New Macro Pics w/NightSea gear
- Thread starter juniormc8704
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juniormc8704
New member
Hope you like the pics. All these were taken with a Nikon D300, Tamron 90mm Macro lens, NightSea flashlight, and NightSea lens filter.
You can see more of these pics at my website by clicking on the little red house.
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"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
I had Dr. Mazel (who is a fantastically nice guy, BTW) cut filters to fit over my flash guns to get the light from the flash to the correct wavelength to produce fluorescence. Then, there is another filter that goes on the end of the camera lens to filter _that_ light out, so all that's left is the light from the coral's fluorescence.
Really cool stuff. I saw that Blue Zoo Aquatics just had an interview with Dr. Mazel: http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/resources.asp?show=23
Really cool stuff. I saw that Blue Zoo Aquatics just had an interview with Dr. Mazel: http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/resources.asp?show=23
juniormc8704
New member
yeah, i talked to Phyll here on RC about it, and after my convo passed on the flash filter...
i use the flashlight for now.
Im looking into getting an entire tank light made so i could light up the whole tank...but dont even know where to start.
could you imagine a full tank shot with everything just glowing like that?
i use the flashlight for now.
Im looking into getting an entire tank light made so i could light up the whole tank...but dont even know where to start.
could you imagine a full tank shot with everything just glowing like that?
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
So, if I may ask, how'd you set up the shot? I ask because those are some of the crispest fluorescence shots I've seen. #3 is a little too sharpened for my taste, but that notwithstanding you wound up with an amazing amount of detail in your photos and they are just gorgeous.
Pumps off? A good tripod, obviously? What am I missing?
I wonder if the flashlight puts out more light than the flashguns and if that helps the shot. At any rate, congrats on some beautiful photos!
Pumps off? A good tripod, obviously? What am I missing?
I wonder if the flashlight puts out more light than the flashguns and if that helps the shot. At any rate, congrats on some beautiful photos!
juniormc8704
New member
well when using any flash light you have better control of where the light is going to stop.
plus its waterproof...so i moved it to the front of my tank, and left a couple inches behind it open. positioned the light so that all of its intensity was on only the coral. the small amout of base that appears dark dark red...almost black was eliminated by increasing the black levels in photoshop.
manfotto tripod, pistol grip head.
i was torn on the sharpening...it shows a little too much halo, but was worth it for the extra detail it brought out. ill re-edit it with less and you can see what you think.
plus its waterproof...so i moved it to the front of my tank, and left a couple inches behind it open. positioned the light so that all of its intensity was on only the coral. the small amout of base that appears dark dark red...almost black was eliminated by increasing the black levels in photoshop.
manfotto tripod, pistol grip head.
i was torn on the sharpening...it shows a little too much halo, but was worth it for the extra detail it brought out. ill re-edit it with less and you can see what you think.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Yep, the black levels are where it's at on these. I took these photos with the metal halides _on_ and managed to get rid of most of the extraneous light with the blacks control (in the Camera RAW palette). It was "shadows" back then in an older version of PS, but it's the same control.
Dr. Mazel talks about a similar trick on his site. It's all about exploiting the difference in light between the intense fluorescence and everything else in the tank. Just like taking macro photos with flash that come out with black backgrounds. The difference in light intensity between foreground and background is too great for the background to expose correctly, so you just get black. (You obviously know this, juniormc8704. This was just to explain the trick for others.)
BTW, sharpening is really all about aesthetic differences for me. Lots of people like lots of it. Lots hate it. Whatever works for you.
Dr. Mazel talks about a similar trick on his site. It's all about exploiting the difference in light between the intense fluorescence and everything else in the tank. Just like taking macro photos with flash that come out with black backgrounds. The difference in light intensity between foreground and background is too great for the background to expose correctly, so you just get black. (You obviously know this, juniormc8704. This was just to explain the trick for others.)
BTW, sharpening is really all about aesthetic differences for me. Lots of people like lots of it. Lots hate it. Whatever works for you.
VivaBorg
New member
:eek1: Wow that would be INSANE on your tank Jr. Ill have to come over and check that out when you get that going....its going to look AMAZING especially with whats it your tank.
I know you must of picked one up by now.....Does the Purple Plasma show any florecents with the nightsea?
juniormc8704
New member
yes purple plasma looks nutz under NightSea. Although, it was so close to what my GARF bonsai, i didnt find the need to photograph it.
juniormc8704
New member
Yeah, i got a little carried away with the unsharp mask:lol:
However, as its more of an artistic approach to photography, not a documentation of its real look, i personally loved the extra detail it brought out, even though it added some artifacts.
If it were to be in a MASNA calender for example i would fine tune it a bit less.
However, as its more of an artistic approach to photography, not a documentation of its real look, i personally loved the extra detail it brought out, even though it added some artifacts.
If it were to be in a MASNA calender for example i would fine tune it a bit less.
InsaneClownFish
New member
#3 is my favorite too. Those pics are pretty damn cool all around
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