Monterey Bay Aquarium

Do you have a favorite location you like to photograph or collect specimens? Share these locations with your fellow members by submitting each location as a topic.

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Charles Krebs
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Monterey Bay Aquarium

Post by Charles Krebs »

Been away from the "macro" world for a bit, but I did have an opportunity last week to visit a favorite place... in this case the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Pacific Grove CA.


Leafy Sea Dragon (Dragon frondoso)
Canon 5D, ISO 800, 100/2.8 USM macro, f4 1/40 sec.
Image

Purple Striped Jelly (Chrysaora colorata)
Canon 5D, ISO 800, 50/1.4, f2.8 1/125 sec.
Image

Sea Nettle (Chrysaora fuscesens)
Canon 5D, ISO 800, 50/1.4, f2.8 1/80 sec.
Image

Cuttlefish
Canon 5D, ISO 1600, 50/1.4, f2.8 1/30 sec.
Image

thartl
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Location: Wyoming

Post by thartl »

Very cool - i'm just a bit envious - I am assuming shot through glass. :wink:

Were these shot all available light?
Tyler
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Still Learning!

Planapo
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Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:33 am
Location: Germany, in the United States of Europe

Post by Planapo »

Beautiful! All of them! Thanks for sharing, Charlie!
They make me wonder if you are always visiting aquaria in your "wetsuit". :wink: :D

Now, these Chrysaora bring back memories of a remarkable event when I once was lucky to swim in a swarm of "our" C. hysoscella on the Dutch North Sea coast. But when they get washed ashore, most of the long beautiful tentacles and lobes of the manubrium are torn off, and at the beach one can only find the umbrellas of the "compass" medusae.

--Betty

edit: grammar flaw
Last edited by Planapo on Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:01 am, edited 2 times in total.

Cactusdave
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Post by Cactusdave »

The high iso performance of the camera is well illustrated. I too would be interested to know how these pictures were lit, and also whether you used a tripod or other support.
Leitz Ortholux 1, Zeiss standard, Nikon Diaphot inverted, Canon photographic gear

Harold Gough
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Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

Stunning images.

Standing on your head for the jellyfish shots is an interesting technique, :D

Very thoughtful of the aquarium to provide such a photogenic backdrop.

Using flash for seahorses and their allies should be done with care, and sparingly, as they are rather nervous creatures. Some public aquariums prohibit it.

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

augusthouse
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Location: New South Wales Australia

Post by augusthouse »

Beautiful images Charlie.

Your Leafy Sea Dragon image on photomacrography.net is already listed in a Google search for Dragon frondoso - that was quick...

I still remember this one:

http://www.photomacrography1.net/forum/ ... sea+dragon

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Thanks all!

Harold... for some reason the jellies were always headed down for the shots I liked best... here's a a flipped shot of a bunch of spectators hanging by their feet :wink:...
Image

There are some tanks where flash is prohibited... the Leafy Sea Dragon and the Cuttlefish are in that group.

These were all taken "handheld" with the existing aquarium lighting. (Tripods are not permitted). You are allowed to use flash on the jellyfish... but you then lost the great "look" of the top light supplied in the display. Fortunately the venerable 5D does quite nicely at ISO 800 and 1600. (Although even then the shutter speeds were pretty slow).

I do love nice aquaria. Unfortunately the optical properties of some of the thick tank walls sometimes make for some seriously color fringed shots. The jellyfish tanks here were surprisingly good. This aquarium also has some very attractive displays in tanks with curved walls... they look great but you can't do much photographically with those subjects :cry: .

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Charlie, thanks for the description and the "environment" photo. I've been admiring these images for two days now, trying to figure out how they were shot. I was particularly puzzled by the Sea Nettle. How can they be so sharp at f2.8 with that equipment?? The answer is that they're big! Sometimes I get so fixated on small stuff that it's hard to switch back. :?

Carefully reading your last post, I'm curious about those quotes around "handheld". Somehow I'm thinking you don't mean quite the same technique that a snapshooter would think. Care to share a few more details?

--Rik

Planapo
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Location: Germany, in the United States of Europe

Post by Planapo »

Just realized that we are here on Travels with Charlie at Cannery Row. :)
I am very much enjoying it!

--Betty In search of America.

Charles Krebs
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Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:02 pm
Location: Issaquah, WA USA
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Betty... Yup... but John Steinbeck wouldn't recognize the place today!

Rik... No need for the quotation marks I suppose, simply hand-held.

Harold Gough
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Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

Charles Krebs wrote: These were all taken "handheld" with the existing aquarium lighting. (Tripods are not permitted). You are allowed to use flash on the jellyfish... but you then lost the great "look" of the top light supplied in the display. Fortunately the venerable 5D does quite nicely at ISO 800 and 1600. (Although even then the shutter speeds were pretty slow).
I'm impressed!

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

homestar455
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Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:01 pm

Post by homestar455 »

Beautiful photos, I can see why you like the place.

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