Critique my fish shots

blairblair Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
edited June 9, 2004 in People
Hi,
I am new to this and am looking for help in making my macro photos better. Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Blair


This is my 3 inch long Lepidiolamprologus kendalli
145366589swqCpw_ph.jpg
145366601mxSDha_ph.jpg

145367709CWxelB_ph.jpg

Comments

  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited May 24, 2004
    blair wrote:
    Hi,
    I am new to this and am looking for help in making my macro photos better. Any help would be great.
    Thanks,
    Blair


    This is my 3 inch long Lepidiolamprologus kendalli
    145366589swqCpw_ph.jpg
    145366601mxSDha_ph.jpg

    145367709CWxelB_ph.jpg
    Am I the only viewer not seeing any images?
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • blairblair Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited May 24, 2004
    They're showing up for me. could there be a problem? Something I did wrong?
  • gubbsgubbs Registered Users Posts: 3,166 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2004
    I can't see them either, how have you posted the pictures?
    There are some instructions here if that's any help
  • blairblair Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited May 24, 2004
    They are stored on webshots. I linked to them as it tells me to so I don't understand why they aren't showing up?

    I'll try doing them as an attached file:

    #1
  • blairblair Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited May 24, 2004
    #2
  • blairblair Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited May 24, 2004
    #3
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited May 24, 2004
    blair wrote:
    #3
    Now they are coming in just fine. I am not an expert in aquarium shooting, but I do have couple of comments. Reflections are frequently a problem and a circular polarizing filter can help this a great deal. The light in your images seems to be from above - a aquarium cover light perhaps? Not a full spectrum light, but maybe tungsten balanced? Side lighting might be more flattering for you fishy friends.

    I try to use flash from the side or via a ringlight right against the side of the aquarium to avoid reflections. Flash also allows smaller aperatures and thus greater depth of field. Sometimes the flash can be diffused with paper or a hanky over theflash head also. You may need a flash extension cord to use the flash off of your camera in this manner if this is possible with your camera. Did you specify what camera you are using?

    And you images look slightly green on my monitor ar work - It may be my monitor, but not entirely I think.

    Overall I think you have made a good start, and now have a few suggestions that may help you improve your next attempts which I hope to see here soon. Welcome.lickout.gif

    Maybe SeaMaiden and a few of her friends will have some suggestions also - they seem to be the real aquatic photgraphers here.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • blairblair Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited May 25, 2004
    Thanks Pathfinder! I will try some of the things you suggest! Watch for more photos
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2004
    Pathfinder is right, you need to pay better attention to the way these shots are lit and you need to worry about reflections from the tank. But I really liked one of these shots and enhanced it in PS a bit. Here it is:

    4533284-M.jpg

    What I did: Changed image mode to LAB. Steepened the a & b curves asymmetrically:

    4533285-M.gif

    4533288-M.gif

    I called this asymmetric because the ends of the curves have been moved by different amounts, leading to the center point moving from the 0,0 point. This kind of LAB move can radically change the cast of an image. LAB has an extremely wide gamut (it is very easy to make colors outside the visible spectrum) so a little goes a long way. The A curve controls magenta<->green and the B curve controls yellow<->blue. So the effect of my curves is to make the picture more magenta and more blue, providing some balance for the yellow-green cast of the original. One great thing about LAB is that it is very easy to recognize neutral colors or to force points to neutral via curves. A point is neutral if its A and B channel values are both 0.

    After applying the curves I sharpened on the L channel:

    4533289-M.gif

    Another of the great things about the LAB colorspace is that the lumonisity channel is completely separate for the color channels. That implies that USM on the L channel makes only neutral halos.
    If not now, when?
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2004
    blair wrote:
    They are stored on webshots. I linked to them as it tells me to so I don't understand why they aren't showing up?

    I'll try doing them as an attached file:

    #1

    Perhaps Webshots does not allow linking? Or perhaps they require an extra fee? ne_nau.gif
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • SeamaidenSeamaiden Registered Users Posts: 339 Major grins
    edited June 9, 2004
    blair wrote:
    #3
    I really wish I could figure whether or not this shot attached for me or not.. in any event, it's a great shot. Go to reefs.org and check the photo forum, you will get your best tips and techniques for shooting fish in aquaria. What lake does this Lepidiolamprologus kendalli hail from?
    Youth and Enthusiasm
    Are No Match For
    Age and Treachery
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