Maniac With Camera Blog: Our 2008 Trip to the Vancouver Aquarium

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

Our 2008 Trip to the Vancouver Aquarium

We went to the Vancouver Aquarium on June 14, 2008, to celebrate Heather's birthday. And the day before we ended up walking Gastown. The day before the trip to the Aquarium we ended up meeting a rather friendly seagull who evidently enjoyed posing for photographs

While we were there, we also saw a Helijet S76 take off for its run to Victoria or to YVR. They do have various routes. Walking further down into Gastown, I was able to see the famous "Gassy Jack" statue. Named after Captain John Deighton, a steamship operator and a saloon-owner at the turn of the century. For more info on Gassy Jack, you can go to this URL Wikipedia Entry on Captain John Deighton.

We saw a variety of animals at the Vancouver Aquarium, but unfortunately I found that my 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 was rather slow for most of the photography I needed to do at the Vancouver Aquarium. At some point I'm going to definitely have to upgrade to f/2.8 lenses

Asides from the fact that the black-tipped reefshark pool was more than crowded that day and I couldn't get a clear shot to save my life, the 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 was so slow that I couldn't handhold it with the speeds that it was shooting at.

If you notice the cold-eye pointed in my direction, you kind of wonder what that shark was thinking. "I think that photographer will make a nice, light snack, wonder if he's loaded with MSG?"

Going now from the pelagics to the reptilian. When we walked past this display, it took me a moment to realize that these were living, breathing specimens of American Alligator. At first I thought that the Vancouver Aquarium had cheated and brought in mechanized displays (I think the low glass also had something to do with it too as it seemed to me, rather flimsy, if the alligator decided to lunge. This sequence of shots kind of proved to me that the alligators were real.

I had to say at first, that he seemed a little plastic...

This evidently is a tiger-ray. I wanted to focus in on his eyes. The eye is the same coloration as the camoflage on his body so his eyes practically blend in. But you can still manage to see them. It's amazing how long they can keep their eyes open without blinking (even more amazing to think that it's under water and you have sand and silt being washed up against it's cornea.

There was also a display of skulls that a curator was waxing eloquent over. It was interesting...and a bit macabre.

The otters are adorable. But it was amazing how small the tanks were that they swam in. It just seemed like they were swimming laps.

14-06-2008_miniature_train_StanleyPark_rs

We also took a ride on the miniature train. The kids loved it.

Since we have a 50mm f/1.8 and hopefully in the near future a 35mm f/1.8, I hope to go back to the Vancouver Aquarium and retake some of the shots that didn't turn out so well.

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Maniac With Camera Blog

This is my personal photography blog; the one that I keep separate from my corporate photography blog. This is where I keep everyday photography that I do. Whenever I go places I take my camera (either my DSLR or my point & shoot) with me. In that way, I have a way of documenting stuff at all times. Like it's said...people always wish that they had their camera with them when something happens. Well...if I keep my camera with me at all times, I'll never wish I had it when something does happen. ~ Hugo Chikamori, Maniac With Camera Blog Owner

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Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

Due to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and its ramifications world-wide, FalconRose Photography has ceased doing business with all American-based suppliers. FalconRose Photography will patronize Canadian suppliers and retailers of photographic equipment.

Also, this will result in sales of images to United States purchasers treated as if the purchase had taken place in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, and that all such provincial and federal sales taxes due will be paid by the purchaser (due to the complicated tax process involved, point of sale cannot be specified at location of purchaser.) Purchaser is responsible for payment of all US federal and state use-taxes as we will not be collecting those for the United States Government.

We are a small Canadian company and as such, we have had to take measures to protect ourselves (by removing all stain of US tax presence - being treated as a US taxable person; we are Canadian) from United States Taxation and its complicated methods of filing taxes under the United States Tax Code.

We are also boycotting any United States shooting locations and will proceed to shooting schedules in Canada only. Canada is a vast and beautiful country and there are plenty of places to photograph without having to step outside it. We look forward to continuing to bring beautiful images of Canada's wildlife and landscapes for your viewing pleasure.

Edit: upon further research into the confiscatory practices of the US Internal Revenue Service; FalconRose Photography recommends that any US based company requiring images refer to many of the talented photographers based in the United States. FalconRose Photography will not do business with US buyers.

I Do Not Critique Other Peoples' Images

I have had people ask me to critique their photos. Unfortunately, photography is a very subjective field. I don't like to give out critiques because invariably it involves "my opinion" which pretty much carries the same amount of weight as everyone else's - a very negligible weight.

I find that most photographers either want one of two things: They want me to a) praise them so that they don't feel bad about the photography that they are outputting. b) they want to be offended by minor criticism so that they can write the critiquer off as some hack photographer. So it doesn't matter how I give critique, it's a no-win situation.

If I am impressed by your photography, I will say so on my comments at your site: Flickr, 500px, or whereever you may be placing your photographs. If not, I will more than likely be silent. Remember the old adage of mothers everywhere? "If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all."

Your photography is your photography, I cannot tell you whether or not it's good or not. If you wish instruction, I would suggest looking up a certified photography instructor. There are people out there who have dedicated their careers to training others. Unfortunately as a working photographer who is doing wildlife stock photography and getting his business off the ground, unfortunately, I do not have the time to do so on a gratis basis.

Above all, photography is essentially the way YOU see the world, not through being filtered by other people. So the only person who can really critique your images is yourself and if you are true to yourself, you will be the hardest critic of your own work.

The only people whom I've ever critiqued images or helped by instructing them on occasion are people whom I've gone personally to school with and they already know who they are on my friend's list on Facebook. So please do not send me your photos to critique, because invariably you will not hear from me.

About Me

Haruo Chikamori has been shooting photography in some shape or form since 1984 when his late father got him a Mamiya Sekor TL500 35mm manual focus SLR. Since then he has taught himself the basics of exposure, shutterspeed and aperture...and has progressed from the basics to running his own freelance photography business.

Hugo has had numerous cameras from point and shoot and SLR 35mm cameras to digital cameras (both point and shoot and DSLR). He now prefers to work with Nikon 35mm film and DSLR cameras.

Currently his photographic arsenal includes a Nikon D300s body, a Nikon D50 body, AF-S DX 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, AF 50mm f/1.8 D lens, a AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VRII lens and a Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 D ED-IF II lens. He also has a SB-600 flash.

In the future, he hopes to get the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lens, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, a Nikon 200-400mm f/4 VRII lens, as well as a Nikon D700 FX (full-frame) body and a Nikon F6 (35mm film) body

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Our 2008 Trip to the Vancouver Aquarium

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