GQLMAO's Small Peninsula Tank

[gqlmao]

Now that you pointed that out, the pictures do look like a square tank. The display part is only 24x18x14, so it does come close to a square foot print. I will leave it on a tripod and same spot and tamper with the settings tonight. For me, its easier to learn by practice and experimenting. :

Calling it a zoa garden is an overstatement, I am getting 1 polyp growth per month or two. So if I wait a couple of years I might be able to cover those frag blocks :P

Originally Posted by lastlight

wow that took longer than expected.

Love the stand and wow that looks like a square footprint in the pics I was having a tough time at first believing it was 30" front to back. Tank looks great and your scape is unique too.

For your first macros those look awesome. At the very least I would shoot a particular shot at various settings and focus on different areas then just pick the best later.

Sweet start to your zoa garden!

[Madreefer]

Nice tanks and pics.
Chambers for MP10s you say? Can you show a pic and explain please.

[gqlmao]

Small update: Picked up a purple acro mini colony from Reef wonderland!



My other mini colonies, still having troubles with the reflection of the lights on the water, again Reef Wonderland Fiji mini colonies!



Ric shot:



African Deep Water Hornets from Reef wars!



Polyp Extension on the Yellow and Brown Milli mini colony

[gqlmao]

A small update, some more Reef Raft and SPS Pieces for the SPS fans, I am very happy that the colors are coming on. I think a couple more months and I will have something more substantial to show:

Strawberry Short Cake, it has been paling and losing color around the base ever since it touched my tank. It has stopped, I think my light is a little too much, hopefully it will recovered.



Fiji piece, it was completely brown, then completely bleached, now it has recovered somewhat:



Fiji Piece:



RR Pink Matrix: The pink coralites are coming





RR Red Diablo:



RR Blue Peacock:



RR Blue Matrix:




RR CJ Pinky:

[gqlmao]

Its been a while, I figure I should update this thread.







Lights:

[gqlmao]

Thanks! Good thing I asked you about your awesome panels that day or the stand would still be plain Jane.

I will try to fiddle around the settings some more tonight. I left exposure compensation out of the equation last night, so I will muck around with that as well. I found that even a slight tilt in the camera angel to the glass distorts the macro shot. It's really hard to get close in especially when I have to place the lens as close to perpendicular to the glass as possible. I am currently using a tripod, since I have such a slow shutter speed.

Haha, my gundams are full of dust right now. They have been that way since I was in school and that was a couple of years ago. One day when I get better at photography, I will throw in a couple shots. I don't think many on Canreef know what these things even are!

Originally Posted by kien

Wow, that's looking sweet! Love the stand. Very classy

Your pics are pretty good too. You could use a bit more exposure on them maybe. You can either bump up the exposure during post processing with an image editor, or, if you're finding that your pics straight out of the camera are under exposed based on the exposure metering that your camera is giving you (aperature and shutter and ISO), then try turning up the exposure compensation.

Photographing tanks is challenging for SLRs because the lighting, the glass, the water, and the subject can all mess with the camera's built in light/exposure meter. A lot of the time you have to adjust whatever the camera gives you, or redirect (exposure wise) what the camera thinks is a 'good image'.

I would also recommend getting at tripod. The 100mm macro lens is a great lens, but when shooting at 100m every little movement from your camera (hand shake) will register in the image (as blurry). If you have the IS version of the 100mm macro that will help, but I would still put it on a tripod. Tripods are cheap and will produce A LOT more usable images.

Finally, HOLY FRAK I want to see more Gundams ! Maybe sneak in a few close ups of those beauties

[thmh]

Alright guys!!! Team MJC will have to fly to Calgary to borrow all your gundams for our new skits!!! Team PewPew unite!!!


-Tony

[gqlmao]

Well I got my new lights in! What a difference compared to the Radion. I do miss the sleekness of the Radion and the moonlight settings, I am willing to sacrifice them for this new light Thanks to Dave, Denny and Matt at concepts for getting me such a nice toy.

[kien]

Wow, very nice! Makes me want to switch to all T5s too! You'll find that photographing under the T5s is A LOT easier too :-)

.. I do miss my ATI Powermodule.

[gqlmao]

Yes sir! I don't miss the LEDs at all... Just kidding the T-5s are too bulky if that is one complaint I have. Photography is very nice under T-5 I don't have to shut off my pumps, nor worry about discoball effects. Very uniform and I love how it looks when I stand back in a dark room.

Originally Posted by kien

Wow, very nice! Makes me want to switch to all T5s too! You'll find that photographing under the T5s is A LOT easier too :-)

.. I do miss my ATI Powermodule.