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

Maybe it barfs every morning?

I think it can inflate itself similar to a pufferfish to help prevent its predation and injury. The shapes of some of them would certainly point to this, as they look 'deflated'!

Disclaimer: I am no scientist and often what I say, though correct accounts for nothing!

Todd- I like your unique shot, nice depth and seperation.

David- Green is good but not quite how I had envisaged. Your image looks like it may tweak up nice?

Craig- Can you not keep the DOF by using Rear sync flash?

Paul P

Craig- Can you not keep the DOF by using Rear sync flash?

Yeah, slow shutter and rear curtain sync. I would worry about motion blur due to camera shake. It would be interesting to test out, though.

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!

The site where I saw mine had a large number of specimens, several of which were large and had enormous bellies. The others had proportions similar to what I've grown to expect. The pot-bellied ones were unusually inactive and stayed recessed within the coral. That can be plainly seen by the types of shots I got. Their behavior was markedly different that all the others I shot during that trip.

Thanks again Paul.

Which one of the two was it that you preferred or were you referring to both?

Bob, it could also be the lack of sex drive the pygmies demonstrated that had me thinking they were pregnant. Although maybe that open mouth shot you have was pre puking. LOL

Todd- The shot with the white and green background.

Craig- Can you not keep the DOF by using Rear sync flash?

Yeah, slow shutter and rear curtain sync. I would worry about motion blur due to camera shake. It would be interesting to test out, though.

What's there to worry about Craig? Get testing.

There maybe detectable motion in the image and its not always to everyone's taste.

I am a big fan of SS/RC sync images, I like the unique effect that the motion and ambient colour creates. The images with black backgrounds become too familiar.

You digital shooters have got it so easy with instant review and the "Big Gig" cards..... I am using film so my SS/RC shots are always guesswork.

Paul P

You digital shooters have got it so easy with instant review and the "Big Gig" cards..... I am using film so my SS/RC shots are always guesswork. 

 

Paul P

You forgot to mention variable ISO settings. That's what I would try to get a blue background in on a pygmy shot. You can probably go up to 800 on a DSLR before the noise becomes noticeable.

Or maybe a 'C' button that selects everything you may require in the next shot

and a "P" button to paint over the parts that didn't come out right.

And a new bulb for my scanner!

What's there to worry about Craig? Get testing.

 

There maybe detectable motion in the image and its not always to everyone's taste.

I am a big fan of SS/RC sync images, I like the unique effect that the motion and ambient colour creates. The images with black backgrounds become too familiar.

 

You digital shooters have got it so easy with instant review and the "Big Gig" cards..... I am using film so my SS/RC shots are always guesswork.

 

Paul P

Yes, the more you bring up ambient the more possibility of blurred details and motion. In a motion shot like a shark you can predict the type of blur, but on a macro shot I'd worry about camera shake. Perhaps camera shake would be a nice effect.

My smallest pygmies were shot with a 200mm +3 at 8" or so. Camera shake was pretty noticable when you consider the D100 crop.

Hmm, I can see what you mean, using such a small frame/image size, the slightest motion is greatly magnified with the longer lenses.

I have been happy with some 60mm shots but have not tried it with anything longer. I shall try it sometime.

Maybe back-lighting the water with a blue filtered strobe could create the effect?

3D lighting!

I think that's what one of our members did Paul - put a blue card behind the seafan and just hit it with strobe light. It was a fin - but you get the idea...

Cheers

James