 seconds; any longer and they looked elongated due to the rotation of the earth. Images of the buildings was 85 seconds.

Paradise Island, Florida

During a trip to Arizona, I captured a few nice images in Oracle. I looked up at night and was blown away by the vast number of stars I could see. It was dark, the moon was essentially new, and I was in the mood to shoot. I called up Jessy to remind me of the settings I'd need for my Nikon D90...

She recommended ISO 1000, f/3.5, Manual Mode, focus set to infinity, and to use my infrared remote after setting the camera to "bulb" (the next point past 30 seconds per image). With my camera mounted to its tripod, I began aiming at various places in the sky, and shot images that took between 20 and 45 seconds. I tried longer periods, like once for 2 minutes, but it was washed out and the stars moved due to the earth's rotation.

I probably took 25 pictures or so, but most are of the stars themselves. Jessy recommended I get some landmarks in the images, like a tree, a mountain, a building... see for yourself if you like these.

The images were cleaned up in Photoshop: adding more blue, reducing the red, and darkening them (using Adjust Levels). Unsharp Mask set to Radius .03 at 125% made them more crisp.

Oracle, Arizona

Larger version

Lunar photography can be fun. One rare event was a full lunar eclipse during the winter months, according to a news story: http://news.lalate.com/2010/12/20/lu...stice-history/

I was ready to see this event in person, since it could be hundreds of years before it comes around again. heh I did what I could with my camera, which wasn't cooperating like I'd hoped. I ended up using my 35mm f/1.8 lens, a remote trigger, set the ISO to 3200, and varied the time from 1/6 of a second to 1/3200 of a second. It took some guesswork and about 70 images but I liked these the best.

Fort Worth, Texas - 12:14am

1:08am

1:16am

2:02am

2:05am

2:11am

With the moon blocked out, the orange hue was obvious. And all the stars came out because of the lack of moonlight to wash out the sky. I have a telescope that I pull out about once a year, but I really need to get with some astronomy peoples to learn how to use the darn thing. It's pretty frustrating to use, especially when you don't have a lot of time to target the subject like tonight.

This eclipse was predicted to last 76 minutes. The temperature was 60F but felt colder, somewhat windy, with some light clouds in the sky. Shooting in the colder winter months results in better clarity overall.

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Resize Images to Share on the Web

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 17:57:49 +0000

Resize Images to Share on the Web melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 20:57

If you use a computer that operated with Windows XP, Microsoft offers a simple PowerToy called Image Resizer. You can download it here, for free:

ImageResizerPowertoySetup.exe

Once downloaded, double click on the file to open the program. It will install quickly after a few clicks of the mouse.

Find the images on your computer you'd like to resize. Simply right click over the image, and the new option to Resize Pictures will appear in the pop-up menu.

Note: If you want to resize many at once, just highlight and select them all, then right click and click on Resize Pictures.

Choose the size you would like. I suggest 640 x 480, which is the size I normally use to share all of my images.

If you click on Advanced, there are a couple of extra options available to you, so take a look to see if they are of value to your needs.

Once you click OK, it will proceed to make a new image at the size you've selected, and it will have a new filename. The original will not be overwritten unless you've set the program to do so. Below you can see how the original image is still in the directory, and the new one is pointed out as the newest addition.

This is a great tool for those that need a quick resizer and don't want to load up any programs to do so. It is always available in the pop-up menu. Now when you share your images online, they won't be too large and will fit people's monitors when they view them.

Additional options that are webbased:

http://www.picresize.com/
http://tinypic.com/

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How to Shop for a Digital Camera

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 17:54:05 +0000

How to Shop for a Digital Camera melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 20:54

Are you considering the purchase of a digital camera? Cellphones take pictures, tablets too, but a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) is almost inevitable with this hobby. We seem to require more than just saltwater experience: You need to know how to work with electrical components, plumbing, woodworking, and more. Photography is equally important for a number of reasons. Photography allows you to document coral growth sequences over time, share your tank with others online or out of the area, and provides a sense of pride in getting an especially good picture of your favorite fish or coral.

Have you noticed how many digital cameras are being advertised these days? The prices have been dropping even as the technology improves. Picking the right one can be overwhelming, especially if you are trying to get the most 'bang for your buck'. Try to stick with names you're familiar with, because these companies will still be around a year later to support their product. Compare prices between various stores, because quite often you'll find the same camera at a better price. Buying online can save money, but there is an element of risk that the vendor is shady (even selling gray-market products not under warranty). Buying a camera in a store permits you the option to try out the camera and get a feel for it, plus the store will offer help when you run into issues.

Features to look for in a digital camera

Battery type and method of charging - can you charge it while on vacation / out of the country?
Megapixel size - 3.0 and better at this point
Storage Media - Compact Flash, Smart Media, Memory Sticks, MicroDrives
Options - Macro range, Zoom, various settings for different situations
Video - some can shoot up to 30 seconds of video, which can be useful occasionally
Accessories - Can the lens be swapped; can the camera accept upgrades?
LCD - Is it going to be visible in direct sunlight?
Playback features - what options exist to review pictures before you can download them to your computer?
Warranty or extended warranties - how long are you covered, and do you wish to purchase more coverage?

So ascertain your specific needs. I was very interested in Macro shots, because close-ups of corals fascinate me. I wanted a camera that I could use anywhere anytime that would produce great shots without costing a fortune. I basically wanted a "professional camera" even though I'm not one. While researching invididual cameras at www.dpreview.com, I learned that I was looking for a "prosumer" model (professional consumer). I compared Nikon, Canon and Fuji side by side at a local store. Each camera had amazing features, but in the end I had to decide which had the most features I was happy with. What felt good in my hand, was easy to use and would be reliable.

My first choice was the Fuji S602Z for a number of reasons. I loved the shape and the feel. The camera body is black, like the lens. I figured that my fish run away from my older digital camera because it was silver with a black lens, which to them probably looked like a black eye in a silver body and feared it was dangerous. All black makes the camera more or less invisible to my livestock. I really liked that it uses 4 AA batteries, so no matter where I am in the world, I know I can buy this size battery and be able to keep taking pictures. Other cameras have a proprietary battery, which must be charged in camera. I bought 2 packs of rechargeable AA's so I'm always prepared. Another feature that is noteworthy is that if I'm in direct sunlight, I can switch the output from the LCD to the viewfinder, so I can still review pictures taken and see them clearly.

The media that stores the pictures is limited to the amount of megs in contains. Many cameras come with a 16 meg card, which holds about 40 pictures in lower resolution. I added a 512 meg CF card. The Fuji camera mentioned above holds both Smart Media and Compact Flash simultaneously, so I can take up to 1640 pictures at 1280 x 960 (pixel size). That frees me up to take as many shots as I like when attempting to get the perfect image. Taking my camera on vacation, I won't run out of space. If I did, I could buy another Compact Flash card and insert it in the camera and put the full card somewhere safe. My camera came with a cord that allows me to view the images on a TV screen, which has proven handy. Sony uses "memory stick" technology that only works in their cameras, and it is pricey. Compact Flash is the best option at this point, in my opinion. You can take many shots back to back, reviewing them immediately to make sure you got what you were aiming for. You can even delete them when reviewing what's been taken, making space for more shots instantly.

The Macro setting is different from camera to camera. The Fuji I use can get within 1 cm of the object. Nikons take excellent macro shots and the color is considered more vivid by experts. The Canon G-3 is quite popular, and takes impressive macros. Most of these cameras have excellent auto-focusing abilities, making even amateur photographers into real pros in no time. Over time, I upgraded from the Fuji to a Nikon DSLR, complete with multiple lenses.

Are there any drawbacks? It does cost a lot up front, but no more developing fees, no more need for film, no more waiting to see if the pictures came out or not.... and alas, no prints to hand around at family events. However, you can take the media card to a photo shop and have them make prints that you've pre-selected. Another drawback: there is a slight lag time in taking pictures with a digital camera, requiring the user to anticipate action and click the shutter half a second before the event happens. That takes practice.

So shop around, find what you like and do some research at dpreview.com That site has a specific layout providing you with a wealth of knowledge, so once you've gotten familiar with that, you can work your way through the reviews more quickly. Prior to purchasing your digital camera, come discuss what you've found on your club's message board or national forum to make sure it is a good choice. A future article will go into specific techniques of aquarium photography as well as how to edit pictures successfully on your computer before posting.

Cameras I've used, past and present: HP213 pocket camera, Fuji S602z, Fuji S5100 Zoom, Nkon D70, Nikon D90, iPhone 2 through iPhone X

Camera I'm currently shooting with: Nikon D90

Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5 lens - link
Nikkor AF 50mm Prime f/1.8 lens - link
Nikkor AF-S 105mm Prime f/2.8 Macro lens - link
Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8 lens - link
External flash Nikon SB-800 - link

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Topdown Photography

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 17:38:33 +0000

Topdown Photography melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 20:38

In an effort to come up with a better way of viewing corals and clams from above, especially in photography, I came up with a box that keeps the camera & lens dry and gives the photographer the ability to bring out the vivid colors without the issues of wave motion or light reflections.

If you would like to purchase one, please visit my Reef Shop.

The top down photo box allows the lens to be submerged slightly, providing the opportunity for some lovely macro shots that bring out the pure color we usually can't see from the side viewing panels. After all, the lights shine downward and the color reflects upward, right?

Here are a few views of the box I built. The first image contains the extension tube and rubber boot from my camera. The camera is not available for the image because I needed it to take this picture. :)

The top edge of the box is shaped like a hook, allowing the user to stabilize the camera's bouyancy against the egdge of the tank.

The bottom lens is 3/8" AcryLite GP (Cast acrylic) and it is important to avoid scratching it when not in use. It is your viewing lens, after all.

The nylon screw is the same size as the tripod mounting threads in the base of most all cameras. On my Fuji, the screw lines up with the center of the barrel. I'm still able to reach all the buttons on the camera, and with the box being 6" deep, it is relatively easy to keep the camera dry at all times.

This is what it looks like from the reef's perspective. Not very intrusive, and the black walls avoid relections off the lens for the most part.

Here are a couple of shots of the earlier version, and you can see it with a camera installed. I decided later that this box was too shallow, and when I saw water moving across the viewing field, I quickly pulled the unit out of the tank.

Travis Staut of Reef-Life.com came over and tried out his Canon D-10 in my photo box, and felt that it was unfortunate to lose the ability for manual focus and manual zoom, but the trade off of getting such a great point of view made those losses acceptable. Here are a few images he took from my tank that night, all from above.

As you can see, the ability of your camera is enhanced by the closeness of the photobox to the object. DOF is easily controlled and incredible detail is available as never before. These images were taken with the pumps all on, and the light rack moved slightly out of the way as needed.

How to use a Topdown Photo Box:

Be sure not to set the box flat on a surface as the viewing panel can be scratched. If it does, you can polish out the damaged area to get a like-new viewing panel.

The box is good for photography or merely to look down at your reef tank from above, such as when viewing clams.

Be careful not to hit and damage corals with the box.

Using the hook at the top as a stabilizer against the edge of the tank can help steady your shots. You can shoot with the pumps on or off.

Be careful to make sure water doesn't pour into the box as your camera may be damaged by saltwater.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to see more images, check out the Top Down Gallery.

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Using extension tubes for close-ups

melev — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 17:29:29 +0000

Using extension tubes for close-ups melev Mon, 06/29/2020 - 20:29

For a long time now, I've followed discussion of extension tubes for macro photography. And a few years ago, I looked up what they cost and quickly dismissed them. However, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking "what if those are really what I need to get these stellar macro shots?"

Probably a year ago, I considered getting them again. I talked to someone that had them, and to someone else that had used some... one person said I could use the cheap plastic tubes (less than $10) and I'd be happy. The other person paid $200 for the Nikon brand specifically because it would pass the auto focus information from the camera to the lens itself. The cheap one would not, meaning all focus would be done manually. My eyes aren't young, and I wear corrective lenses daily. I was pretty sure I'd need the camera to focus on the subject more often than not. Plus I had huge concerns about an expensive macro lens connected to a cheap piece of plastic. What if it let go and my lens hit the ground?!

I did more reading, specifically people's opinions and reviews. As one might expect, the consensus was all over the place. I asked some local club members if they had a set I could borrow to see how they worked, but no-one responded. I dismissed the idea and decided I didn't need the hassle.

Last Sunday, I decided I had to have the extension tubes. My birthday was coming up, and I was committed to the process. Checking Amazon Prime, I found some inexpensive ones as well as the official Nikon set that was still the same price as it was years ago. As I checked the different brands, I made sure the part would fit on a Nikon D90. I read more reviews, trying to decide while heeding any warnings posted by other photographers. Shockingly, I saw some negative reviews of the Nikon set. I figured those would be tried and true, essentially bulletproof, "the" set to buy. They weren't as special as I'd thought, it seems. Why pay $200 for something you can do for $60, I mused. The Polaroid set listed all the same specifications, and after a few more deliberations it was added to my cart. Also added was a new rubber hood for the 50mm lens, a UV filter for the 72mm lens, and an off-shoe flash cable for the SB-800.

Click here to read the rest of the article on ReefAddicts.com (my other site): http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.php/407-Photography-Macro-Extension-Tubes

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