View Full Version : Aquatic POTM February Discussion Thread
paradise
02-01-2005, 8:41 PM
This is the thread for discussing February 2005's Aquatic POTM, located here:
http://aquatic-photography.com/cgi-bin/voting/vote.pl?contest=2050
Critique is encouraged. You can state who you voted for, if you'd like, but we are also looking on your commentary of the contest, to help others judge what you are looking for, and learn how to do it better.
NOTE: This thread is locked, and will be UNLOCKED after the contest is over.
paradise
02-16-2005, 10:13 AM
Congratulations to Jessica for winning our First 2005 Aquatic POTM.
Excellent photo, the second I saw it I knew it had the flair, uniqueness and clarity to make it stand out of ANY crowd.
http://aquatic-photography.com/forum/contests/0205a/01.jpg
OK, let's discuss the contest ....
alanhill
02-16-2005, 4:04 PM
Excellent photo, the second I saw it I knew it had the flair, uniqueness and clarity to make it stand out of ANY crowd.
Likewise :-D
I'm really jealous, I've never even seen a Weedy Sea Dragon >-)
But I know that if I did, I would be ecstatic if I could take a photo as good as this.
Very well done!
Alan
congratulations! nice shot.
ladyjai
02-16-2005, 6:50 PM
Thanks much! It is one of my favorite shots ever. I got it about 2 years ago when in San Diego. I fell in love with the leafy sea dragons and if I ever go salt, it will be for those critters. Their setup was quite nice, even with the curved glass, it was very well arranged for photographing. I think it is one of their main attractions, so if you are ever in sandiego... ;-).
Though, I did start thinking after I sent it in, I could have cropped it out a tad more. It is a hypnotizing critter.
meriadoc
02-16-2005, 7:24 PM
its a great photo ladyjai, but i hate to burst your bubble but the leafy seadragon is a protected species, and thus technically illegal to keep.
there are people out there that will sell them, but they're untrustworthy ;) and you risk getting a rather hefty fine if ya keep them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafy_sea_dragon
http://www.earlham.edu/~warreem/seadragons.htm
Great picture.
On top of that, they require a lot of attention and aren't easy to keep as common seahorses.
JerseyJay
02-16-2005, 10:38 PM
Well done Jessica.
CodeToad
02-17-2005, 12:08 AM
Congrads Jessica, you deserved it! Great creature and great shot!
I do find the crop to be a bit to tight. Also, the Chromatic abberation is very apparent at the tips of the frilly bits, especially the tail.
But nevertheless, the leafy sea dragon is indeed an impressive subject.
Congratulations Jessica!
Cheers,
meriadoc
02-17-2005, 1:16 AM
actually benny - having shot in aquariums and with these fish, the edges of their fins for some reason tend to highlight. I've always had problems with them and their fins - i doubt even some L glass could prevent that...
Just thought I'll share my choice of an excellent picture.
http://aquatic-photography.com/forum/contests/0205a/10.jpg
Somehow this one works really well for me. Look at the fine detail and the sense of depth. As well as the perky attitude of the little cichlid. Perhaps a green background will make this an even more excellent shot than it already is.
Cheers,
ladyjai
02-17-2005, 2:06 AM
I guess I should have mentioned before, my chances of getting a salt-water tank were around 1 in a million :-D. I'm aware how difficult these are to take care of, extremely expensive, and the chances of obtaining one would be... well, problematic to say the least. I'm just simply not interested in saltwater fish, and no amount of beautiful pictures or aquarium viewing has changed my mind. So don't worry about me going off and trying to get some(or even having a bubble to burst :-D). I'd rather save up for a DSLR, and a car for that matter....
thanks benny and lisa, i'll try and keep that in mind if I get a chance to photograph them again this summer.
paradise
02-17-2005, 3:26 AM
Benny, I agree with you. The ram picture is technically the best one. The only problem I have w/it is that the dorsal tip is underexposed, so that you can not see the very tip. Otherwise a perfect subject, placement, and crop. Very good. I actually scored them both the same, the dragon based on the complexity and uniqueness of the shot, and the ram based on pure quality. Those two were way ahead of the competition.
The only problem I have w/it is that the dorsal tip is underexposed, so that you can not see the very tip.
Actually, the exposure is correct. The black background drowned the details on the dorsal fin tip as there is no contrast.
Cheers,
Bjarne
02-17-2005, 8:25 AM
Jessica: Congratulation to you for your winning picture in this contest :)
...and guys, thanks for good critique on my contribution in this contest. Nice reading:)
Precarious Arma
03-01-2005, 10:26 AM
the leafy seadragon is not only protected, they are "highly protected" simply because they were nearly fished to extinction due to demand from the aquarium trade. Apparently only 3 public aquariums worldwide have successfully and legally succeeded in keeping leafy seadragons, due to their demand for the correct live foods. Leafy seadragons have never successfully been bred through a full generation in captivity. Poaching is still a threat, with poachers targetting pregnant males, so they can raise the babies and sell them.
elTwitcho
03-14-2005, 1:25 AM
Great shot, glad to see it won. It might have minor technical issues that some other people noticed (quite honestly, I didn't) but it was the one that made me stop and look at it for the longest amount of time. Really interesting shot and composition, I loved it
ladyjai
03-16-2005, 12:09 AM
Great shot, glad to see it won. It might have minor technical issues that some other people noticed (quite honestly, I didn't) but it was the one that made me stop and look at it for the longest amount of time. Really interesting shot and composition, I loved it
thank you!