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Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
All great looking fish!
T
tug
Guest
Alright now, the editing of some pictures is a little heavy handed.
And, the edited photos seem to be more popular then a bottle of Boone's Farm is to a teenager -
except the editing package costs more.
I like the fish floating in the very dark black, emptiness.
White Zinfandel, anyone?
And, the edited photos seem to be more popular then a bottle of Boone's Farm is to a teenager -
except the editing package costs more.
I like the fish floating in the very dark black, emptiness.
White Zinfandel, anyone?
jonclark96
Past CCA President
Mike:
I don't think the photo is as edited as you make it out. It is the difference between a point and shoot and using a high end camera with a flash above the fish rather than in front of the glass. A clubmember came over to my house to take some pictures once (as I am not a skilled photographer myself) and they came off his camera pretty close to the image above.
In any case, it is a great photo of a beautiful fish. It got my vote.
I don't think the photo is as edited as you make it out. It is the difference between a point and shoot and using a high end camera with a flash above the fish rather than in front of the glass. A clubmember came over to my house to take some pictures once (as I am not a skilled photographer myself) and they came off his camera pretty close to the image above.
In any case, it is a great photo of a beautiful fish. It got my vote.
T
tug
Guest
Joan, thank you so much. I was not trying to be a proponent for average pictures. Anyone trying to take pictures of their fish wants to take better pictures of their natural beauty. What that means we should do and why, I'm note trying to say. I like the photo and the fish is beautiful. I'm saying I might have liked it more if it looked a little less perfect. I gave them all a thumbs up.
Because the majority rules, some votes might seem to be more important then others but each one has something to offer. That's why we play.
Because the majority rules, some votes might seem to be more important then others but each one has something to offer. That's why we play.
T
tug
Guest
Let me apologies by saying, and i shouldn't, the pic i enjoy looking at the most - I'm most mesmerized with - is pic. c. That picture would not have ended up in edit, so nicely, were it not for a picture of a great fish to start with. I'm only a hater cause it's too hard to compete. 
There's definitely the kernel of something interesting here, which I have thought about a lot in taking photos.
Jon is right -- the shallow (i.e. black) background created by a flash is a conscious technique. It's a popular one for fish pictures, though not the only one. You can see that by the way the light moves across the fish's body -- the shadow from the back of the dorsal fin across its tail.
I have tried to do take pictures under this technique and found it very hard to execute well. I find it challenging to balance the flash output and the aperture/shutter to get that effect. I always blow out some highlight somewhere or, worst case, my fish looks downright ghoulish. As far as I can tell from having tried to do this, C is a very technically accomplished photo. As well as being of a nice fish.
To tug's point in the "not too perfect" comment, this is one style among many. Sometimes I do rue that it seems to be the go-to approach of what people think of as "high end" fish photography.
I think there's a lot to be said also for pictures that get the fish in a natural looking scenario; pics that are innovative in the way they capture the fish; pics that capture the fish doing something cool -- which often are so fleeting you can barely get your camera out, let alone stage great lighting. They're all just different.
I think the ultimate strength of PotM is that it encompasses so many different approaches -- see my question on that in http://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15571 -- and I think it's great to continue to look for the virtues of each (with due kindness and consideration to those who like to take pictures that way!).
Jon is right -- the shallow (i.e. black) background created by a flash is a conscious technique. It's a popular one for fish pictures, though not the only one. You can see that by the way the light moves across the fish's body -- the shadow from the back of the dorsal fin across its tail.
I have tried to do take pictures under this technique and found it very hard to execute well. I find it challenging to balance the flash output and the aperture/shutter to get that effect. I always blow out some highlight somewhere or, worst case, my fish looks downright ghoulish. As far as I can tell from having tried to do this, C is a very technically accomplished photo. As well as being of a nice fish.
To tug's point in the "not too perfect" comment, this is one style among many. Sometimes I do rue that it seems to be the go-to approach of what people think of as "high end" fish photography.
I think there's a lot to be said also for pictures that get the fish in a natural looking scenario; pics that are innovative in the way they capture the fish; pics that capture the fish doing something cool -- which often are so fleeting you can barely get your camera out, let alone stage great lighting. They're all just different.
I think the ultimate strength of PotM is that it encompasses so many different approaches -- see my question on that in http://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15571 -- and I think it's great to continue to look for the virtues of each (with due kindness and consideration to those who like to take pictures that way!).
JasonC
Members
+1
chris_todd
Members
Excellent comments, Wendy. Obviously, whoever took photo C has good equipment and knows what the heck they are doing with it, and they got a great shot of an awesome fish. And that's why it got my vote.
seaweeddeluxe
Members
You give Boone's Farm to teenagers??? What??
;0
;0
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
+1.
scientist0724
Members
When this month's contest is done, I want to know who the photographer is. I'd like a couple of tanks have "their picture taken" for some future aquascaping entries I'd like to do in the future
Arlene
Arlene
T
tug
Guest
I could still win.
To do that, I need to have the great fish. More fish keeping experience, maybe then.
All kidding aside, having this artist take the picture might be the way to go.
But, I still miss my Kodachrome.
To do that, I need to have the great fish. More fish keeping experience, maybe then.
All kidding aside, having this artist take the picture might be the way to go.
But, I still miss my Kodachrome.
T
tug
Guest
Yea, I did try to edit that. The first post should read, "to our teenagers."
seaweeddeluxe
Members
joking! Haven't heard "Boone's" in a while....made me a little queasy! If I even see a bottlle of Southern Comfort I have a headache for 2 days!
Greengirl
Members
Is there a prize for the winner of the POTM? Because that is the only reason I can think of to take a professional photo. Must be expensive.
verbal
CCA Members
The prize is a CCA shirt. The entries must be the submitters photo. Although it does not have to be your fish.
seaweeddeluxe
Members
This debate about "too professional" or "overly touched-up" can be a factor in the voting. If you don't like it vote for a different photo! Many people have digital SLR cams these days that take fantastic photos and with minor digital editing can reach near pro-looking levels (for the untrained eye anyway!). Again, if you think it's too "doctored" vote for another!
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Look folks... let's not go crazy here. This contest has been around for a very long time and we've had all manner of pictures submitted every month. If you're not saying anything good about a photo, then don't say anything.
Statements like"too perfect," "overly touched up," "expensive equipment" are not contributing the thread or the spirit of this contest.
Cut it out and just appreciate the photos.
Statements like"too perfect," "overly touched up," "expensive equipment" are not contributing the thread or the spirit of this contest.
Cut it out and just appreciate the photos.
verbal
CCA Members
One great thing about this contest is the variety of pictures(and winners) that it attracts.
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