captivatingillusions

Don't Mess with the Clown

Canon EOS 40D

settings

Aperture f/2.8 ISO 500 Shutter 1/25 Focal Length 29/1

upload_date

May, 2015

Views

767

Likes

+141

Awards

Top Shot Award 21

Featured

People's Choice in Life in the Reef Tank Photo Challenge

Peer Award

+392

Superb Composition

+15

Top Choice

+13

Absolute Masterpiece

Outstanding Creativity

Magnificent Capture

Superior Skill

All Star

Genius

Emotions

Impressed

Happy

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Superb. Would be great to have this photograph participating in my viewbug.com/challenge/coral-reef-and-all-marine-critters-photo-challenge-by-pedronunoferreira

Beautiful!!!

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Behind The Lens

Location

One night we were invited to a family gathering that had booked the Seattle Aquarium. At least at night, there were fewer people and the light from outside was non existent.

Time

Night time.

Lighting

As all of the shots that night were through glass, I had to make some adjustments and found some unexpected side effects. If I stood away from the glass, my own reflection would appear in the shot. One shot was of a shark that seemed to be attacking my ghost. To get clear shot, the lens almost has to touch the glass and if there is any outside light present, the lens should be touching the glass. I tried the flash a few times, with the lens up against the glass, but I felt this was unfair to the fish to be stuck by intense light. Try a flash on yourself sometime, pointed at your eyes in a dark room.

Equipment

At this time, I was using a Canon 40D with a Sigma DC 18-50 1:2.8, but have since moved up to a Canon 70D. You might want to use a microfiber cloth to remove greasy fingerprints on the glass first. The tripod did not work well with the lens having to be up against the glass, so I found if the lens was placed against the glass and my elbows out to sides and against the glass, that it was fairly stable. I experimented with aperture and ISO, but had to wait until processing to find out which combo worked right.

Inspiration

I take each adventure as a time to stop and see what is around me. Most people just look and move on. To SEE is to register the colors, subject placement, light and the direction it is coming from to create shadows and most important is how can I capture a moment that will allow others to feel that they are standing right beside me. I use to scuba dive, but the Pacific NW ocean is nothing more than a liquid ice cube. Aquariums work just fine for an old man like me. Maybe when I retire?, I will move to the Tropics and dive down to the real deal.

Editing

All shots are done in RAW, so I begin with the RAW converted in Photoshop. First is properly spreading the histogram with white and black, then adjusting shadows/highlights, move clarity to 30, Vibrance to 15, adjust Exposure and finally the Temperature. HSL is use to lightly adjust individual colors and their luminance. Photshop is used for levels, then shadows/highlights for certain areas that are masked and then Smart Sharp to finish. I am not really into Over The Top processing, although people tell me that is the style that sells. Some of my older processing appears over done, but that is because I did not have a good monitor. Nobody said this was going to be cheap, although I have seen plenty of point and shot shots, with no processing, that are very very good.

In my camera bag

Canon 70D, Sigma 18-50, Sigma 70-200, Hoya super quality polarizers and clears, Sigma 2x converter, YN560 flash with diffuser, Lee .6 ND Graduated filter, Pro Master Variable ND filter, Monfrotto 725B tripod with ball head, a good quality 3 way bubble, microfiber cloths, brushes, flashlights small and an adjustable 500 lumen and a notepad all tucked into a small Case Logic backpack. The remote trigger is an i phone, so always keep it charged and keep a charger in the car. For extended vacations, I take a Wolverine external storage unit. A grab and go package.

Feedback

Treat any location as if you will never come back or catch the mood just the same way. Bracket to as many stops as possible to protect your experience. I am not a fan of HDR, but multiple exposures makes HDR a possibility. Always us a tripod for stills and landscapes. As you will keep learning new processing tricks, occasionally review old RAW files and redo them to improve the print. I was once told that a good photographer can always find a rewarding shot within 20 yards from where ever they are standing. You just have to stop, explore and SEE the shot.

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Don't Mess with the Clown

Behind The Lens

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