Evening Macro's

maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
I think this week will be zoa's....This detail thing on the macro's is driving me nuts, it's hit or miss and not sure why the details are missing.....I'm starting to think that the optics of the glass used on the aquarium are partial to blame. I'm going to make floating tray and do some "top down" macros shooting thru the water as opposed to thur glass and see if it makes a difference.
These are my all time favorite zoa's, the green is actually almost a matt green with purple mouth,..not a fast grower but worth the money..

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These are almost a reverse of the ones above, colors are way off in this image.

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maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
I've been obsessing over this little stalk of orange/green cloves for about 3 weeks, several hundred pics and still can't capture the orange......

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This is my favorite zoa rock, it's totally encrusted with maybe 5 colormorphs along with the neon green rock anemones
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
The 1st zoa's are pretty sweet, kinda small but they are the very first ones that everyone see's....Can't even begin to capture the colors on that one, although the colors in the image are pretty close.
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I've actully found several color morphs on this rock, subtle changes from zoa to zoa, some of them the skirts are starting to turn more teal, would be very cool if I could manage to growout some of the unusual morphs...
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Beautiful pics!!
Looks like you got a baby poci in the very first pic, is that what that is??
 
rhagemann

rhagemann

Member
Max,
Here's what one of your zoas looks like after having the image sharpened using Photoshop CS2 (cropped from image #3 of your 6:12 PM posting today). Especially noticeable on the skirts...
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
I've never been much of a computer person, I can turn them on and surf the web kinda stuff....Looks like I'm going to have to learn some photo programs....Do you like photoshop CS2? or what would be a good program to start with
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
Oh yeah, the color touchup that you did is almost perfect....Thats almost exactly the color of the zoa
 
rhagemann

rhagemann

Member
Max,
I like CS2, but then again, I've never used CS2 so I have nothing to compare this program to. I've just learned enough to make me dangerous to be honest. Most of the processes I've learned are from reading on-line and from the ole' reliable trial & error method.
Kinda weird about the color accenting huh? Gonna be kinda trippy to see them in person. If you're cool with it, I'll bring my laptop when I come over so I can show you how I processed your pic in CS2.
Sending you a PM also ok?
DISCLAIMER: I am by no means a CS2 expert, nor do I proclaim to be. Just the basics here, but still pretty decent results considering the amount of time I've spent playing with it. I've seen ALOT better for sure....better than anything I could think of doing. I do prefer keeping it simple, sharpening and color balance to compensate for what I lose from camera to file.
Cheers,
Rob
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
Pm sent....Friday is good for me.
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I'm going to try and make an open top pen the will sit on top of the frag shelves and see if we can do some "top down photos" I really starting to think that they used crappy glass in this tank, makes no sense as to the focus, the color is another issue.
 
wangotango

wangotango

Active Member
Do you want to come over and take pics of my tank? It's about time for a photo-update...
I don't have the patience to learn the camera.
-Justin
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
This is one of my nicer Duncans, Almost certain that it's an ORA. This shot is more to show the new babies, total of 9 all the way around

 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
In person these are pretty wild looking, you don't see too many in this shade of electric orange.

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and the not so good close up.....ARGH...Huff snort... I know I'm kinda picky, I will solve this color/detail problem
 
warlock_king

warlock_king

Member
Love that duncan.
The other shots look good as well. As for the color, I use an old version of photoshop to sharpen and color balance alot of my photos as well. Really simple to do. I just use a cheaper kodak digital camera so as long as its a clear picture I can usually get pretty close to the right colors on the computer.
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
One last pic...
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It's the glass!....Just did a little test and the thicker the glass the weirder the AF system works... I actually have a serious 15y background in optics, my job for the longest time
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I'm seriously onto this one, gota find the abbe values of various glass used in most aquariums. I can usually spot a wave or abberation in a tanks glass just thru visually looking at fixed spot and walking L & R. 95% of most tanks will have atleast a couple of these, it's that effect of distortion that messes with some peoples equlibrium. Causes all kinda inner eye, inner ear and reaction motor skills problems..
Otherwise, if you can see a really faint distortion or shift in an image when you walk by a tank, thats an abberation in the glass surface, if you follow the distortion pattern you will see whats called a wave, it's a classic pattern In flat rolled glass.
If it's tempered or laminated most of the rollers used during production leave a micro bump in the surface of the glass, you will only be able to see this diamond if you were wearing polarizing sunglasses and you look over and see this diamond pattern in another cars window glass, its basically an optical stress mark during manufacturing...polarizing effect is kinda trippy when you see how the lens is actually made.
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My past career was making, by hand, optical lens and very specialized optic insturments. Nothing to do with camera's, I wish!
 
brandan

brandan

Member
Wow, truly amazing Max. Everyday you always have something awesome to offer for everyones viewing pleasure. I must say, your Macro shots always make me want to go spend $1k on corals, and another $2k on a camera, lol. After seeing these, wow, the things I would do for a Digital SLR right now. If you don't mind can I ask you how old you are and how long you have been in photography? I think you had a post on this awhile back, but I don't think I read it. As always, looks great!!!!!!!
 
maxalmon

maxalmon

Active Member
Originally Posted by Brandan
another $2k on a camera, lol. After seeing these, wow, the things I would do for a Digital SLR right now. If you don't mind can I ask you how old you are and how long you have been in photography? I think you had a post on this awhile back, but I don't think I read it. As always, looks great!!!!!!!

42yo......
You don't have to spend 2k on a decent camera, I'm using a d40x kit that cost me $525...Spent a wee bit little more on the 105mm VR macro and 55-205mm VR lens
I've been taking pics for maybe 2 months, I'm kinda analytical by nature and I was having serious focus issues... I finally just sat back and "looked" at everything and saw a commom thread...The glass....
 
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