A couple of new Rainbowfish Pics

[paradise]

Here you go, was doing a new cory series (another thread) got a couple of kool snaps of the Rainbows:


http://egfoto.com/gallery/Aquatic/Freshwater/Community/Rainbowfish/rainbowfish01.jpg

http://egfoto.com/gallery/Aquatic/Freshwater/Community/Rainbowfish/rainbow-aug09-01.jpg

[phishphorphun]

Very cool Ed. That vertical shot is interesting. It isn't a common pose I've seen from a rainbow. Is all that white stuff sand?

[paradise]

Yeah, she claims the territory around the driftwood and wont let any other rainbows there. Weird. The white stuff is sand from the substrate.

[PetersCreek]

Nice pics, indeed. Melanotaenia splendida splendida, I assume? I keep a few members of Melanotaenia but don't have any of that particular species, yet. Those I do have sure don't camp out on structure like that.

Edit: Oh yeah...we're supposed to take them apart.

I guess the only nitpicks I have are with the first capture. The caudal fin doesn't seem to be fully lit . The lower lobe just kind of fades into background. Did you use a flash over that white substrate? If so, I'd have expected a bit more reflected fill lighting.

Also, the various M. splendida species have such beautifully marked finnage, I think the image would have much more impact if he was in more of a display posture. As is, it feels a bit static.

I still favor the second a lot. Besides being a good capture, it must be the unusal behavior (in my experience anyway) that appeals to me.

[RazorBlade]

This IS the critique corner, so ...

Photo #1:
- Hotspots.
- Fish looks like he's 'swimming' away.
- Body too evenly lit - lack of '3D' look.
- Pure black background (that's just a personal preference).

Photo #2:
- Black background clean-up not thorough (can still see some areas not cloned out)
- White sand particles distracting. I actually like the 'action & story' of the white sand, but in the photo it somehow 'draws' my attention away from the fish.
- I like this capture nonetheless. :-D