The Georgia Aquarium (VERY Photo Intense) - Page 3

joeychitwood · 01/01/2006, 01:52 PM

Great photos. Thanks for making the effort to post them.

I think they have too many tangs in that tank, however!

tokitay · 01/01/2006, 06:20 PM

WOW!!

chrismunn · 01/01/2006, 06:57 PM

THATS PRETTY FREAKIN' AWSOME! and i thought that the 1 million gallon tank at monterey bay was big. 6.2mill, WOW! its amazing!

scarletknight06 · 01/01/2006, 07:13 PM

thank you for the pics!

Hopestar075 · 01/01/2006, 07:27 PM

Great pictures!!!! I am very lucky to live 30 mins away from the aquarium therefore I obtained a season pass. I am going to try to go as often as I can! By the way the gift shop prices are totally reasonable! I baught a long sleeve shirt for $18 and b/c I have a season pass I got 20% off! Yay!

ERICinFL · 01/01/2006, 08:34 PM

Enjoyed the pics. Next time I visit my family in GA, I'm taking an extra day or two to see the aquarium!

Fishyfreak031592 · 01/01/2006, 08:47 PM

Wow.........just looking at all those pics makes me really want to go there...my favorite pic you supplied was of the reef.....the whole place is stunning........oh how i wish i could go there.but im in IL and thats in georgia.....o well.................

jwedehase · 01/01/2006, 08:53 PM

Thank you again, everyone. I took just over 350 photos that day, and I'm still going through them. As I find more interesting items, I'll be sure to post them. There are probably a couple left.

johnkov418 · 01/01/2006, 09:02 PM

Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great Work, excellent thread.. I live near Chicago and I thought the Shedd Aquarium was awesone, thank you for sharing!! John

PupChow · 01/01/2006, 10:39 PM

Simply amazing, thank you very, very much! I think I am planning a trip there with my girlfriend really soon!

I am very impressed by the pictures you took, how did you even manage to take those pictures under the low-light situation!? I tried my DSLR at Baltimore aquarium and failed quite miserably!

rizkeeper · 01/01/2006, 10:44 PM

more picssssssssssssssssssssssssssss........please

charlesjordanjr · 01/02/2006, 12:20 PM

Awesome Pics!! Thank you so much! I can't wait to visit. I will have to check into the behind the senes tours. That would be great!
-Chuck

guitar_lord · 01/02/2006, 12:30 PM

Amazing!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Im going to have to plan a trip there sometime soon!!!!
incredible

jwedehase · 01/02/2006, 12:47 PM

Pupchow: I set the ISO pretty high (800), but I also have the image stabilization lens, which helps quite a bit.

Here are a few more that didn't make the initial cut.

The bowmouth guitarfish visiting the kids, up close and personal.

More of those beautiful rays.

Underwater viewing of the sea otters, and a mother teaching.

The Horseshoe Crab touch tank, and a docent sharing how to tell the difference between the males and females. Males have "boxing glove" arms up front, females do not.

jwedehase · 01/02/2006, 12:53 PM

The reef tank, I have to admit, isn't exactly photogenic at this point. It's still very young. However, sine you've asked, here's some of what I saw there.

The largest collection of coral in the tank was right in the middle. I saw the 2 foot colt coral, a couple of bleached crocea clams, some A. valida, millepora stag, frogspawn and hammer, candy corals, chalice, cat's paw, monti cap, and so on.

jwedehase · 01/02/2006, 12:57 PM

And it seems there was a lot of concern about the crowds. Yes, the place was packed. But again, a sincere "Thanks and good job" goes to the engineers and architects who put this thing together. Flow was awesome. Or, as I mentioned to another reefer, maybe it's because I'm from California, and don't consider this very crowded

.

You've seen the pictures over the last few pages, so you can see that access to all these viewable areas was not a problem. Maybe I've just gotten comfortable enough with a camera that I've learned to bully my way up front, or maybe I just have enough patience, but I never had a problem, even in these crowds. The first shot is (left to right) seahorses, puffers, and otters. The second shot is the bi-level beluga whale viewing.

delor · 01/02/2006, 01:42 PM

Wow, I think I will be stoping in Altlanta on my next Florida trip....

raddogz · 01/02/2006, 11:29 PM

What kind of lense or lenses did you use?

jwedehase · 01/03/2006, 12:33 AM

Every shot was with a Canon 20D and the Canon 28-135mm IS. Many were shot full wide (28mm), and I wish I had a wider lens a lot of the time. When flash was used, it was the Canon 420EX with Sto-Fen diffuser.

ohioreef · 01/03/2006, 03:09 AM

Thank you very much for the stunning pics!! Think know where we're going for the next family vacation.

this is me · 01/03/2006, 01:29 PM

Very nice photo.
I think I'll be there during spring break.
But damn, I hate crowded places.

alten78 · 01/03/2006, 01:55 PM

great photos, thank you for the time it took to share.

Cutiewitbooty · 01/03/2006, 03:35 PM

Wow thanks so much for all the pics!!1 I have dial-up and I waited for all the to finally load and it was so worth it!! I'm going to have to tank a trip up there, it's about 600 miles i think? It would be a fun road trip

I think I might wait for the crounds to die down thoug, i hate crouds....

melev · 01/03/2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jwedehase
Every shot was with a Canon 20D and the Canon 28-135mm IS. Many were shot full wide (28mm), and I wish I had a wider lens a lot of the time. When flash was used, it was the Canon 420EX with Sto-Fen diffuser.

Excellent images. This is what I've been waiting for. I knew some guys with good photography experience would post some stunning pictures sooner or later.

tayers25 · 01/03/2006, 07:50 PM

Regarding a few of the questions posed earlier in the thread.

1) the waves are made for the reef tank by what has to be a 50 foot dump bucket apparatus. It fills and every other minute or so dumps over sending a surge over your head down the face of the reef. Calming music is also played in the background synchronized to the wave crashing. You can get behind the scenes upstairs (school groups are already doing this) and see it in action. It was designed by the former Director of the Waikiki Aquarium who is now the top person at the GA Aquarium (forget his name, sorry...but he's mentioned in Sprung's books.

2) the filtering system for the tanks cycles every bit of the water through the skimmers/filters every 90 minutes.

3) the whale sharks were actually trained in Taiwan (where they were captured) to approach a yellow ladle filled with plankton/etc. So, when its lowered into the water, they line up and they dump it out right in front of their mouths. They look like giant vacuum cleaners when they're eating.

4) an interesting tidbit on the reef. The green colored corals (plate) are actually "seeded" with some sort of gelatin-based vitamin enriched substance. You'll notice the tangs love it and are constantly picking at it.

5) the glass is cleaned daily by divers prior to the doors opening. I understand that local divers can sign up to "volunteer" to clean the glass on a rotating basis. There is always a safety diver in with them in case the sharks start getting aggressive...which they say shouldn't happen as they feed them at regular times.

6) the bottom feeders are fed by hand (again by divers)...otherwise all the other fish would eat everything and they would starve.

7) the vast majority of the reef fish were acquired from the Atlanta airport in a sting of illegally smuggled tropical fish last summer.

8) Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot donated the $250 million to the GA Aquarium and it opened up on day one debt-free.

All I can say is plan to spend 4-5 hours...I think the planners thought people would be in/out in about 3 hours...not so. Also, check the website and make reservations before you come. Trying to get a ticket at the door may not be possible, especially on weekends.

Last note: after seeing this my wife came home and said our 180-gallon looks really small now. I'm planning on knocking out the main floor and putting my own surge reef tank that will encompass the entire basement as soon as I hit the GA Lottery. :-) Okay, but maybe I now can move up to the 500 I've had my eye on.

01/01/2006, 06:57 PM	#53
chrismunn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 4,200	THATS PRETTY FREAKIN' AWSOME! and i thought that the 1 million gallon tank at monterey bay was big. 6.2mill, WOW! its amazing! __________________ Marine Aquarists Association of South Texas Austin Reef Club PBITAWA... Current Tank Info: 14g bio cube

01/01/2006, 07:27 PM	#55
Hopestar075 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Georgia Posts: 202	Great pictures!!!! I am very lucky to live 30 mins away from the aquarium therefore I obtained a season pass. I am going to try to go as often as I can! By the way the gift shop prices are totally reasonable! I baught a long sleeve shirt for $18 and b/c I have a season pass I got 20% off! Yay! __________________ Just keep swimming! Current Tank Info: 55 gal. fresh water cichlid tank/ 10 gal. hospital tank/ 65 gal. soon to be reef tank

01/01/2006, 08:34 PM	#56
ERICinFL Rejisturd Mimbur Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Brevard County, FL Posts: 1,346	Enjoyed the pics. Next time I visit my family in GA, I'm taking an extra day or two to see the aquarium! __________________ Ummmm... yeah... don't touch the Mag Float. Sorry kids, your college fund is gone, but the tank looks SWEET right? Current Tank Info: 150gal mixed reef. ER CS135, 65gal sump/fuge with a Mag12 return. (2) Korillia 4s, (1) modded MJ1200, two SunSun 3200gph powerheads. 250+lbs LR.

01/01/2006, 08:53 PM	#58
jwedehase Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Central CA, USA Posts: 908	Thank you again, everyone. I took just over 350 photos that day, and I'm still going through them. As I find more interesting items, I'll be sure to post them. There are probably a couple left. __________________ This space for rent. Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef. 2x250w HQI 14K, 4x39w T5HO. AquaEuro 400

01/02/2006, 12:20 PM	#62
charlesjordanjr Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Grapevine, TX Posts: 266	Awesome Pics!! Thank you so much! I can't wait to visit. I will have to check into the behind the senes tours. That would be great! -Chuck __________________ Moderator on DFWMAS Current Tank Info: 90 gallon Oceanic RR

01/01/2006, 01:52 PM	#51
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	Great photos. Thanks for making the effort to post them. I think they have too many tangs in that tank, however!

01/01/2006, 06:20 PM	#52
tokitay Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Jupiter, FL Posts: 311	WOW!!

01/01/2006, 07:13 PM	#54
scarletknight06 Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 2,342	thank you for the pics!

01/01/2006, 08:47 PM	#57
Fishyfreak031592 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: IL Posts: 395	Wow.........just looking at all those pics makes me really want to go there...my favorite pic you supplied was of the reef.....the whole place is stunning........oh how i wish i could go there.but im in IL and thats in georgia.....o well.................

01/01/2006, 09:02 PM	#59
johnkov418 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 150	Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great Work, excellent thread.. I live near Chicago and I thought the Shedd Aquarium was awesone, thank you for sharing!! John

01/01/2006, 10:39 PM	#60
PupChow Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Derwood, MD Posts: 572	Simply amazing, thank you very, very much! I think I am planning a trip there with my girlfriend really soon! I am very impressed by the pictures you took, how did you even manage to take those pictures under the low-light situation!? I tried my DSLR at Baltimore aquarium and failed quite miserably!

01/01/2006, 10:44 PM	#61
rizkeeper Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 319	more picssssssssssssssssssssssssssss........please

01/02/2006, 12:30 PM	#63
guitar_lord Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: London ON Canada Posts: 482	Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing! Im going to have to plan a trip there sometime soon!!!! incredible __________________ -Brian- Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef

01/02/2006, 12:47 PM	#64
jwedehase Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Central CA, USA Posts: 908	Pupchow: I set the ISO pretty high (800), but I also have the image stabilization lens, which helps quite a bit. Here are a few more that didn't make the initial cut. The bowmouth guitarfish visiting the kids, up close and personal. More of those beautiful rays. Underwater viewing of the sea otters, and a mother teaching. The Horseshoe Crab touch tank, and a docent sharing how to tell the difference between the males and females. Males have "boxing glove" arms up front, females do not. Last edited by Skipper; 04/08/2006 at 03:55 PM.

01/02/2006, 12:53 PM	#65
jwedehase Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Central CA, USA Posts: 908	The reef tank, I have to admit, isn't exactly photogenic at this point. It's still very young. However, sine you've asked, here's some of what I saw there. The largest collection of coral in the tank was right in the middle. I saw the 2 foot colt coral, a couple of bleached crocea clams, some A. valida, millepora stag, frogspawn and hammer, candy corals, chalice, cat's paw, monti cap, and so on. Last edited by Skipper; 04/09/2006 at 07:51 AM.

01/02/2006, 12:57 PM	#66
jwedehase Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Central CA, USA Posts: 908	And it seems there was a lot of concern about the crowds. Yes, the place was packed. But again, a sincere "Thanks and good job" goes to the engineers and architects who put this thing together. Flow was awesome. Or, as I mentioned to another reefer, maybe it's because I'm from California, and don't consider this very crowded . You've seen the pictures over the last few pages, so you can see that access to all these viewable areas was not a problem. Maybe I've just gotten comfortable enough with a camera that I've learned to bully my way up front, or maybe I just have enough patience, but I never had a problem, even in these crowds. The first shot is (left to right) seahorses, puffers, and otters. The second shot is the bi-level beluga whale viewing. Last edited by Skipper; 04/09/2006 at 07:52 AM.

01/02/2006, 01:42 PM	#67
delor Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 1,124	Wow, I think I will be stoping in Altlanta on my next Florida trip.... __________________ Surviving is different than thriving! Current Tank Info: Current: 90 gal RR reef tank, LED. Old:55gal RR, 440W VHO, 80# LR, LS, 20gal sump, SCWD. 5 gallon nano, 75 gal FOWLR

01/02/2006, 11:29 PM	#68
raddogz Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 3,167	What kind of lense or lenses did you use? __________________ Eileen If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style. - Quentin Crisp Current Tank Info: 180g Reef

01/03/2006, 12:33 AM	#69
jwedehase Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Central CA, USA Posts: 908	Every shot was with a Canon 20D and the Canon 28-135mm IS. Many were shot full wide (28mm), and I wish I had a wider lens a lot of the time. When flash was used, it was the Canon 420EX with Sto-Fen diffuser.

01/03/2006, 03:09 AM	#70
ohioreef Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Western Ohio Posts: 3,106	Thank you very much for the stunning pics!! Think know where we're going for the next family vacation. __________________ Gary

01/03/2006, 01:29 PM	#71
this is me Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: MA Posts: 4,074	Very nice photo. I think I'll be there during spring break. But damn, I hate crowded places. __________________ Nick When a man talks dirty to a woman, it's sexual harassment. When a woman talks dirty to a man, it's $4.95 per minute. Current Tank Info: Miracle 360 gallons

01/03/2006, 01:55 PM	#72
alten78 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sheffield Lake, OH Posts: 1,231	great photos, thank you for the time it took to share. __________________ When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find a person where life gave them vodka and have a party. ~ Ron White Current Tank Info: 120g SPS dominated

01/03/2006, 03:35 PM	#73
Cutiewitbooty Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Alaska For 18 Years, Now Cape Coral, Florida Posts: 2,795	Wow thanks so much for all the pics!!1 I have dial-up and I waited for all the to finally load and it was so worth it!! I'm going to have to tank a trip up there, it's about 600 miles i think? It would be a fun road trip I think I might wait for the crounds to die down thoug, i hate crouds.... __________________ WARNING: Taking my advice may result in personal injury and/or jail time. ~Amber~

01/03/2006, 07:50 PM	#75
tayers25 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cumming, GA Posts: 85	Regarding a few of the questions posed earlier in the thread. 1) the waves are made for the reef tank by what has to be a 50 foot dump bucket apparatus. It fills and every other minute or so dumps over sending a surge over your head down the face of the reef. Calming music is also played in the background synchronized to the wave crashing. You can get behind the scenes upstairs (school groups are already doing this) and see it in action. It was designed by the former Director of the Waikiki Aquarium who is now the top person at the GA Aquarium (forget his name, sorry...but he's mentioned in Sprung's books. 2) the filtering system for the tanks cycles every bit of the water through the skimmers/filters every 90 minutes. 3) the whale sharks were actually trained in Taiwan (where they were captured) to approach a yellow ladle filled with plankton/etc. So, when its lowered into the water, they line up and they dump it out right in front of their mouths. They look like giant vacuum cleaners when they're eating. 4) an interesting tidbit on the reef. The green colored corals (plate) are actually "seeded" with some sort of gelatin-based vitamin enriched substance. You'll notice the tangs love it and are constantly picking at it. 5) the glass is cleaned daily by divers prior to the doors opening. I understand that local divers can sign up to "volunteer" to clean the glass on a rotating basis. There is always a safety diver in with them in case the sharks start getting aggressive...which they say shouldn't happen as they feed them at regular times. 6) the bottom feeders are fed by hand (again by divers)...otherwise all the other fish would eat everything and they would starve. 7) the vast majority of the reef fish were acquired from the Atlanta airport in a sting of illegally smuggled tropical fish last summer. 8) Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot donated the $250 million to the GA Aquarium and it opened up on day one debt-free. All I can say is plan to spend 4-5 hours...I think the planners thought people would be in/out in about 3 hours...not so. Also, check the website and make reservations before you come. Trying to get a ticket at the door may not be possible, especially on weekends. Last note: after seeing this my wife came home and said our 180-gallon looks really small now. I'm planning on knocking out the main floor and putting my own surge reef tank that will encompass the entire basement as soon as I hit the GA Lottery. :-) Okay, but maybe I now can move up to the 500 I've had my eye on.