Recent content by IslandCrow

Thanks for the tips, and I really like what you did in Photoshop, Chris. My Photoshop skills are very basic, I'm still trying to get comfortable using layers. I had the flash angled pretty much directly towards the pipe he came out of, but I probably should have angled it a little more towards...

Very nice!

Now that I have the equipment to start playing around with off camera flash, I'm slowly learning to love it. It's still very hit or miss with me, but I'm starting to see some of the possibilities. Anyway, it took me a couple days to get this shot, but the first time I saw it through the...

1. What makes it an effective image? a. It’s a sharp photo with great color contrast. The subject is very prominent in the photo and draws the eye into it. 2. How was the photo/subject lit? a. The subject is evenly lit, and the background appears to be equally lit, indicating lighting...

Very cool picture of your crab! And what is that your goby has gotten a hold of?

My porcelain crab came out to pose a couple nights ago, so I grabbed my camera and took a few shots. Only the actinics were on, which always makes it interesting to shoot anything that moves. Fortunately, these guys stay pretty still. Anyway, I'm not sure how happy I am with how they turned...

OK, I'm going to start with the questions early. I'm sure I'll have plenty more by Sunday as I do the rest of the reading and digest what I've read so far. I've always known about white balance, but never really put it into practice. One of the things I've always wondered about, though, is...

Chris, I've noticed most of your photos have very dark backgrounds, which gives great contrast to your subjects. Are you using some Photoshop magic to get that effect, or is that how the pictures are actually shot? And I'm assuming you'll be teaching us your little trick 8)

Yeah, that wrasse was fun to photograph. He's definitely one of the most animated fish I've ever had and just loves the camera.

Very nice photos. What type of fish is that second one?

I'm looking forward to the class. I'm definitely a beginner. I haven't had any formal photography training. Just a lot of photography magazines and what my father's taught me over the years. Right now, I'm using a Canon Digital Rebel. For tank shots, my Canon 100mm macro lens is usually my...

Like I said, you can always find success stories, but a small portion of people succeeding (whether by luck, skill or more likely a combination of the two), is not good justification to recommend that course of action. Brandonberry, it's certainly good to hear that you have a healthy anemone...

If you're not having any algae problems, the RO is probably just fine, but for the long term savings alone, I'd also suggest investing in a RO/DI unit of your own. RO and distilled are pretty much the same. There was some fear for awhile that distilled may contain copper, but there doesn't...

I've heard a few success stories with BTAs kept under less than optimal lighting, but those seem to be a very small minority. That's a great book suggestion by the way. It's one of my favorites.

I wouldn't put an anemone under CF lights. It's simply not enough light for any of the hosting species of anemones. If you upgrade your lighting to quality T-5s or Metal Halides, you'll be good to go. You also want a mature tank. Up and running for at least six months is commonly suggested...