Octopus02_Monterey Bay Aquarium
Mar, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, CA.Time
This was taken in the morning and the animals seems to be more active then.Lighting
The lighting is very low in most of the displays. This display happened to be lit well from above the tank.Equipment
I was using a Nikon D7000 with a Sigma 17-50 lens, which I find to be pretty sharp. It was a challenge because of the low light conditions. I used ISO 3200 and didn't want to go higher because of noise, however that wasn't enough to get a good exposure, so I ended up using a slow shutter speed and shooting continuous, hoping to get a shot where the subject wasn't moving too much.Inspiration
I find the octopus to be a very interesting animal, kind of mysterious, and one that we don't see a lot of.Editing
I just did some basic development in Lightroom. you know, opening up some shadows, pulling back highlights, added contrast and vibrance. The D7000 sensor is pretty good with colors and dynamic range for an APS-C sensor in my opinion. These days most DSLRs and even mirrorless cameras seem to have sensors with a lot of dynamic range which is little more forgiving in varying light conditions, and allows us to get shots that would be almost impossible 10 years ago.In my camera bag
I've since started using a Nikon D600. Lately I've been carrying a Sigma 24-105 F/4 ART series lens, and a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VRII. Sometimes I carry a flash, and almost always bring a tripod. You can't always use it, but just in case, I want it with me.Feedback
I would say to take your time and try some different settings. You have to be patient because the animals aren't always cooperative. I was lucky that this guy seemed to be showing off at the time I was at that particular tank. He kept swimming back and forth right in front, but I haven't always been that lucky.
