# A closer look at "Morning Touch," by Vladimir Uzhik -- an in depth discussion



## tsunami

*A closer look at "Morning Touch," by Vladimir Uzhik -- an in depth discussion*










*Aquarium Size / W123xD39xH43 (cm)

Aquatic Plants
- Ammania sp.
- Ceratophyllum demersum sp.
- Ceratophyllum sp.
- Echinodorus tenellus
- Glossostigma elatinoides
- Hydrilla verticillata
- Lindernia rotundifolia
- Ludwigia sp.
- Micranthemum micranthemoides
- Myriophyllum hippuroides
- Myriophyllum brasiliensis
- Myriophyllum tubercularum
- Polygonum sp.
- Rotala macranda
- Rotala rotundifolia
- Riccia fluitans
- Urticularia sp.
- Vesicularia sp.

Fish & Invertebrates
- Neocaridina denticulata
- Nannostomus beckfordi*

After seeing this tank for a second time on the ADA Thailand website, I began to understand why so many members of our forum were enamored by it when I posted the results of the ADA contest. It is definitely conversation worthy for the fact that it manages to pull off the controversial technique of adding many red plants while still avoiding a gaudy or tacky look, in my opinion. Does anyone have any thoughts on how Vladimir manages such an accomplishment? Or does he not pull it off well?

On the other hand, I wonder how long this aquascape can be maintained in its current state. The blue horizon with the Myriophyllum sp. below it is beautiful, but how long can he maintain such a fast growing plant in such a position?

Despite the large variety of plants used, the fish choice is relatively simple and quite sparse. Do you think adding a large school of fish would have added or detracted from the overall layout? Does it come to a point where a tank is so colorful and attention getting that fish are not really necessary for the composition?

Just a few questions to start things off. I am interested in hearing all of your thoughts.

Carlos


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## ranmasatome

i feel the layout is nice but anyone that has been growing stem plants in any aquascape will know that this layout will only hold its shape for 1 month at the most.. i think he had it timed well enough so that all growth was well and the shape was exactly how he wanted it when the picure was taken.. which i feel is quite a feat for such fast gowing plants. He had to know how tall to trim each plant so that the desired effect is acheived when timing for the photo (understanding plant growth rate in his tank). Personally i cant imagine myself keeping a tank like that... i would probably give up after 4-5 months of trimming it..i just feel it isnt practical for an ongoing tank.

Fish wise i feel that he at least should have added a little more if he had wanted small fish...something in the region of 100-150... if they were larger, he could have gone with 30-50. probably some species that were plain and whitish/sliverish


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## fishdude1984

i love the look of that tank, but i must say that i feel this can only last for just so long, how can he really keep up with all the triming? but the use of all the red plants is amazing, i cant pull it off anywhere close to that, for me any red plant allways destroys the look of my tanks, and i have tryed many times to find one that dosent, all i can say is its a great looking tank, i would love to see a photo jurnal of that setup, also i would love to see what it looks like a year from now


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## fishdude1984

oh ya, theres fish in there?!


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## Bert H

IMO, anybody who's been to the Smokies or to New England in the fall can immediately relate to this image. Go for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway in mid-late October and this is a typical scene. Perhaps that's why the reds go so well in this tank - because we can equate it with a 'real' world image. 

As far as long term maintenance of this tank, I think you would need an incredible amount of decdication, and patience. Much more than I would certainly have (not to mention skill!). 

But it is a gorgeous tank!


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## david lim

This is a beautiful tank. Well maintained like everyone has pointed out. 

I believe that some key components include how the red and green complement each other (like the myriophyllums in the center and the foreground to midground) and how the dark shadow along the center of the tank helps to transition or buffer the green to the red. 

I also think that adding too many fish would distract the viewer from seeing how the details of the plants contribute to the overall view of the tank, which I quite enjoy when looking at tanks like this.


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## Bob Vivian

I think when we're officially or unofficially judging an entry in a photo contest we must accept the presentation for what it is at the precise photo moment.

For us to extrapolate the photo's "before and after" may be an intrusion of our own assumptions and would be unfair to the presenter. Every pictured tank is in a state of flux. Every plant will be different, assuming continuing growth, the instant after the photo.

Is it fair to presume a tank's "future" 10 minutes from now , a week, 6 months, a year?

Would we be applying a standard to our tank images that is not applied to other photo art?

I recall some judges' criticism of a few entries in last year's AGA Contest that was based on the transient nature of the tank's "future". Apparently, the entries lost points as a result. IMO this is very unfair. 

How can you apply that standard evenly? Isn't that adding some unnecessary subjectivity to an already subjective judgement? You either like the photo or you don't.

A tank photo is of a single moment in time. Judge it, appreciate it, enjoy it for what it is.

Bob


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## fishdude1984

i think you are right for a contest, bug i just want to see pics of this tank in the futrue just for the heck of it, i like seeing pics of tanks progesing


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## random_alias

Judging planted aquariums is never going to be fair because it's artistic.

Personally, I feel that if it's obvious a pictured tank cannot be maintained or if it appears to very experienced aquascapers that the tank was "put together" for a one time snapshot to enter in a contest, then it should not be allowed as an entry. 

It sets an unrealistic example for people to try to follow and it also seems like cheating to me. I know that's a harsh word but in many ways such tanks are "fake" in that they are most likely very short term. It's like the difference between a photo of a quarterback throwing a pass in a real game and one of those photos where they are posing with their arm out infront of them. 

If the tanks in these contests are supposed to be our inspiration or the "bar" or standard, then they need to be something that can be balanced on an ongoing basis.

It's a beautiful tank, but there are a lot of beautiful airbrushed people on magazine covers too. But it's an opinionated topic. That tank is real, I'm not saying it isn't a totally real photo. My idea of a planted aquarium is something that is balanced and maintainable. I like them to mimmick nature in that sense. Maybe there should be a seperate category?

I believe when Oliver Knott shows pics of his tanks he mentions when they were set up for a meeting display or kiosk or whatever temporary purpose, versus when they are an ongoing aquarium.


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## John P.

Bob Vivian said:


> I think when we're officially or unofficially judging an entry in a photo contest we must accept the presentation for what it is at the precise photo moment. Bob


I tend to agree, but have a look at Amano's critiques of 2004 AGA tanks, and he says over & over again: "hard to maintain," etc.


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## Bert H

> I tend to agree, but have a look at Amano's critiques of 2004 AGA tanks, and he says over & over again: "hard to maintain," etc.


True!


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## Bob Vivian

Yeah. But what does he know?


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## cattleman

Bob Vivian said:


> I think when we're officially or unofficially judging an entry in a photo contest we must accept the presentation for what it is at the precise photo moment.
> 
> Exactly. The fact that something is hard to maintain does not take away from the artistry or skill of the Aquascaper. To imply that it is almost like cheating or fake? Dont understand that. Did he not plant and manicure the tank with his own hands? Many things in life are just as fleeting and high maintenance as a well scaped tank. A haircut, Shaving, High performance cars, some women, the list goes on. They are all worthy endeavors none the less. Pain in the Neck, Sure...but great while they last!


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## Cavan Allen

I do like this tank a lot and can definitely appreciate it for what it is, but I will say that my personal preference is for tanks that look like they can be maintained without great labor. _Myriophyllum tuberculatum _ grows ridiculously fast. How long will it stay that short? Not long. I would feel differently about seeing _tuberculatum_ in a scape if were in a more appropriate place. To me, it would be one thing to say the 'appreciate it as it is' viewpoint is absolute if we were talking about flower arrangements, but we aren't. But again, that's simply my preference.


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## ranmasatome

John P. said:


> I tend to agree, but have a look at Amano's critiques of 2004 AGA tanks, and he says over & over again: "hard to maintain," etc.


i think that is a fair judgement..how you set up a tank and what kind of plants you decide to place where, is as important as how the overall picture will look like. What Amano is speaking about is the fact that the aquascaper has placed thought and the use of the right plants in the right places. When you judge 800-1000 tanks for a competition..small things come into play. you need to judge not only the picture but also the skill in the aquascaper in order to differentiate the tanks apart... you obviously want to give the prize to someone that has more experience in understanding plant growth and placement instead of someone that can just place plants nicely for 5mins and takes a photo. The overall maintenance of the plants and tank speaks alot about the scaper as well. IF i were ever a judge i dont think i would ever give the prize to someone that uses, for example rotala rotundifolia as a full forground, no matter how nice his scape may be; compared over to someone that say... uses HC/glosso/ rotala goias. The fact is that it is almost ridiculously hard to maintain a tank like that.. the 5mins of beauty..only last for... 5 mins?? how can a tank like this win over one that can maintain its beauty over months with careful planning andbeautiful plants. we are trying to emulate nature here.. thats why its called nature aquarium. and that is why i believe amano says what he says.


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## Steven_Chong

Who cares about what we have?

What matters is what we can achieve. How far we can go-- what we are able to accomplish.

If we can give something great and new in imagery, than we have done our part as artists.  

As aquascapers, we want this work to flourish into a new and respectable, famous art form. Therefore, we shouldn't worry about the means of our accomplishments-- but instead push our limits, so we can show the world how great this art form is.

translated: bah, who cares about nit-pick formalities like difficult-maintanence? We have to try everything and see what we can do.


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## tsunami

Some more comments...

But I don't think this aquascape is impossible to maintain long term if the aquascaper is truly dedicated. Sure, it will not look *exactly* the same but close enough. The glosso, Hemianthus micranthemoides, and two large "streets" of Rotala rotundifolia/Ludwigia brevipes can easily be trimmed hedge-style. In fact, judging by the bushiness of the groupings, that is probably exactly what he did.

The Myriophyllums though are a whole different story. Those probably were grown out, allowed to spread across the top, and then trimmed down so that only the fluffiest growth tips are showing.

It is not the first time he has ranked highly in the ADA Contest. He has shown great creativity and artistic talent for two consecutive years.
Last year's aquascape was a 'low maintenance', more permanent layout:










We are speaking about a very skilled aquascaper in this instance who knows exactly what he is doing. So, now that we have discussed maintenance, we should move on to discussion of the artistic instead of the technical.

Going back to the the original discussion tank, personal or not, what do you interpret in this layout? Does the title 'Morning Touch' make sense to you? What are the visual lines created in this layout?

Carlos


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## Bob Vivian

No one is talking about a posed picture. We all can sense the difference between a stem plant that's just stuck in for a quick photo op and the one that's been nurtured and pruned. Admittedly, there's some of the first in "Morning Touch" but far more of the second. 

Yes, stem plants are quick growing and will soon change. They do the same thing in Nature, too (nothing impermanent about that). Are you saying, Cavan, that, in your view, stem plants are not legitimate tools in prize winning aquaphotography? Do you mean that they can't star in sophisticated aquascaping? Would you deduct points for heavy use of stem plants? 

Your analogy, random_alias, of the quarterback throwing a football is a good one. The "real action" sequence is a lot more satisfying then the posed picture. But the differences in the two are in the clues/details of the moment at hand, the quarterback's body language, the action around him, etc...not in the quarterback's future actions.

We can all guess what's going to happen next. But the possibilities are endless. My guess that he's about to get "sacked" and tear his ACL is different from your "miracle catch" downfield, random_alias.

That's where the unfair subjectivity comes in. We've added our own "future" to the photo that the photographer may not have intended. He may enjoy the fact that he's successfully stimulated our imaginations but he wants to be judged on the moment at hand.

Bob


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## niko

I too am guilty in dismissing many tanks as "too high maintenance" . But to do that is pretty stupid. "Stupid" may seem too harsh of a word but let's try the opposite - dismiss a tank because it requires "too little maintenance". To make things completely ridiculous I could take the argument into another art form - painting - and claim that an impressionist painting took too many brush strokes to create.

I have a few aquascapes in my head that I consider verey original but due to the fact that I don't really know what I'm doing I have not come to realize them. This Ukrainian guy does know what he's doing and his limitation is his imagination. His "red" tank is offensive to me because I don't like red plants piled up and layered in thick layers like that. But most likely the tank is a physical representation of what the artist saw in his imagination, not an "accident" that looks cool. 

Is my statement exagerated? No way. This guy not only knows how to develop a tank, but he has something that very few people have - creativity. 

One final note - did someone notice that the tank is only 4 ft. long? C'mon how hard it is to prune a 4 ft tank, even if it has to be done every day.

--Nikolay


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## ranmasatome

well.,.i dont doubt his aquascaping skills.. the fact that he used such fast grwoing plants and STILL am able to do such a great job is simply proof that he should deserve the 5th placing as far as maintenance goes. it just goes to show that, iregardless of the plants he may use, he has much patience and skill in maintaining his plants to create a pleasant photo finish in the end. 

Personally.. i am with niko on those red plants.


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## Steven_Chong

Tch, who wants to just do what Amano's already done? [-X 

I have to congradulate this guy for going all-out with an aspect a lot of us don't have the guts to do-- namely going all red, with very little dark green support. Pushing color, very impressive.

As for the shape/lines, they are well formed, and the eye does not get distracted by anything (except maybe by the scraggly moss? specimens on top of the ledge that might have been unnecessary).

The riccia got over-exposed next to the white sand though, one of the risks of using sand with a light-colored mid ground plant. Amano uses sand in tanks with moss because he wants the darker-green to compliment the sand.

My most major gripe, is with his background.

The dark blue totally fights against all his purples/reds. It does not feel like "mornings tough" either with such a dark blue background. Even a light "sky" blue would have been much better, white probably even better than that.

If he had been really gutsy, and taken his theme all the way, and used a pink/orange/red/other hot-color, I would have had even more respect for him as an artist. Right now, the tank has a bit of inner-hypocrisy.

Also, was the sand really necessary? I know it's the fade, but it doesn't really work with this tank. Besides the fact that it fights with the riccia, it bounces light, and is the lightest part of the tank.

In the early morning, when the sky is red, almost everything else seems dark, silhouted against the hot-colors of they sky.

In this case, the sand is the lightest part instead. Big internal contradiction if you ask me. [-X


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## ranmasatome

Very Very nice pts there GMF.


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## standoyo

just to add that an aquascape has to be pleasing to the eye. red can be eyecatching or it could be eyesore. red is a favourite colour of most asians with me no exception. it's just that i can only take it in small amounts.

when i looked at this tank i can only look at it for 15 secs max. it looks extremely happy. if the the state of your mind is receptive to this you will go WOW!
On the other hand if your state of mind low and your eyes are heavy lidded after work you may wanna look away.
everything in it is screaming out 'LOOK AT ME!'

full of life and joy, agree some gold tetras or other pale fish in there to soften the bightness in there. agree also title is off but it's probably because of the translation.[i'd see a lot of funny chinese direct translations which make perfect sense in chinese]

pity about the fish. need a microscope for that.]

if he is skillful. i would say yes. he is very good at growing and trimming plants. although it it's easy to grow stem plants, but growing them healthy and bushy definately takes skill. 
that said, this tank could be put together comparatively quick to a bolbitis/crypt tank. hence the difficulty is different.

i feel that it should score high on trimming and layout.
score low on timelessness, no argument about that. eack time you trim it becomes different. the bottom leaves rot and you need to replant. a real pita. amano chooses to deduct points for that. imagine if he choose to give points for diligence?

in the end i agree with amano if he gripes about maintainence and the future look in the tank. whether it's sustainable by ordinary standards. otherwise ADA will be flooded by this type of layout which is not relevant to nature and its timeless feature. this his criteria. respect that.

other contests can do as they please.

iMO plus points for skill. minus for longevity to be fair to the nana people. the nana people have to worry about spot algae etc. stem plant people are relatively spot free!

Sooo, at the ADA's, a top ten placing is fair since we haven't seen anything like it in ADA top ten. [original?]

so many judges can't be wrong.

side note, GMF i agree with everything you said and i had a go at photoshopping it to bring the brightness down and desat a little. looks very very good...
....


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## Steven_Chong

Though, even while he complains about "high maintenance," one of the other gripes amano seems to often have is "Not enough plants in the background! There should have been more stem plants!!"  

Of couse, Amano can go ahead and complain about both sides if he wants.


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## fishdude1984

IMO i must sat tanks like this are great and give me something to strive for but the reality is that i will put other plant in my tanks and not try for a goal that wont last as long, but more power to the person who trys to make tanks like this!


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## travis

Mr. Uzhik's aquascape with "Morning Touch," considered from a purely aesthetic standpoint, is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. All maintenance considerations and Nature Aquarium fundamentals aside, it stands as an incredible work of art. It does not so much seek to replicate nature as it does to express an image in the artist's mind. This is what aquascaping is to me, an expression made real through the creative use of plants in the aquarium environment. I am in awe.


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## Bob Vivian

Travis, you said it. Any aquascaper's tank is his expression of his imagination. Therefore it is his "art". His ability to manipulate the medium of his art (i.e. the hardscape, lighting, the plants, etc.) defines the quality and scope of his expression.
If we put arbitrary limitations on the medium, such as the "maintainability" of the planting, we automatically shackle his imagination. The horizons of aquascaping as art would be sadly restricted. 
Let the artist use the simple aquatic plant in any way he chooses. Let the lowly polysperma be the bold paint stroke on his "Rembrandt" under water. Our hobby will be the better for it. (Whew!)

We should keep in mind that Amano's style is the "Nature" or natural aquarium. Since nature is ageless it is logical that he would concern himself (and us) with the maintainability of the planting.
But we're now seeing evidence of the "unnatural" aquarium (i.e. "Morning Touch", this year's and last year's Grand Champions) where the plant is nothing more, nor less, then a paint stroke. Therefore, maintainability becomes irrelevant.
There's room for both styles. In fact, even Amano is making allowances for the "unnatural" scapes since they score so well in his photo contest. We'd better get used to the "unnatural" tank since, I think, it offers far more room for art expression.
IMO

Bob


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