Stan's Picture Blog

This year's 3ft tank

2009-04-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Preview of this year's IAPLC tank of my brother's, been trying out fishes. Cardinals and rummies are out.

Something more harmonious like Penguin Tetra-Thayeria boehlkei

Have a feeling they're blending into the background.

CRS-Caridinia cf cantonensis line breds

2009-01-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

At the invite of buddy and shrimp addict Amin, the gang of JC, Vincent and me went to gape at Amin's new pets.

Not the easiest to shoot but not too difficult if you have help.

A mutant wine red. Tiny-about a centimeter.

Another mutant-no idea what name-whitish black diamond? [urk]

A B grader. I like this pic very much except the whiskers aren't in the right position.

This is also one of my favourite-not the whitest but nice bits of texture on it make it look good to me.

This one perhaps is my favourite on his patch of fissidens nibbling away.

Amin's a bit hung up on the 'grades' whereas I'm just there to shoot shoot shoot!

Setup is nothing special, just an overhead flash with a taufoofa tub, 60mm macro with manual settings ranging from f8-11, shutter 1/200, ISO 200. Bap bap bap till got a little dizzy looking through viewfinder.

Results of IAPLC 2008 Out!

2008-08-04T05:36:00.001-07:00

The results are finally out, have to wait for the new magazine to look at.

Another Grand Champ from HK and high standards.

As for me, I'm still in the hundred. 89. Phew...looks like I have a pretty consistent record-81, 60, 89...:D

Have t o look for another pic to post.

Previous Attempts at IAPLC

2008-08-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

In 2006, my 1st attempt-Angels In Elysium at IAPLC was 81st. Pretty good/lucky at the time because there was no expectation. :D

Shot with Nikon-D70, 20mm AFD, Existing aquarium lighting and a Nikon Speedlight-SB800 aimed at the Angel fishes.

Come 2007 and the Altum Angels-Pterophyllum altum having out grown this tank, I searched for inspiration and ended up with a riot of fishes. It was my 1st time using lots of stem plants. This was a large bunch of Rotala sp Vietnam. Lucky me, Carefree Spring Summer's Day got 60th this time! It was also the 1st time I used my new Nikon D200 + 12-24mm f4 AFS to shoot with! What a difference! I set it at around 18mm.

Lighting was trickier and had to balance the aquarium lighting and also light up the wall in the background. I wish I had time to make the right back bushier and take another pic but I had another event to attend.

The Singapore Aquarama 2007.

Preview of my 2008 IAPLC Tank-Morning Shimmer

2008-08-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

For most, the IAPLC-International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest is like the Oscars of the Aquascaping world. Launched by Takashi Amano-Aqua Design Amano[ADA] in 2000. The contest inspires a lot of planted tank 'nuts' like me to try our hand at a decent placing among the best in the world. [let alone hope to win the Grand Prize of ¥1 million]

This is a preview of my this year's attempt. Hopefully I will not do too badly this year. Results would be out soon-August 4th I think.

This is titled-Morning Shimmer [it was shot in the morning!]

Hello

2008-08-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody and welcome to my 1st ever blog.

It's mostly going to be about my hobbies-taking pictures, aquascaping and keeping fishes.

Being new to this-it's a little nerve wracking yet fun.