Aquarium Update /  by Matt Pham

After finishing the nano refresh, I focused my attention on the main tank. Similar to the nano I used bagged UNS Controsoil as my base and covered with Landen Namale sand. For the main tank, I have a school of Espei Rasbora (Trigonostigma espei), a few Glowlight Rasbora (Trigonostigma hengeli) that was mixed with the Espei when I bought the school and a pair of Apistogramma hongsloi “Red Gold”.

Can’t miss the Espei Rasbora among the green plants. The first photo show two males really colored up in a display of dominance. I really love the orange bronze color of these fish.

The Glowlight Rasbora can easily blend in with Espei Rasbora especially in a fish store setting. It wasn’t until a little later that they weren’t Espei. Their shape and coloration was very different compared to Espei. Their body is more elongated with a yellow tint on their fins. The orange bronze is limited to a stripe and doesn’t bleed into the body.

Before showing off the pair of Apistogramma Hongsloi, I just wanted to share some photos of plants in the main display. The first is a different types of Rotala, I’m not sure of which they are. I got them mixed up while planting. The second is Ambulia or Limnophila sessiliflora, such a fast growing plant. I have to trim it back constantly. The last plant is Pogostemon Stellatus 'Octopus' , that I love to see swaying in the current.

I was torn between German Blue Rams or some type of Apistogramma as the showpiece fish. After a lot of research, I purchased a pair of Apistogramma hongsloi Red Gold from Tristan’s Tropical fish. They were individually bagged and arrived well. They settled in really quick into their new home.

Before I wrap things up, I’ll also share an update of the Ruby Tetras. They are eating well and seem have to grown a smidge.

Nano Refresh /  by Matt Pham

I recently refreshed my nano aquarium and created a new layout with new fish. I went from just using UNS Controsoil for the aquarium to capping with ADA La Plata Sand. I also added more hardscape with ADA Aqua Gravel. A compete overhaul to the nano from what it was before. I’m just waiting for the tank to fill in a bit more before doing a full tank shot.

My current set up is the following:

  • Light: Chihiros WRGB2 10th edition

  • Filter: Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100 with Aquario Neo Flow Lily Pipes with reliever and an ADA VUPPA II

  • Plants: Anubias Petite, Cryptocoryne Lucens, Echinodorus Tenellus/Helanthium tenellum, Golden Nesaea, Hedyotis Salzmannii, Hemianthus Micranthemoides, Juncus Repens, Limnophila hippuridoides, Microsorum Pteropus, Microsorum Pteropus Trident, Potamogeton Gayi, Rotala Rotundifolia "Red", Vallisneria Nana

  • Fish: Ruby Tetra (Axelrodia riesei)

An observation I had was that the jet outlet was creating too much flow for the Ruby Tetras. Adding the reliever made a huge improvement. I didn’t use the side pieces of reliever, I felt that cut the flow down too much.

When I was photographing the Ruby Tetras, I saw a Pearlweed pearling.

I’m excited to see how this tank will look once the plants begin to fill out the tank. While I wait, it’s time to overhaul the bigger aquarium!

EYB (End of Year Bash) 2025 /  by Matt Pham

The last event of the 2025 season. How fast it came and went. I really feel like it just started and here we are at the end of 2025. The Nintendo 3DS made its return for the last event. The bright sun made it hard to see, I just had to take a guess and hope for the best. The 3DS will return in 2026!

I had a bit of a rough start to the day. It took me a longer than usual to get into the groove. You couldn’t have asked for better weather on Saturday. I used a 3 Stop ND filter on all my lenses and 1/20th of a second for my shutter. Aperture and ISO changed as the light did.

Losing the flag stand for years. I lost being able to photograph from a slightly higher elevation. Until I stumbled on to something while I was walking around. It’s a bit further out from where the flag stand once was but the vibe is similar. I hope that it stays around to use for future events. It has a lot of potential but I need to spend more time there to figure things out.

I didn’t stay at the new shooting location for too long. I had to get back down and chase the sunset before the track gets cold for night. I wait all year for this kinda of light.

I between the last event and EYB. I bought a Hoya Sparkle 6X 77mm filter to use. It’s similar to the Hoya Star 8X filter that I used last year. But the flares are more controlled compared the the star filter. Besides that it’s pretty much the same besides the number of points. They both soften the image a bit. A part of why I love EYB so much is because I get to use fun filters like this. It’s the only time we get to shoot sunset and night photos.

After about an hour or so of using the sparkle filter, I ended the night using the black mist filter to finish the night. I didn’t want to over do it with the sparkle filter.

Just like that, EYB and the season came to an end. Time to head back to the drawing board and see what I can do for the 2026 season. So many ideas and things to try before the next EYB!

NODRFT Krewe de Femme Ladies Day 2025 /  by Matt Pham

After taking a small break, I have returned back to the track to cover Krewe de Femme’s Ladies Day again!

I started using a different “camera” to test out at the drivers and media meeting. The “camera” in question is my old Nintendo 3DS with a 0.3 MP sensor. I wanted to join in on the retro tech/low res trend with the 3DS. I grabbed some candid photos with it and recorded part of the meeting. Unfortunately, I didn’t use it after this point. But it’ll be brought back out for future events. It seemed to be a hit among everyone! That’s why I enjoy trying different things, even if it’s going back in quality and technology.

After the meeting, it was time for the parade lap and the group photo before the track goes hot.

For the first time in a long time, I was able to get sequence panorama photos again.

I was really surprised by the number of sequence photos that I was able to get from the day. Especially since I didn’t intentionally try for sequence photos. I’ve also forgotten how time consuming it can take.

Part of the goodie bag provided to the media was a personalized vest. Like last year, I had to do something to show it off!

Link to the rest of the Facebook album

EYB Lite V2 Highlights /  by Matt Pham

Another drift season comes to a close with the biggest event of the year! Two days and one night of drifting. Here are some highlights from my Saturday coverage and the full album can be found in the link below.

EYB LITE V2 Full Album

Not the perfect composite sequence but the best I could get from the photos taken. I think bumping up the shutter speed would have given me a better result. It’s been such a long time since I’ve done one and forgot how challenging it can be. I want to challenge myself to try them again in 2025.

Once it got dark, I wanted to do something different since it’s a rare photograph opportunity. I packed two specialized lens filters to use at night. I bounced between a black mist filter and a star filter. They are two very different on how they impact the image. The black mist provides a nice glow and it’s subtle like there is no filter at all. While on the other end, the star filter is very noticeable what it does to the image. Not something I would all the time but fun to throw in time to time.