Was that the Dinner Bell? Photo

Photographer’s Note

Another very noticeable feature of Lake Mead is the beggar fish that swarm the dock when people are nearby They are huge and look like they would make a desireable goal for a fisherman. However, the man we met at the lake dismissed them as trash fish. Fishing isn’t allowed from the dock, but the marina store does a huge business in popcorn to feed the fish.

Two interesting features are the fleshy protrusions hanging from the mouth like a Fu Manchu mustache and their huge lips. I wasn't sure which to post.

I was curious about the fish, since they looked so much like Koi, and they are related to both Koi and Goldfish. One fishing association that exists to promote Carp fishing says the sport is popular in Europe. Carp are not native to Lake Mead but were introduced by the state Fish Commission in the 1880s for sport-fishing and eating. While a recent article in the Las Vegas Sun says people don’t eat carp anymore.

Davidwh, Gerrit, jwmunro, John_F_Kennedy, feather, gunbud, avene, bakes888, fulvio52, emjleclercq, danos, pablominto has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Davidwh (3652) 2008-10-21 13:15

Hi Pat,
A cheeky image this one....funny expression.I also like the combination of the deep colours and the slickness of the water.Its great to see you again....sadly haven't had much time.
Regards, David

Gerrit (35491) 2008-10-21 15:00

Hi Pat,
funny and good shot of this Carp. I guess Jaap will come and visit soon.
Good colors and light and an excellent capture.
REgards, Gerrit

jwmunro (6561) 2008-10-21 17:41

Hello Pat -

This is an interesting fish but your composisition lacks a bit here. Cropping off the back of the fish does not seem to work for me. the exposure and other details seem to be where they belong.

Thank you for sharing.

John

[2]

John_F_Kennedy (30689) 2008-10-22 2:45

Hi Patricia,
A funny scene. Excellent photo, great sharpness and colours. Very good shot of this beautiful fish. Interesting note too.
Best wishes,
Achim

gunbud (27547) 2008-10-22 6:33

Hi Pat,
This handsome aquatic dude seems to be smiling for your camera.
These guys are a very hardy breed of fish with no commerical use.
Love how the golden fish blends with the vivid aqua blue background.
In the spring my kayak runs these fish with a soft thud.
Regards, Tom

feather (49848) 2008-10-22 6:35

They do look like ugly blighters. The lips in the WS remind me of Mick Jagger. This one is less cluttered than the other two and the front fins show up really well. It is a pity that the top is so tight, but I imagine they don't keep still for long. You have done a great job of capturing it at all.
Kath

toto (18563) 2008-10-23 1:22

Bonjour,
belle photo de ce portrait rare, lui avez vous donné une copie.
Belle prise, bien nette, jolies couleurs et bon POV.
Bien vu, bien pris.

Amitiés Thomas

avene (10886) 2008-10-23 10:33

hi Pat,
yes, the top is too tight, and I certainly prefer WS #1. the clarity is great in all photos, and I had to laugh about the lipstic, especially since the fish look a little like pitbulls :D :D
jokes aside - I've never been successful in trying to photograph fish in ponds, with or without polarizer. what's your secret? :)

regards,
Kristine

bakes888 (18055) 2008-10-25 0:32

Hi Pat. Great photos. I especially like the lips one with the texture of the water and reflections. We have a few similar fish here including Koi which have reached plague proportions on the Waikato River system, all introduced. These fish must be tame to get that close with a wide angle lens. Good work and thanks for sharing.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Paul.

fulvio52 (8314) 2008-10-25 11:19

Hi, Pat.
Funny and well presented, I'm sure you had your reasons concerning the tight upper crop. Well, in all honesty : it works for me. I actually think the tight crop enhances the floating-upwards type of effect in this one. Good light management too.
Have a good weekend, I'll see you soon.
Ciao,
Fulvio.

vascao (190) 2008-10-26 15:42

Hi, Pat
Very artistic and eye-catching shot. I like the horizontal choice.
[]'s
Sergio

emjleclercq (14129) 2008-11-10 23:36

Not the perfect framing, but a verious unusual view of this fish brathing near the surface.

All the best,

Emmanuel

Angshu (33318) 2008-11-25 0:26

Hello Pat
You're lucky that the moderators have left this picture standing.:-) yes it did appear as Koi to me (same name in Bengali). I think the top frame was a bit too tight, but surely it's not easy to capture these fishes. Liked both the WSs, especially where there's a lot of play with the reflections on the water & those Jolie lips!
Best Regards
Angshu

mattharvey1 (653) 2008-11-26 1:35

Hi Pat, this is a lovely shot of the Carp, beautiful light, sharpness and shows how the use of a polariser for these types of shots are essential. I do concur with others that it's a shame that the top is a little cut off but still worth showing.

You're right that the Carp is a massively popular sport fish in Europe to the point of anglers being quite fanatical and often spending weeks camped out on a lake waiting for a particularly well known and usually very large fish to take their bait.

I also fish for them but not to that extent.

It's not true that people don't eat them any more as they are very popular in some Eastern European countries so much so that they are the preferred Christmas table fayre.

danos (31716) 2009-03-26 4:15

Hello Pat,
interesting shot that in combination with the noticeable note make the existence of this beggar fish attractive.I like the two WS,that create an even more complete view of this fish.Well done.

Regards,Danos

pablominto (40008) 2009-09-09 22:36

Hello Pat,

This is a funny fish portrait!
Not so often we get to see an expression in the face of a fish, they look pretty much the same all the time hehehe, a funny capture indeed...
Over here we have carp species too in the wild, but they are not regarded as exclusive targets for anglers!

Greetings,
Pablo -