On Tuesday morning – we had a chance to stop in and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium – which gives a whole new meaning to shooting fish in a barrel.
Bottom line: If you’re in Monterey – try to make the aquarium.
As you might imagine – there’s a lot of photo ops at the Monterey Bay Aquarium – and it seemed like everyone had a camera. And, yes, it might seem like “cheating” to take photos of fish (and other marine animals) in captivity – but I strongly feel that the bottom line of photography is to capture the imagination of your audience. 
And if you’re able to do that – even in an artificial environment like an aquarium – your audience will appreciate it. And – as it turns out – most any time your camera is getting used – it’s good practice. If we (photographers) can make compelling images in contrived environments – like zoos and auto shows – I think it goes a long ways in helping us be better in the “real” world – whatever the heck the “real world” is.
OK – I’m stepping off the soapbox now.
And speaking of imagination – I just like the thought of all of these fish looking to Hugh for some food.
—–
More in this series:
- Part I: Asilomar State Beach
- Part II: Pt Lobos
- Part III: Driving to Big Sur
These are beautiful! The turtle image is amazing. Great thoughts here today. The best part is that your images back up the meat of your post perfectly.
Thanks for sharing!
Logan
I second the turtle shout out!
Pingback: Big Sur to Santa Cruz: Monterey’s Lover’s Point « Camera 47
Pingback: Wallpaper: November 2010 « Camera 47