Fascination Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Being at an aquarium is like being in a different world. Surrounded by water. Looking at animals that are so different than anything we can relate to in our daily lives. It fascinates everyone, from adults to the youngest children.

...it is also very, very hard to get a decent shot in one. Almost total darkness in most spots, children running everywhere, not caring about anything but following the animals and fish through their tanks. It's really not about taking photos though, but just seeing animals that can be truly amazing...and I have to admit that I have a certain fascination with Hippos. Underwater they are smooth, swift and graceful. A truly gentle looking creature that totally belies their reputation. So, I figured I would post another hippo shot, a little different than my first one.

This one was taken at the New Jersey State Aquarium in Camden, NJ. I will post some history of Camden in my next upload (you will than see why I don't want to do it on this one).

This shot was taken at 400ISO with a -1.7 exposure to get the silhouette as well as try to get the shutter up to a workable speed. I think the toughest part of shooting in the aquarium was the darkness combined with the streams of bright light coming through the tank. Very tough to get an even exposure with enough detail in the shadows yet not "blowing out" any highlights (like I did here), so my answer was to try and "silhouette" any people in the shots, instead of catching detail.

Thanks for any comments or critiques,
John

mpdre, siolaw, Paolo, edytungkal, IgorDeleze, Dpbours, pboehringer, balatrek, Lilly716, shevchenko, MikiM, noborders, rigoletto has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

barni (14495) 2007-09-09 9:23

Hello John
C'est extra. Les ombres sont superbes.
Regards
Christophe

gigiotta (453) 2007-09-09 9:35

Good capture of light, really compliments, Donatella

mpdre (1585) 2007-09-09 9:38

Hi John,
Excellent image… it has something magic. You played very well with the light… the silhouette of the children against the blue-greenish colors of the aquarium, and the shadow of the hippo floating like if it was a very light animal :) Love the bright of that ray of light on the left, illuminating the bubbles in the water and the red fish… A fantastic shot. Bravo!
Andre

andante (7092) 2007-09-09 10:13

I have heard about this place before. Never imagined that it had a Hippo! Have to make it a must see place. The image with the silo of the family on the foreground makes this image a classic. Great job, John.
Cheers,
Enrique

siolaw (25722) 2007-09-09 10:24

Hi John,
I saw a documentary today saying that hippos are related to whales..! Well controlled exposure and fine compo with silhouettes well placed and expressive... we can feel the fascination of the kid looking at the huge and well visible animal...
Excellent
Laurent

batalay (20836) 2007-09-09 11:02

Hello John,

First, I love this shot. The child fascinated by the huge creature from a different world is always heartwarming, but the way you have presented it, as silhouette of the mother and child, is superior!
As for the "gentle giants" description of the hippo, I would have shared your sentiments until this past summer when I became friends with some South Africans. They are frequent visitors/campers in the bush, and they told me that the hippo is quite simply the worst of the lot -- more fearsome that the crocodiles that frequent the same waters.

As a photograph, this is a superb specimen, and the technical information you offered is very good.

Warm regards,

Bulent

ohe (2332) 2007-09-09 13:05

Dear John,
Even if I thing that the two persons are too much present in foreground, I really like your view!
Colors are wonderfully rendered !
Thanks for sharing,
- Olivier -

edytungkal (4519) 2007-09-09 20:43

Hello John,
A nice composition, indeed.
I do like the lady-girl's sillhouttes, it's really contrast against the rays of the light, a wonderful and artistic result. well job and thanks for share it.

daniel

mphotographies (1976) 2007-09-09 22:05

Hey John,

Shooting against the light is quite difficult, the inclusion of the two viewers makes a good point though, just looking at the hippo's scale make it a wonder. I haven't see one, except for the person next to me (in my office) shhh...

It's hard to capture details here since the aquarium is not as clean as it seems or make those floating elements settle first to make a clear shot. Still good to me!

Cheers!

Jom

IgorDeleze (9247) 2007-09-10 1:06

Hello John,
Excellent quality for this low light shot.
The sun rays comming through the water are realy nice.
Greetings.
Igor

kemelodes (311) 2007-09-10 2:21

The well defined silhouettes make the sceen very descriptive. well balanced shot. fishes make the touch of colour and movement. Well done.
BW
Javier

Paolo (40694) 2007-09-10 6:08

Hi Jphn, i've on TE a my old image so similar to your this one! the joy of the children in the big aquarium is fantastic, and you have captured very well all that.
excellent quality and exposure too.
thanks, ciao

Dpbours (218) 2007-09-10 8:05

Hi John,

After typing 20 lines, I pushed the 'useful' button below the note - without first saving my critique... Bye critique.

Well, there was little critique anyhow. You are right about the balancing of the light, but only a very little over-exposure and colours very pleasant. The compo with the silouette-family works well, though taking a lot of the compo. Though totally understandable. I sent you a workshop by mail, since I am over my workshop-quota for today ;-).

Yes, we can talk about the light, we can talk about the silouette. But in the end balancing the light under these circumstances is not easy. Good chance I would not have tried at all ;-). So I can only say, 'Bravo!'.

Greetings, Dennis

PS: What did they drug the kid with? 1/15th of a second sitting still. Hurray! And yes, no tripod. Always great to own a VR lense giving you 4 extra stops. I know...

[workshop] [compare]

pboehringer (770) 2007-09-10 9:34

John, a very typical scene at one of the so many aquariums around the US. I tried several times something very similar to this at the Monterey Aquarium and just didn't succeed. That means I really appreciate your work here. It is outstanding and you definitively got the right silhouette in the foreground and the most intersting background with the hippo. Congratulations for this great shot!
Regards, Peter

balatrek (7419) 2007-09-10 13:22

Hi John,

I like this type of images, in my gallery I have some similar one, a creative work and of great visual impact, you have created fantastic against light, with a great perspective and good control of exposure.

Regards
José

Lilly716 (238) 2007-09-10 18:49

Hi John,

I love the silhouette of the mother and her daughter and the light shining through the water! The view of the hippo is a bit hazy, but it just shows that they are truly looking through a couple inches of glass at the aquarium. Very nice composition and point of view! Another great shot. :o)

Liz

shevchenko (9862) 2007-09-10 19:30

Hi John,
Your good work, to try and make photos inside the dim aquarium, this is a place able to entertain and learning for families, creative people in black color against the bright bowl, detail to show the life in water, thanks for sharing.
Ally

Iva_R (1296) 2007-09-10 22:57

Je découvre celle-ci en même temps que l'autre... et je me sens en complet accord avec le titre: fascinée! Quel tableau! La photo est tout simplement magnifique!
Iva

vincz (19039) 2007-09-11 2:47

Great catch with the silhouettes in front of the aquarium with the hippo in these great rays of light. Well done.

rbcy1974 (20742) 2007-09-11 3:35

Hello John
Wow
This is magic
very nice mixture of light and shadows you have captured very well the light filtering through the opening,
well done
Regards
Daniel

brevbrev14 (372) 2007-09-12 6:49

Hi John, great use of the silohuette...it is well taken and with a very good moment captured...
i like it
ciao!
Valeria

anes_lc (14766) 2007-09-12 6:54

hi John
superb composition,the dark silhuette ,unreal light ..the small fishes moving
everything is perfact
congratulation
best regards,anes

MikiM (1916) 2007-09-12 6:55

HI John,
Your efforts were succesfull - this silhouettes are perfect and your camera didn't shake. I like the nice colors and the rays of light more than the hyppo, but it is only my taste:))
Excellent work, very well done!
COngrats,
Miklós

sothy81 (8520) 2007-09-12 11:52

This is really a facination. I like to see that giant water animal there. I love this silhouette of mother and the child. Sharp image. Well done. Sothy

noborders (14199) 2007-09-12 12:46

Absolutely splendid, this photo, I'll add it to my favourites ! I don't know the name of this giant water mammal in English, but in French we call it a "lamantin", and it was bizarrely associated with the myth of the sirens, although I always found it very far fetched :))
But really : what a shot !
Congratulations !
Cath.

goodwill (4029) 2007-09-13 9:51

Hi John,
This is a perfectly managed shot with the light and shades. You have not only shown the silhoutees but also make us pep through that transparent glass, into the mysterious waters.
The Sunlight falling throught the water spells magic before us.
A shot worth watching....and waiting...for what happens next.
Regards,
Rajeev

dominique (11403) 2007-09-15 13:27

bien vu , il y a de quoi etre fasciné ,la composition est efficace avec les personnages devant , tres belle idée .

rigoletto (26172) 2007-09-17 0:25

Hi John,
All your three images from the aquarium are lovely, but i select this one with is particular charm with the hippo (i love hippos since childhood). The silhouettes are excellently sharp in front of this dreamy background. Though i wish we did not see the black triangle at the bottom and the BG was completely blue. TFS,
Deniz

dvlazar (6474) 2007-09-19 18:04

John - i like this aquarium shot a lot - more so than your newest one as its clear in focus in every part of frame. The sea animal is clear, and those rays of light over him are interesting!
The silhouette is heart warming.

Cheers!
Dave

donluicu (23923) 2007-09-21 14:44

Hi John
this is a great image...but, judt one thing:
if i really like the shadow of the lady with the child, it's to bad we don't see more of the animal..like in your other shots.

good compo though

bye

grun (178) 2008-03-30 12:19

Just excellent work!
Regards
Max

baladeva (202) 2008-07-17 13:12 [Comment]