New requirement for selling livestock

[RuffReef]

I know I troll these forums (surprise!) and give a lot of people a hard time (shocking!) but one thing that I take pretty seriously and would like to start changing in this hobby is the overly photoshopped, edited, backlight pictures people post on for sale threads. I completely understand people wanting to push their sale of corals and to show the colors but it's starting to get a little ridiculous. I'm not saying these types of pictures shouldn't be allowed but the seller should also have to post a picture under normal lighting in the 14k range.

I think is not only a smart move to protect buyers but to keep the hobby honest and true.

Yes mods this is not a troll post and I would like to actually discuss this with other members, maybe I'm the only one who hates seeing photoshopped pictures under backlights.

 

[Reefomeez]

Second. Frankly, I don't buy from sellers that post pics with obvious color manipulation. And if I were selling, I wouldn't want a buyer to show up and "flake" when he/she sees the actual color. Not hatin' on anyone.

By the same token, I wouldn't be down with limiting someone's freedom to post whatever picture they want. In the end, buyer beware. I take it upon myself to avoid buying from those posts. I do wish though that sellers would take it upon themselves to do this.

 

[toromp]

I second it!.. and we should also start the being a member for 45 days before you can sell

 

[RuffReef]

Second. Frankly, I don't buy from sellers that post pics with obvious color manipulation. And if I were selling, I wouldn't want a buyer to show up and "flake" when he/she sees the actual color. Not hatin' on anyone.

By the same token, I wouldn't be down with limiting someone's freedom to post whatever picture they want. In the end, buyer beware. I take it upon myself to avoid buying from those posts. I do wish though that sellers would take it upon themselves to do this.

I agree, I don't want to take away someones right to edit their pictures, hence why I think I also think they should have to post up a normal picture.

 

[BeanMachine]

Um well I think those with leds will get overly glowy pics for those who do not. Or for instance many reefers use mostly blue over their tanks, so are they supposed to change out all the blue lamps for whites? I see what your saying but its more difficult than it seems. Now photoshoping, I don't even know how to do that. Like Omar said, some people don't buy unless they see the frag in the tank or know the person who is selling it if they don't see it in person under the lighting.

Now the suuuuper blue LED pics that make the corals glow obviously won't look quite like that under other conditions, but I think that is obvious so not like someone would be getting duped you know? Its just something you have to recognize.

 

[toromp]

Royal blues x 12 whites x3
Still decent for a FS thread

 

[BeanMachine]

Ya but take a closer pic of a coral and Jamie won't like it you know? That's all I'm saying. It does look nice though. Are you able to just run the whites? My point is some can't or wouldn't have enough for the look he is asking for.

 

[RuffReef]

Um well I think those with leds will get overly glowy pics for those who do not. Or for instance many reefers use mostly blue over their tanks, so are they supposed to change out all the blue lamps for whites? I see what your saying but its more difficult than it seems. Now photoshoping, I don't even know how to do that. Like Omar said, some people don't buy unless they see the frag in the tank or know the person who is selling it if they don't see it in person under the lighting.

Now the suuuuper blue LED pics that make the corals glow obviously won't look quite like that under other conditions, but I think that is obvious so not like someone would be getting duped you know? Its just something you have to recognize.

That's why it shoudn't be limited to only a 14kish light, some people do run pure 20k bulbs. To counter this they could just simply turn their flash on.

IMO photoshopping shouldn't be allowed, even if you look at some of these corals under super blue lights they still will not look like the photoshopped pictures.

The entire point would be to give an actual representation of what the coral looks like in YOUR tank, not what it looks after after you accent all the bringht colors and fade or dull all the surrounding colors. If you run 100% blue lighting then cool, post up the picture, but at least post 'FYI I run 25k bulbs'.

What gets me most is the photoshopping of corals.

 

[BeanMachine]

I totally agree with you with photo shop.

 

[toromp]

This one is close. But in the blue defense..this Duncan is in a spot where the whites don't reach it

 

[Drupy12g]

What if you make it mandatory that anyone selling corals and posts a pic must state what light setup the pic was taken under, what type of camera used (phone, dslr, point & shoot, etc) and if they did photoshop it any.

 

[RuffReef]

Ya but take a closer pic of a coral and Jamie won't like it you know? That's all I'm saying. It does look nice though. Are you able to just run the whites? My point is some can't or wouldn't have enough for the look he is asking for.

Has nothing to do what I like, it has to do with giving someone a perspective of what the coral looks like in their tank. If you run 20k then cool post up a picture, but don't turn on more blue just to post a picture like a lot of sellers do in this hobby.

 

[BeanMachine]

Has nothing to do what I like, it has to do with giving someone a perspective of what the coral looks like in their tank. If you run 20k then cool post up a picture, but don't turn on more blue just to post a picture like a lot of sellers do in this hobby.

I guess what I meant is strictly a blue led lit tank, if for instance they don't have any whites or can't control them. The flash would be a good way of showing a difference though your right.

 

[Tropical Reef Fish Store]

yes id like a ''real pic of the coral''
no i hate the word ''forced'', like the anti gun peeps ''im not saying you can't have that gun im say you cant have the gun with that on it.
next week we will have a new rule saying all 14k pic with one 20k, week after that a new rule saying 10k pic's with one 14k. ect....
like omar said if it look's all fake and ps just move on to the next fs thread.

 

[RuffReef]

What if you make it mandatory that anyone selling corals and posts a pic must state what light setup the pic was taken under, what type of camera used (phone, dslr, point & shoot, etc) and if they did photoshop it any.

That is a step in the right direction as long as it is not a edited picture.

 

[Reefomeez]

The entire point would be to give an actual representation of what the coral looks like in YOUR tank, not what it looks after after youa ccent all the bring colors and fade or dull all the surrounding colors. If you run 100% blue lighting then cool, post up the picture, but at least post 'FYI I run 25k bulbs'.

What gets me most is the photoshopping of corals.

Preach brotha! I love seeing white eggcrate that looks either neon purple or green and there's "no photoshopping" going on.

The thing is when I buy a coral I know for a fact, unless they have the same lights as me, it's going to look different; but providing a good baseline, like an accurate pic and what light it's taken under, will go a long way in feeling like I'm getting what I'm paying for. In the end though I just doing buy unless I can see it...I'm sort of a dinosaur that way.

 

[RuffReef]

I guess what I meant is strictly a blue led lit tank, if for instance they don't have any whites or can't control them. The flash would be a good way of showing a difference though your right.

No one has their tank on pure super blue light, at least I have never seen one. The point is a lot of sellers either turn on their moonlights or turn up their blues for the purpose of taking a picture to make the colors pop.

 

[lowbudget]

im sure 75% led users are using adjustable leds. dont give me that bull about having to swap out more whites for blues just to take pictures.

Um well I think those with leds will get overly glowy pics for those who do not. Or for instance many reefers use mostly blue over their tanks, so are they supposed to change out all the blue lamps for whites? I see what your saying but its more difficult than it seems. Now photoshoping, I don't even know how to do that. Like Omar said, some people don't buy unless they see the frag in the tank or know the person who is selling it if they don't see it in person under the lighting.

Now the suuuuper blue LED pics that make the corals glow obviously won't look quite like that under other conditions, but I think that is obvious so not like someone would be getting duped you know? Its just something you have to recognize.

 

[RuffReef]

Not picking on NVTE here, I like the guy but I am going to use his pictures as an example.

I like these pieces, I want to buy these pieces but I know they will look nothing like this. I'm not saying they are not worth the price I'm just saying you should have to post an accurate representation of the coral.

You can see the blurring where he accented the color and dulled the color of others.

 

[RuffReef]

im sure 75% led users are using adjustable leds. dont give me that bull about having to swap out more whites for blues just to take pictures.

Not just LED guys, T5 and MH guys are not running pure blue lights. No one here has ever posted a DIY LED project where all the lights are super blue.