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FollowCaught at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park, these Jellies like to stick together.
Caught at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park, these Jellies like to stick together.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Vancouver Aquarium. As a beginner in the photography world, I found that the diverse lighting at the aquarium enabled me to practice a wide variety of skills and techniques without the hassle that can come with having to move around and wait for certain lighting.Time
I captured these glorious Jellies on January 23rd, at 12:30pm. Though the daylight is irrelevant to my photo, Jellyfish are known to be more active around noon, resting (Box Jellyfish have even been known to sleep!) in the later hours of the day.Lighting
I captured this gem at the Vancouver Aquarium, leading to some interesting tricks I've picked up to avoid the mass amounts of reflections in a building full of glass, water, and various light sources. The Jellyfish tanks tend to be backlit with very atmospheric off-yellow lighting. I am obsessed with how the Jellyfish themselves create unique shadows within the tank and the yellow glow disperses so smoothly, but my photos would always include glimpses of the people walking by reflected in the glass. That is, until one of those people, with the most amazing Nikon I've ever seen, suggested to hold my lens directly against the tank. Ever since, I have been able to focus on the natural tank lighting and avoid the "tourist" feel reflections cause.Equipment
This was shot with my Nikon D3300 and AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G lens. I tend to leave the flash off when shooting in the aquarium to avoid losing the yellow glow within the tanks. I took this freehand with the lens resting comfortably against the tank.Inspiration
I love the aquarium, it is one of my top go-to relaxation locations. I have always had a strong affiliation to Jellyfish, as well; their fluidity and bright colouring has pulled me in since my first sighting at age 6. Being a university student, it can be quite a challenge for me to find time for myself between final projects and my second passion, fitness. Because of this, my trips to watch the JellyfishEditing
I did basic editing, enhancing the contrast and colouring of the Jellyfish but beyond that, I let my camera speak for itself.In my camera bag
As a student, I take transit and eat a lot of noodles. I haven't been able to splurge on much equipment so my camera bag is rather light these days. I always carry my Nikon D3300 with my two lenses; my AF-S DX VR Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G lens and my AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4.0-5.6G lens. I also keep a granola bar or two to fuel up as I tend to lose track of time during my photo adventures.Feedback
Shooting at an aquarium can be extraordinarily challenging due to the diverse lighting and super thick layers of glass. My best advice would be to hold your lens against the glass aimed at your desired subject. In doing so, you eliminate the reflections and your lens solely captures lighting inside the desired tank making your photo much more clear and realistic. Allowing the random reflections tends to give aquarium photos a cheesy 'cartoon' feel. To me, that's what separates the good from the great. I also tend to avoid using the flash at the aquarium as I find the backlighting to be bright enough to give the image more of an underwater atmosphere then the flattening that comes along with the flash.