Old Stuff - Freshwater Shrimp

[GunmetalBlue]

Hi all, since reading many of the posts here, I've learned quite a bit! Thank you APF.

I'm fairly new here, and completely new to digital SLR's. I haven't fired a single shot yet because I'm still on a waiting list to get lens (the 105mm f/2.8 VR and the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR) for my D70s. After I do, there's going to be a steep learning curve, trying to incorporate all your good advice (Read: Will get worse before it gets better).

In the meantime though, as a starting point, here's some of my old stuff shot with the Nikon CP 5700. I'm a freshwater shrimp nut, mainly keeping shrimp-only type tanks.

Female Macrobrachium lanchesteri - I first bought them thinking they were Ghost shrimp until I noticed a few of my small fish missing. It turned out that these guys were preying on them and eating them; that's when I figured out they weren't the "friendlier" Ghost shrimp.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20Heres%20M%20Lanchesteri/03MLanchesteri166600W9C.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20Heres%20M%20Lanchesteri/02MLanchesteri189600W9C.jpg


All shots were done with available light except for this one. I've found that using only a direct flash, especially on shrimp, does not work well. You get glare off the carapace and in some cases, lose some transparency the shrimp may have. In other cases, the color comes out inaccurate. But this one had a dramatic quality; it was one of those "more opportunity than technique" shots. Shrimp often eat molted exoskeletons; it helps them get back nutrients such as calcium in their diet. This is what's going on here.

"Yum! I love eating my own clothes ..."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20Heres%20M%20Lanchesteri/06MLanchesteri153600W9C.jpg


Bamboo or Wood shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) are filter feeders and I like to call them "gentle giants." Despite their larger size, they won't harm even newborn shrimplets.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20Bamboo%20Pics/01Bamboo077Cropped600WC9.jpg


The afternoon sunlight hit the aquarium for this one - It could be said that it has bad bokeh and what would be considered major hotspots ... but I personally found this pic interesting nonetheless.

"I'm a dreamer, a catcher of falling stars ..."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20Bamboo%20Pics/02Bamboo040Cropped600WC8.jpg


Bamboo shrimp like hanging out around areas of high current, opening their fans and patiently filtering microscopic food items from the water. Did I already say patient? They can stand and filter in one place for hours! Here's an animated gif showing a Bamboo shrimp doing her stuff.

"Aye, batter batter batter ... SWING!"

http://www.smartgroups.com/picvault/32008458.gif/01_Bambo_Filter_Ani_Gif.gif


Male Bumblebee shrimp (Caridina sp. "Bumblebee") - I've learned since then to clean the glass before shooting ... :-P

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20Bumblebee/06BB108sig600W.jpg


Female Bumblebee shrimp with eggs. Those have hatched and I now have a little crew of shrimplets I'm taking care of.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20Bumblebee/30DSCN7465600WC.jpg


Female Red Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata sinensis, red variety) - I've not yet been able to get a good pic of the well-colored females. When it comes to the all red ones, they tend to come out like red blobs. But eventually, with better lighting (I know you folks are nuts about external flashes), equipment and improved techniques, I hope to get their beauty across some day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20RCS/19RCS426600WC.jpg


Male Red Cherry shrimp are for the most part almost colorless or slightly colored ... does not reach the more intense, fully colored out red that many of the females do.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/ZeroCatgravity/Shrimp%20-%20RCS/10RCS200600WC.jpg

-Miko

[paradise]

Miko, this is excellent stuff. Many of the shots are truely great. And this is before you get your hands on that VR, I can't wait for those pics.

I too like that "dreamer" shot, it's got technical issues but it's just SO cool. Very good. As you already saw I just got some of these guys, they are a trip.

Welcome to APF and hope you become a regular specially with the new lens. We dont have many dedicated shrimp people. There are only so many times we can find something exciting and not my Rams or bobby's peacocks :) :) (we love 'em all though).

[hir0]

great photos and excellent shrimp. that first bumblebee shrimp looks very high quality.

[Willy wombat]

Nice series with a good number of species presented. Well done

[kross]

deja vu....:-P

old....but excellent stuffs!!:-P

can't imagine if u shoot with dslr and macro lens...besides, with VR!
now i wish canon make macro lens with IS....

anyway, looking forward to your future DSLR postings!:-)

[Ibn]

Kross, VR on the macro lens isn't needed. VR/IS isn't really useful when shooting moving objects and I'd stick to just an overhead flash.

Nice shots, GB. Can't wait to see more of your pictures after you get a dedicated macro lens.

[GunmetalBlue]

Ed, thanks for the welcome and encouragement. Yes, I was delighted to see you got some Wood shrimp - hope they're settling in well for you. They may be very shy at first, but hopefully you'll see them filtering away, it's very zen when they do :-) . They might also make "sweeping" motions with their fan, picking up debris from substrate or plants. But you do want to see them feeding in their primary way, which is standing there with open fans, filtering.

Thanks for the nice comments, HirO and Willy.

Kross, hehe yes, deja vu with no new stuffs yet. :lol: Camera just sitting there looking lonely with no lens.

Eric, I've read posts where some of you, when doing macro photography, turn off the VR and also use only manual focusing. I'll have to see how all that pans out for me. I'm anticipating problems with changeover from the point and shoot camera - I'm so used to compensating for it, things like pre-focusing on a different object then pointing at the shrimp and adjusting distance; weird things like that. I need to learn how to do it the right way, like knowing how to get the settings right and also, gulp ... learning to use flash.

Unfortunately, the technical aspect is rather dry for me and thus, difficult to learn. So once I get the rest of my gear, please everyone, shove me in the right direction, even if I'm kicking and screaming - remind me it's "good" exercise for me. :-P

-Miko

[alanhill]

An interesting thread. I like these shrimp pictures and I think you'll love your macro lens when it arrives. It's obvious that you know a lot already and I expect you'll learn a lot more by trial and error. We'll be glad to help of course, probably by diagnosing the problems that have caused your errors: as I've said before, I'm sure you can't make a mistake that hasn't already been made by someone here :-).

Alan

[kross]

Kross, VR on the macro lens isn't needed. VR/IS isn't really useful when shooting moving objects and I'd stick to just an overhead flash.

Nice shots, GB. Can't wait to see more of your pictures after you get a dedicated macro lens.

heh...i was thinking of having the IS so that i can hand hold outdoor macro shots... that way, i dun have to lug my tripod around on days i do casual shoots....:-P

[Ibn]

Ah, that makes more sense; you'll just have to worry about subject movement from the elements. I'd still lug the tripod along and leave it in the car where it can be reached.

[GunmetalBlue]

We'll be glad to help of course, probably by diagnosing the problems that have caused your errors: as I've said before, I'm sure you can't make a mistake that hasn't already been made by someone here :-).

Hmm, sounds like a challenge, I'll have to come up with an incredibly zany, once in a lifetime mistake. :-D Just kidding. You're right of course, some of the questions I might have, have already been answered through past topics, and there are other answers to which I had not questioned yet, but would eventually be sure to.

Alan, it's really appreciated, you and APF making us feel comfortable about being able to ask for help when we need it, thanks. :-) Can't wait to start practicing.

-Miko

[RazorBlade]

Might be old photos, but definitely a neat collection of them. Nice variety of shrimps too.

Keep on sharing! :-D