Jellyfish - from the Aquarium

[Rachel Hollander]

This past Saturday was a rainy and cold day in NYC so I went to the NY Aquarium for the first time in a very long time.

Canon 7D
100 mm 2.8L macro
1/200
f2.8
ISO 1600
flash used
HH, levels and contrast adjustment, sharpened, NR selectively applied to bg in CS5.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel

[Ian Cassell]

Hey, Rachel! I love jellyfish images. If I had one suggestion, it would be to reduce the empty space on the left a little bit. I also think there's a fair amount of CA on this image which is not typical for the 100/2.8. I don't know if that is a function of PP or from shooting through glass.

BTW, I used to go to the Brooklyn Aquarium a lot when I was a kid and loved it (I grew up in SW CT and spent a fair amount of time with my uncle in Brooklyn). Do they still have the exhibit where they tickle the electric eel and show you the current generated?

[Steve Kaluski]

Cor this is a tough one Rachel, did you have the camera pressed up against the glass, how did the flash work? I think you have done well, but I might use a tripod (if allowed) just to aid & steady the camera, as personally I have found macro, low light & SS do not make for a good combination, but guess that's because I'm getting old,

The image does look as if it has been lightened quite a bit, plus there is a darker area in the BG running along the last tentacle in a clockwise movement to about 7 o'clock. Perhaps a little less at the top & more at the foot of the image. I do like the vibrant colours & the trail illustrating that nice flowing movement they have.

Might be worth posting in Macro to.

TFS
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Ian and Steve - I think I overdid the levels adjustment. Here it is almost straight out of the camera except with sharpening applied.

Ian - no electric eel on display now. I think I vaguely remember the exhibit you're talking about from school field trips years ago.

Steve - I think the area you are seeing is actually a shadow, maybe caused by the flash. Unfortunately, only limited tripod use allowed (not sure in which rooms) and too many little ones running around to risk it. I wasn't pressed up against the glass, it was so scratched and dirty I found the lens wanted to focus on that at times. I used the flash in an effort to increase ss which was painfully slow at most exhibits.

Here's the repost. Thanks again,

Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Funky, like the repost, just a thought, but if you could use a tripod, how about a slow SS, might be nothing or quite spooky.

[Hilary Hann]

Excellent work Rachel, I like the flow of this image. No suggestions for improvement as it isn't something I've tried.

[Pieter de Waal]

Well conceived image Rachel, I like the colours in the original and also the nice composition with the tentacles flowing to the URC. I am amazed at the detail obtained through the glass. TFS.

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Steve, Hilary and Pieter.