A psychedelic rainbow reef world : Biology student captures incredibly detailed images of the stunning - and very strange - coral specimens found in collectors' tanks
A psychedelic rainbow reef world : Biology student captures incredibly detailed images of the stunning - and very strange - coral specimens found in collectors' tanks
Daniel Stoupin photographed the corals in studios owned by aquarists and coral collectors instead of underwater
He spent four months photographing the specimens due to the complexity of the techniques he used, including high magnification, and spent up to 10 hours producing one or two images
He said: 'While I enjoy taking pictures when I dive, I am not an underwater photographer yet.
Each piece is from the Great Barrier Reef or other reefs around Australia, including this pretty piece of Favites pentagona coral that seems to glow in places
Mr Stoupin, from Brisbane, Australia, opted to use studios rather than a sea dive to capture the detailed colours and structure of the complex corals like this piece of yellow coral
'I wanted to try advanced photography and illumination techniques on such fascinating and mysterious animals as corals - something that is nearly impossible to perform on a dive.
'That is why I became interested in getting access to corals collected from the Great Barrier Reef.
'In Australia this kind of business is popular - private companies organise dives, collect corals from the reef and sell fragments to aquarists in Australia and abroad.
He said: 'I wanted to try advanced photography and illumination techniques on such fascinating and mysterious animals as corals - something that is nearly impossible to perform on a dive.' This piece of Scolymia coral almost looks like a shot from inside the human body
This piece of Blastomussa coral looks like a strange flower.
The fragment came from collections of coral samples, which are popular as private companies organise dives, collect corals from the reef and sell fragments to aquarists in Australia and abroad
'It is legal and monitored by environmental researchers and does not threaten reefs.'
Mr Stoupin spent four months photographing corals and due to the complexity of the techniques he used, would spend up to 10 hours to produce one or two images.
Some of the pieces were no bigger than 2cm and high magnification was needed.
Mr Stoupin spent four months photographing corals and due to the complexity of the techniques he used, would spend up to 10 hours to produce one or two images
Some of the pieces were no bigger than 2cm and high magnification was needed, such as to capture this Blastomussa coral with its intriguing microscopic spines
However, to capture the rainbow of colours, a special torch was used to light up the corals.
According to Mr Stoupin, an advanced full-spectrum light, rather than normal white light from a torch, allows the different colours to be made visible.
He said: 'Corals, even the biggest ones, InVitro have details, which would escape our attention.
The marine biology student used an advanced full-spectrum light, rather than normal white light from a torch, to photograph the different colours in this sample of Blue-Crlimrph coral in all its glory
He originally planned on photographing coral underwater, but knew he would need precise motion and a camera positioned on something solid, which is next to impossible underwater
'I thought that corals would be especially fascinating but the technique requires precise motion and the camera has to be positioned on something solid, which is next to impossible underwater.
'However, capturing the colours was my second reason to go for studio photography instead of diving.
'Many representatives of marine life possess fluorescent pigments, which are responsible for their colour, but they don't reflect light similarly to substances that are familiar to us.
Mr Stoupin said many representatives of marine life possess fluorescent pigments, which are responsible for their colour, but they don't reflect light similarly to substances that are familiar to us.
This fragment of reverse prism favia coral almost appears to glow
A psychedelic rainbow reef world : Biology student captures incredibly detailed images of the stunning - and very strange - coral specimens found in collectors' tanks
by Owen Mahony (2025-05-29)
A psychedelic rainbow reef world : Biology student captures incredibly detailed images of the stunning - and very strange - coral specimens found in collectors' tanksBy Sarah Griffiths
Published: 16:49 GMT, 4 September 2013 | Updated: 18:57 GMT, 4 September 2013
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They may look like exotic plants, but in fact these incredible pictures are close-ups of tiny fragments of coral.
Marine Biology student Daniel Stoupin, 26, was given access to studios owned by aquarists and coral collectors to take the photographs.
The incredible layered images of tiny pieces of coral show a fascinating range of colours and symmetrical shapes.
They may look like exotic plants, but in fact these incredible pictures are close-ups of tiny fragments of coral.
Acan coral is pictured
Marine Biology student Daniel Stoupin, 26, was given access to studios owned by aquarists and coral collectors to take the photographs.
The incredible layered images of tiny pieces of coral show a fascinating range of colours and symmetrical shapes
Each piece is from the Great Barrier Reef or other reefs around Australia.
Mr Stoupin, from Brisbane, Australia, opted to use studios rather than a sea dive to capture the detailed colours and structure of the complex corals.
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He said: 'While I enjoy taking pictures when I dive, I am not an underwater photographer yet.
Each piece is from the Great Barrier Reef or other reefs around Australia, including this pretty piece of Favites pentagona coral that seems to glow in places
Mr Stoupin, from Brisbane, Australia, opted to use studios rather than a sea dive to capture the detailed colours and structure of the complex corals like this piece of yellow coral
'I wanted to try advanced photography and illumination techniques on such fascinating and mysterious animals as corals - something that is nearly impossible to perform on a dive.
'That is why I became interested in getting access to corals collected from the Great Barrier Reef.
'In Australia this kind of business is popular - private companies organise dives, collect corals from the reef and sell fragments to aquarists in Australia and abroad.
He said: 'I wanted to try advanced photography and illumination techniques on such fascinating and mysterious animals as corals - something that is nearly impossible to perform on a dive.' This piece of Scolymia coral almost looks like a shot from inside the human body
This piece of Blastomussa coral looks like a strange flower.
The fragment came from collections of coral samples, which are popular as private companies organise dives, collect corals from the reef and sell fragments to aquarists in Australia and abroad
'It is legal and monitored by environmental researchers and does not threaten reefs.'
Mr Stoupin spent four months photographing corals and due to the complexity of the techniques he used, would spend up to 10 hours to produce one or two images.
Some of the pieces were no bigger than 2cm and high magnification was needed.
Mr Stoupin spent four months photographing corals and due to the complexity of the techniques he used, would spend up to 10 hours to produce one or two images
Some of the pieces were no bigger than 2cm and high magnification was needed, such as to capture this Blastomussa coral with its intriguing microscopic spines
However, to capture the rainbow of colours, a special torch was used to light up the corals.
According to Mr Stoupin, an advanced full-spectrum light, rather than normal white light from a torch, allows the different colours to be made visible.
He said: 'Corals, even the biggest ones, InVitro have details, which would escape our attention.
The marine biology student used an advanced full-spectrum light, rather than normal white light from a torch, to photograph the different colours in this sample of Blue-Crlimrph coral in all its glory
He originally planned on photographing coral underwater, but knew he would need precise motion and a camera positioned on something solid, which is next to impossible underwater
'I thought that corals would be especially fascinating but the technique requires precise motion and the camera has to be positioned on something solid, which is next to impossible underwater.
'However, capturing the colours was my second reason to go for studio photography instead of diving.
'Many representatives of marine life possess fluorescent pigments, which are responsible for their colour, but they don't reflect light similarly to substances that are familiar to us.
Mr Stoupin said many representatives of marine life possess fluorescent pigments, which are responsible for their colour, but they don't reflect light similarly to substances that are familiar to us.
This fragment of reverse prism favia coral almost appears to glow