Best Clam I have ever seen

[Anonymous]

Hard to believe something can look like that- naturally.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

No one took a guess at what species it is. Look at the shape of the shell. Anyone else think there might be gigas in the bloodline? What's the size of that gem?

 

[Unarce]

I see a mixture of 3 species. It has the shell and size of a gigas, the yellow-spots of a squamosa in the background, and the blue teardrops of a maxima. T. Giquaxima?

 

[John_Brandt]

I'm probably not going to be popular for this comment. I think the photo has been given a radical digital tweaking (PhotoShop?). The blue spots are unnaturally vivid and are sharply-focused, whereas the overall photo is not sharply focused. These blue spots are quite different in character than the golden blotches amongst them, and even appear to "float" above the mantle.

Regardless, it's a great photo and an amazing clam. But I don't think it looked like that in person.

 

[JohnD]

John,

You just might be right. The golden areas are not as sharply focused as the blue spots.

 

[taikonaut]

RULES:
...
3. Use of image editing software encouraged, with the goal of striving for better quality and higher realism.

John, you mean some people C&P her face on someone else's body?!?!

 

[mkirda]

But I don't think it looked like that in person.

John, you voiced my opinion almost word for word.

1) The shadows are way too dark.
2) Center of clam cannot possibly have no shadow with this guy's flash unit, yet it is black.
3) Complete lack of exhalent syphon.
4) Focus, focus, focus. Why are the blue spots so dang sharp, but the details on the clam shell not? Same DOF, yet not the same sharpness.

Something is very wrong here, if you are looking for an image that reflects reality.
I, too, doubt very much that this clam looked like this in person.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[mkirda]

Then tell me how you could have:

Strobe(s): 2 @ YS-60

And achieve shadows like those...

Looking at it for ten minutes, I cannot devise a way that two strobes could have made shadows like that, given the 'topography' of the clam...

The pop of the strobes, in order to have no visible shadow behind the Acropora colony, would have to be placed above and to both the left and right of the camera housing.

In this position, the center of the clam would have been fully lit, as would the front of the clam.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[Anonymous]

....

 

[taikonaut]

RULES:
...
3. Use of image editing software encouraged, with the goal of striving for better quality and higher realism.

Furthermore:

The Wetpixel contest will test your image manipulation skills along with your photography skills. If you do more to your image than basic color/contrast adjustments and backscatter removal, please note it in your comments.

Vitz, what are you trying to high ligh there? Where the focus is fishy?

 

[Anonymous]

If those spots were just a little bit blue on the original clam, simply moving the Saturation slider (blues and then cyans selected) will produce the results seen.

Jim

 

[mkirda]

If those spots were just a little bit blue on the original clam, simply moving the Saturation slider (blues and then cyans selected) will produce the results seen.

Jim

Does not explain the shadows though, Jim.

Sure, you can selectively saturate a color, but the photo has way more things than color saturation going wrong with it...

Sorta like that Tourist pic from 9/11 that went around...
You, know, the one with the plane in the background...

Regards.
Mike Kirda