melev

The extension tubes are fun, allowing me to get better closeups. I shot most of these images with the 20mm extension tube, and used the SB-800 flash to make up for the higher f/9 setting. ISO 200 for all images.

My first subject was the Tuxedo Urchin. I like the shape, the blue pattern between the spines, and how much he moves around. I took a number of pictures to see close up what he's made of. This first image is the uncropped version. The second image is a crop and shows a tiny row of interesting bits on the right side.

Check out those spines. And the blue part is made up of tiny little --- I don't know, but they resemble little suckers on stems.

A couple of clean up crew members: Peppermint Shrimp and a Red Legged Hermit.

In one of my recent blogs, I mentioned a tiny clam I discovered in my reef. Here's a nice macro taken by stacking the extension tubes. I've checked on this clam late at night with a bright flashlight, and when highlighted, it slams shut. It's definitely alive and well.

Here's another filter feeder. A smooth clam shaped like a mussel. It's been affixed to this lobophyllia colony for years.

Now that some rocks on the left side of the reef have been rearranged, the sand is staying in place better than before, but it still needs more tweaking.