Hello Everyone!

rjl45

rjl45

Clown Fish
#1
#1
I decided I better post an introduction and say hello to all the great people here. I joined the forum a few months ago because I just started my first saltwater aquarium. There are many fantastic people here and tons of great information. Thank you all! I met some at the coral extravaganza a few weeks back and look forward meeting more in the near future.

I am a civil engineering design manager focused primarily on water related projects; surface water, water/wastewater, and dams. I have completed projects both locally and internationally. It's a good career, but more importantly pays for my real passions in life (in addition to my family), photography, scuba diving and now reef keeping! Being born and raised in Colorado I have always appreciated nature and the outdoors, but over the years I have developed a strong love for the ocean and all the amazing creatures found under the water. I have been very fortunate to have traveled to many incredible places around the world. I love to share photos and experiences with everyone I meet.

Cheers!

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rjl45

rjl45

Clown Fish
#3
#3
A quick story I want to share because there has been so much discussion about macro photography. My favorite all time macro shot is this:

View attachment 24762

Now, before you get "bent out of shape" and call me a liar...lol This was taken on a dive site, German Channel, Palau Micronesia. There was an incredible fluorescent orange anemone that hosted a clownfish family, that I really wanted to shoot. So I had my camera set up with my 60mm macro lens, all set for an exciting dive looking for the "small stuff". As I waited for the other divers to "ooh and ahhh" at the anemone and clownfish, I noticed down below me, at about 110 ft something interesting. Couldn't quite tell what was there, but decided to investigate. I couldn't believe my eyes. "Was this really happening," I think to myself...

View attachment 24761

Mating leopard sharks! Really! and I have my ****ing macro lens on! (edited for family viewing) agh!!! Well, this being a once in a lifetime experience, I made the most of it. Thank God for digital cameras and 416 frames! After about 10 minutes watching the sharks do their thing, it was time to move on and get back up to the planned depth for the dive and re-focus on the "small stuff", namely that fluorescent orange anemone I wanted to shoot. And that is when the 14ft manta ray appeared out of the blue swimming straight for me!

Some days, you try and you try to focus on the finer things in life, and well... sometimes the big stuff just can't be ignored.
 
Reefman1981

Reefman1981

Amphipod
#4
#4
rjl45;367033 said:
A quick story I want to share because there has been so much discussion about macro photography. My favorite all time macro shot is this:

View attachment 24762

Now, before you get "bent out of shape" and call me a liar...lol This was taken on a dive site, German Channel, Palau Micronesia. There was an incredible fluorescent orange anemone that hosted a clownfish family, that I really wanted to shoot. So I had my camera set up with my 60mm macro lens, all set for an exciting dive looking for the "small stuff". As I waited for the other divers to "ooh and ahhh" at the anemone and clownfish, I noticed down below me, at about 110 ft something interesting. Couldn't quite tell what was there, but decided to investigate. I couldn't believe my eyes. "Was this really happening," I think to myself...

View attachment 24761

Mating leopard sharks! Really! and I have my ****ing macro lens on! (edited for family viewing) agh!!! Well, this being a once in a lifetime experience, I made the most of it. Thank God for digital cameras and 416 frames! After about 10 minutes watching the sharks do their thing, it was time to move on and get back up to the planned depth for the dive and re-focus on the "small stuff", namely that fluorescent orange anemone I wanted to shoot. And that is when the 14ft manta ray appeared out of the blue swimming straight for me!

Some days, you try and you try to focus on the finer things in life, and well... sometimes the big stuff just can't be ignored.
Click to expand...
Very nice to meet you and welcome from a not her newbie, myself! Terrific shots and those are definitely some cherished moments to remember! *jealous*
For a graphic artist just catching the photog bug and just getting into the surface of true macro, is there a lens that you recommend to start with? We recently purchased an 8x diopter and some various extender rings and tubes, but are thinking about a real piece if glass for our Canon t5i. Much appreciated and I can't wait to see more!
 
rjl45

rjl45

Clown Fish
#8
#8
Reefman1981;367037 said:
For a graphic artist just catching the photog bug and just getting into the surface of true macro, is there a lens that you recommend to start with? We recently purchased an 8x diopter and some various extender rings and tubes...
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! For anyone serious about macro photography I recommend eventually owning both a 60mm & 100mm macro lens. The 60mm is very forgiving, allows for greater depth of field, faster focus, and in general the easier of the two to learn, also the cheaper of the two. The downside is that it doesn't have the "extreme magnification" that most people want from a macro lens. In layman's terms, the 60mm closest focus will frame a 2"x3" area perfectly, maybe a little smaller. This is perfect for many applications; most fish, larger corals, flowers, leaves, etc...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/371176-USA/Canon_0284B002_EF_S_60mm_f_2_8_Macro.html

View attachment 24763

The 100mm (105mm for Nikon) is definitely more challenging but also more rewarding when you get the shot. It magnifies details that you cannot easily see with your naked eye and opens up a new world of textures, patterns, and colors. The most challenging element is the very limited depth of field and achieving the focal point you desire. When photographing animals & insects, you will find that it can be incredibly frustrating because they move so damn fast! lol Fortunately, in today's digital age, we can take hundreds of frames and throw away all but the few perfect shots. In layman's terms, the 100mm will frame your thumbnail perfectly (or 1/2" x 3/4").
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/647011-USA/Canon_3554B002_EF_100mm_f_2_8L_Macro.html

View attachment 24764

I do highly recommend that you get yourself a dedicated macro lens. The differences will amaze you!
 
Reefman1981

Reefman1981

Amphipod
#9
#9
rjl45;367056 said:
Thank you so much! For anyone serious about macro photography I recommend eventually owning both a 60mm & 100mm macro lens. The 60mm is very forgiving, allows for greater depth of field, faster focus, and in general the easier of the two to learn, also the cheaper of the two. The downside is that it doesn't have the "extreme magnification" that most people want from a macro lens. In layman's terms, the 60mm closest focus will frame a 2"x3" area perfectly, maybe a little smaller. This is perfect for many applications; most fish, larger corals, flowers, leaves, etc...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/371176-USA/Canon_0284B002_EF_S_60mm_f_2_8_Macro.html

View attachment 24763

The 100mm (105mm for Nikon) is definitely more challenging but also more rewarding when you get the shot. It magnifies details that you cannot easily see with your naked eye and opens up a new world of textures, patterns, and colors. The most challenging element is the very limited depth of field and achieving the focal point you desire. When photographing animals & insects, you will find that it can be incredibly frustrating because they move so damn fast! lol Fortunately, in today's digital age, we can take hundreds of frames and throw away all but the few perfect shots. In layman's terms, the 100mm will frame your thumbnail perfectly (or 1/2" x 3/4").
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/647011-USA/Canon_3554B002_EF_100mm_f_2_8L_Macro.html

View attachment 24764

I do highly recommend that you get yourself a dedicated macro lens. The differences will amaze you!
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for the recommendations, RJ. We have just been running with the 2 kit lenses since we bought it trying to figure out what we needed/preferred to shoot. I have become so-so with moments of slight brilliance with the cheapo 18-55, but am looking forward to getting the proper gear.
 
SynDen

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
M.A.S.C Club Member
M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
M.A.S.C President
M.A.S.C Webmaster
#11
#11
:welcome:
 
CRW Reef

CRW Reef

Blue Whale
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#12
#12
Wow my goodness you take some killer pictures and have been on some incredible journeys!!!!! Welcome to the club I look forward to more pics and hearing about some of those dives some time.
 
rjl45

rjl45

Clown Fish
#13
#13
Thank you all for the warm welcome. I will defininelty share more photos and you'll probably see me talking more about photography than aquariums, still a novice when it comes to my coral and fish tank, so i can't speak with authority there. I do read what you all have to say, soaking up as much as I can. This is the first time I have ever had an aquarium, and decided to jump feet first into saltwater. Always wanted to have corals and my brother in law gave me an old 24 gal aquapod, so here I am and loving it!
 
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