OK, here is the whole story.
I get an early morning phone call requesting I stop posting subpar pictures in the AZ reef club forum. Sounds as though some real local photographers have taken issue to what I thought were pretty decent snapshots. I agreed to cash in my $50 gift card and take a lesson from Eric. I don't think I really had a choice, but he claimed to be skilled enough that it would only take him 10 minutes to school me into really good photo taking skills.
This is where it really turns weird.
About 20 minutes later I hear very high RPM exhaust, tire squealing, and smell burning rubber. This is what I run outside to see.
Now I live in a mostly retired, snowbird, golf cart neighborhood and there is still smoke, asphalt and grass in the air. One of his last donuts caught the corner of my yard and will need to be re-sodded. The neighborhood dogs are barking and I can hear sirens coming. I let him pull the car into my garage and we go inside. I present him the EZ photography gift card I got for Christmas and he asks to see some of my prized photos. All of a sudden his tripod is smashing against my head (at least that is what I think I remember) and I'm knocked to the ground. He proceeds to put me into an arm bar and rub salt into my eyes until I give in and agree to not take anymore pictures until he is done teaching me the basics on aperture, ISO, and the rule of thirds. Needless to say I was a class scholar as all I wanted was the weekend to get back to normal. I sat in my office chair flushing my eyes and putting heat on my shoulder and arm while he snapped picture after picture of my fish tank. He had some pretty hurtful comments on some of my coral placements but I won't go into that. (I will keep it civil)
Eric took some wonderful pictures of my tank and I will include some of my favorites he forgot to post. He did educate me on how to take better pictures and after I get his approval I will post some later this week. He did take a liking to a couple of frags I had on my frag rack and oddly enough they're now missing. In my hazy state I seem to recall him saying I like these and I'm taking them. I think he may be drinking that Acro Power and it is inducing steroid like roid raging. He even snapped off some acro branches that he didn't agree with their growth pattern. Looks like I will have some frags for the next PROP auction.
I made Eric some warm tea and it calmed him down long enough for me to get him on his way back home, or to the nearest psychiatrist. I'm hoping there will be no repercussions for me posting these additional pictures or sharing my bizarre experience with another respected local reefer. Eric really is a good guy.
My favorite - Pearlberry
Combo - Acro from Great Ocean Wonders, Unknown Blue acro, and Green branching psammacora.
Wild Aussie Acro.
I did make a lighting change this weekend and I will post in a few weeks on how it is progressing. I can say that I'm seeing some very vivid colors that I didn't see before, and even the fish look better. The 48" Maristar fixture I was using worked wonderfully, but I had to tinker with another technology.
What I'm testing. I still have the MH's for a quick return if needed.
I hope this mostly true story is entertaining for everyone's Monday read. JP
