Advertisements
Aquatic Avenue Banner Tropica Shop Banner Fishy Business Banner
Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: critique: Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese Algae Eater)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore

    critique: Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese Algae Eater)

    Advertisements
    Fresh n Marine aQuarium Banner

    Advertise here

    Advertise here
    which pic do you like/dislike and why?
    camera setting: Canon G5, manual focus 15cm, manual mode F/3.0 1/80s, Built-in flash, spot-metering, flash white balance. auto-level and cropping in photoshop.



    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Redhill
    Posts
    2,086
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    I tend to like full body pics with the fish horizontal to the image bottom (better yet, the substrate bottom) .. however that's not always possible without lots of patience.

    that said, its pic#1

    that said: you have nice depth of field on 3, fish looks sick though.. color fading/banding.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    the problem with SAE is the reflective scale, and I don't have benny's multi-flash set up, so belly ends up over exposed and scales have banding and jewel effects due to reflection. However if you look at the SAE closely there is some colour shading over the top of the back, which leads some people to claim that the SAE also has a yellow stripe above the black. I'd say this is more like shading effect similar to bony tongues (arowana).

    This particular fish seem to be in very good health, and eats only algae even at this size (close to 4 inches).

    Oh I purposely used F/3.0 to blur out the background.
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    alternatively it could mean I need to calibrate my monitor again before I do post processing in photoshop []
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    chris, perhaps you prefer one of these? but the hairgrass gets in the way…


    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Redhill
    Posts
    2,086
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    pic2 of the second set. nice !

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Beauty World
    Posts
    7,114
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    789
    Country
    Singapore
    The 1st picture of the second set is quite good in my opinion although it's a little underposed overall. I don't find the hairgrass to be a problem at all. In fact, it's quite a natural background.

    I do find that the belly is slightly over exposed in most of the pictures. But I suppose this is always a problem when using built in flash with white bellied fishes. Why don't you consider using your 420 EX as a bounce flash with a white cardboard above your tank. It works almost as well as a multi flash set up.

    Cheers,
    I have dwarf cichlids in my tanks! Do you?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    hi benny, bounce the flash back down? that means I'd have to remove the floating plants… maybe I'd try it again, I used a algae wafer to attract the guy to the front of the tank. perhaps I'd try adjusting the brightness a bit in ps see how.

    problem with the HG is that their roots are showing, this is also the reason why I plan to tear down the tank.
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Beauty World
    Posts
    7,114
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    789
    Country
    Singapore
    ----------------
    On 10/25/2003 12:16:07 PM

    hi benny, bounce the flash back down? that means I'd have to remove the floating plants... maybe I'd try it again, I used a algae wafer to attract the guy to the front of the tank. perhaps I'd try adjusting the brightness a bit in ps see how.

    problem with the HG is that their roots are showing, this is also the reason why I plan to tear down the tank.
    ----------------
    Yup. Put a large white sheet (maybe acrylic) above the tank and an angle of about 20 degrees max. Point the flash upwards to the new "ceiling" and the flash will be bounced downwards and spread more evenly too. However, you cannot shoot to near the tank because of potential reflection and your subject is best to be a bit further back from the front glass pane. Alternatively, put the "false ceiling" higher, but parallel to the substrate, this will go easy on the reflection, but your flash output needs to be increased.

    As for the floating plants, don't remove all. Try to leave some around the edges to see if they can cast an interesting shadow around the sides of the subject. It may turn out well.

    By the way, I don't find the roots to be unslightly too. To me, your plants seems to form a kind of "theatre" and the gravel is like the staging. A bit like an amphitheatre concept.

    Cheers,
    I have dwarf cichlids in my tanks! Do you?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    yah, that's what happens when you don't trim your HG for 10 months, they grow onto their own mulp and now when I trim they start to float off the gravel!

    the HG you see in the pics is only two weeks old from the botak trimming (and I mean BOTAK!). darn things grow like nobody's business []

    that's why I used f/3 to ensure the plants are blurred.
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    singapore
    Posts
    145
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    ----------------
    [/quote]

    Yup. Put a large white sheet (maybe acrylic) above the tank and an angle of about 20 degrees max...

    ----------------
    [/quote]

    Or styrofoam ..

    See this. Link was provided by Benny some time back.

    Regarding preference of pics, I prefer 3rd pic from 1st set.

    Cheers!
    ckchua

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    ----------------
    On 10/25/2003 11:20:17 AM

    The 1st picture of the second set is quite good in my opinion although it's a little underposed overall. I don't find the hairgrass to be a problem at all. In fact, it's quite a natural background.
    ----------------
    this is the pic that has the HG obstructing part of the fish, but do you find it more "natural" to have fish and plants mingling?

    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    singapore
    Posts
    145
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    ----------------
    On 10/31/2003 4:19:02 AM

    this is the pic that has the HG obstructing part of the fish, but do you find it more "natural" to have fish and plants mingling?

    ----------------
    Sorry, kaypoh .. I think it's very "natural" to have plants and fish mingling, but find the roots are too in-focus, and distracted the presentation.

    Just my 2 cents []
    ckchua

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    yah agree, that's why never show previously. giving up the HG soon []
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
    Posts
    8,958
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Images
    104
    Country
    Singapore
    ----------------
    On 10/25/2003 4:37:20 AM

    the problem with SAE is the reflective scale, and I don't have benny's multi-flash set up, so belly ends up over exposed and scales have banding and jewel effects due to reflection. However if you look at the SAE closely there is some colour shading over the top of the back, which leads some people to claim that the SAE also has a yellow stripe above the black. I'd say this is more like shading effect similar to bony tongues (arowana).

    ...
    ----------------
    I am one of those who claim some SAEs have a faint/almost invisible gold line above the black. That line does not look anything like the effect cause by the colour shading.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •