Last post...

Ok... I decided I was putting up too many images just for the sake of them being interesting to me, regardless of any compositional defects, etc.

So, I am posting this last pic for now. This is a pregnant pygmy seahorse. I have no idea if anyone has ever taken a picture of one of these pregnant. I know I have never seen one...

(The short story behind this is we found the pygmy's at the end of the first dive and I got off quite a few shots. I decided I wasn't happy with those, so I went back on dives two and three, but I had limited time to work with them because I wanted to be the last person to shoot them and bc we wanted the people without a camera to get to see them too. So, I went back alone on a night dive (dive four) and spent the entire 1:45 mins at 65 feet just shooting the pygmy's. I took 184 pics on that dive alone and ended up with nearly 500 pictures of them total.)

I think I am obsessed. I left the first one in it's natural color and boosted the reds in these pictures to make the colors pop out a little more. Not sure which I like better really.

(Canon 10D, 100mm. 1/60 at F11.)

(Canon 10D, 100mm. 1/60 at F11.)

Here is a good shot of the infamous pygmy seahorse tail... it's the best way to find these elusive little critters.

Oh, and by the way, they are VERY photographically shy and tend to turn their heads slightly away from the camera while keeping their body perpendicular to it. I have a LOT of shots of the back of their heads or with it just turned slightly wideways. From what I could tell, they nearly always maintain eye contact.

(Canon 10D, 100mm. 1/60 at F11.)

Yes I think "addict" is the right word for you.

Here we have a very delicate little creature, in a pregnant state, with no means of defence other than disguise and you hit it with nearly 500 repeated flashes close-up, day and night!

Goodbye pygmy seahorses

Poor seahorses!

I like the last one the most. Was it cropped? If so, how much.

Were you shooting in RAW? How were you able to shoot 184 pics on one dive?

I can shoot 80 shots in RAW on my 1 gig card. I think I like not being able to shoot hundreds on one dive. Keeps me somewhat discriminating.

You're an Addict. Get some help!

Thanks for sharing,

John

Lol.. I'm telling y'all right now, Digitolicism will be the next industry buzzword - I'm on a mission to coin the phrase.

The last image was cropped, I will post the originals in the other section where the pics are now.

And don't worry too much about the little guys... we found twelve before we stopped counting.

The best part is, I know exactly where they are and could go back any day and find them again.

:-)

Denial is another symptom.

I thought I posted this already, but perhaps it got lost in the move (or maybe a moderator conspiracy...).

Anyway, pregnant pygmies from Komodo:

Pygmy seahorses move around surprisingly enough.

I only took 7 shots Paul - All full frame, no crops and no burnt out retina, don't need playback to know if I got the shot either lol!

You'll find most of the Pygmies get pregnant if Todd's on the boat!

Or need surgery on their heart! Nice to see your wit has not left you yet.

PS reconfirmed a boy again on Monday and eligible to come anytime soon. And, no I'm still not naming the kid Bob.

I'd post a picture of a pregnant wife but I think that would equal divorce number 2.

I only took 7 shots Paul - All full frame, no crops and no burnt out retina, don't need playback to know if I got the shot either lol!

Glad to hear it Bob.

If people can't get their shot in just a few frames then folk should practice on less sensitive creatures! IMO

PauP

And, no I'm still not naming the kid Bob.

Salmon "Moose" Yahsemtough.

Well, we are looking to stay with the aquatic meaning in the name.

First son is Merreck=ruler of the sea (and house apparently)

We are tossing around Dillon=from the sea

And, I was no where near Komodo...I think they rather get pregnant than get nailed with 184 strobe flashes in an hour. What is that one every 20 seconds.

I took three of this fella and this was the second one. And, I believe that was after Bob had gotten aquainted with him first. I think it is pregnant but the test is still at the lab.LOL

Nice lighting Todd.

Has anyone tried a blue water background with these Pygs as the pink and red is crying out for it?

PauP

Not Blue but I have a unique one. I'm sure Craig will pipe up again about not having blue but having a pink UK background. LOL

Thank you for the kind words also.

And one with a mask behind it.

Now I wish I saved one!

Blue water would be nice but I'm too afraid of DOF especially with the teeny ones in Lembeh. My pregnant ones were large enough but very difficult conditions.

We need to start bringing a blue water card to hold up behind these critters!

Would you settle for green?

I took this at Wakatobi a couple of months ago. I don't know what was wrong with the fin but it doesn't look quite healthy to me.

-David

Between knitting needles and blue cards Which hand do I hold the camera with? LOL Need that teamwork to do that one.

Ummmmmm, can someone please explain to me how you can tell if a pygmy seahorse is pregnant???

As with other species of hippocampus (seahorses), some of these species have natural bulging bellies. A good example is hippocampus bleekeri & H. abdominalis. I would think that a bulging belly is defiently not a sign of a pregnant pygmy seahorse. Additionally, if they were pregnant, they would be males and you should be able to see a pouch on the pygymy's belly - I can't see a pouch in any of the pics posted.

My guess is that some pygmy seahorse species have a natural bulging belly...

If anyone else is in the know please feel free to enlighten us!

How about "Cock-Robin" Todd