spider in his web

[chemicalbro]

a few shots i took of a spider that lives on the pallet racking in my work :)

i've been thinking a lot about what dragonslayer has been saying about composition in macro shots.......... and trying to concentrate on getting interesting angles instead of just filling the frame (i think my fave is number 1 coz the web kinda leads your eye to the spider
1.
http://hellmouth.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/spiderinweb.JPG
2.
http://hellmouth.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/spiderinweb2.JPG
3.
http://hellmouth.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/spiderinweb3.JPG

[Bald Eagle]

Great shots, I do like #1 for the fact of the web drawing you in, but, I also like #3, it looks like he's heading down at an angle, great work.

[kenyc]

Yep, I agree. #1

KAC

[Athena]

Dare I ask again?? What lens?

If you say the kit lens and 52mm of macro extension tubes I am definitely going to be digging that thing out when the boxes arrive and purchasing some tubes....

Nice work.

Athena

[mrclark321]

Great shots

Dan

[queenbee288]

Great shots! #1 is my fave too. Good job on the composition.

Char

[chemicalbro]

Dare I ask again?? What lens?

If you say the kit lens and 52mm of macro extension tubes I am definitely going to be digging that thing out when the boxes arrive and purchasing some tubes....

Nice work.

Athena

ef 50mm 1.8 on a single 31mm extension....... :) he was too big for any more tubes...
heres a pic of him with 52mm extensions (1:1) so a pretty big arachnid here ;)
http://hellmouth.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/lifesize.JPG



thanks for all the comments guys n gals

[Ballen Photo]

Pretty NICE Alan. For some reason I like the second one best. :D
-Bruce

[scrumpy]

I like all the shots, real textbook stuff. Love good spider pics. Did you take these at night - hence the black background?

[chemicalbro]

they were taken at 3am (lunch time, i work nightshift ) but it was in a very bright lit warehouse
the reason the background is black is coz i had the aperture closed way down and used the flash at 1/200 sec shutter speed
not a lot of light gets in that way........ by the time the light has gone from the flash and bounced off of the background objects back to the lens the shutter is closed (hence it's black)

[Ballen Photo]

ef 50mm 1.8 on a single 31mm extension....... :) he was too big for any more tubes...
heres a pic of him with 52mm extensions (1:1) so a pretty big arachnid here ;)
OK, I think I just swapped favorites to THIS one. :shock: Nice job Alan. :D
-Bruce

[chemicalbro]

OK, I think I just swapped favorites to THIS one. :shock: Nice job Alan. :D
-Bruce

LOL thanks bruce.....

i wonder if spiders do internal fertilisation, coz this one looks like he's got a thingy at his abdomen :) (i'm assuming it's a he)

:EDIT:
arghhhhh i unwittingly posted a full frontal spider ;)

[Leorooster]

They are all very nice shots. Very sharp pics.

[dancinec]

they were taken at 3am (lunch time, i work nightshift ) but it was in a very bright lit warehouse
the reason the background is black is coz i had the aperture closed way down and used the flash at 1/200 sec shutter speed
not a lot of light gets in that way........ by the time the light has gone from the flash and bounced off of the background objects back to the lens the shutter is closed (hence it's black)
Very nice photos and your explaination for the black background is very useful. It is the way I have been shooting and I wasn't certain why the background was always black.. but I like it that way.

[Athena]

Okay, I have a 50mm lens too, so it looks like I could be having fun with these tubes. Do I need to know anything before I go down to the local Thai camera shop and between their broken English and my as of yet nearly non-existent Thai try to get some (tubes I mean - macro tubes - for photos - oh it just gets worse. You know what I mean. ;))?

Athena

PS: That really close up one would be SO cool if the spider were horizontally diagonal in the frame with his thorax (is that the right word?) in the upper left third. Cool pattern, even if EEEeeek!! it still freaks me a bit to look at. :)

[chemicalbro]

Okay, I have a 50mm lens too, so it looks like I could be having fun with these tubes. Do I need to know anything before I go down to the local Thai camera shop and between their broken English and my as of yet nearly non-existent Thai try to get some (tubes I mean - macro tubes - for photos - oh it just gets worse. You know what I mean. ;))?

Athena

PS: That really close up one would be SO cool if the spider were horizontally diagonal in the frame with his thorax (is that the right word?) in the upper left third. Cool pattern, even if EEEeeek!! it still freaks me a bit to look at. :)

no matter what just make sure they retain electronic contact with the lens (otherwise you won't be able to change aperture) also try and get a set that is compatible with ef-s lenses (or you won't be able to use the kit lens)

i got some more shots of this spider last night and this time just to annoy you i did use the kit lens ;) i'll post them later


its actually its cephalothorax (in spiders the head and thorax ase fused, unlike insects)

[chemicalbro]

Very nice photos and your explaination for the black background is very useful. It is the way I have been shooting and I wasn't certain why the background was always black.. but I like it that way.

its actually a bit more complicated than that but i didn't wanna confuse anybody :)

its really to do with wavelengths of light.........
the flash obviously hits the spider first and bounces back with a short wavelength which can get thru the iris of the lens......... the background stuff takes longer for the light to hit and bounces back with a long wavelength............

think of it if you were in your car listening to a radio (all radio stations use relatively long wavelengths) and you go into a tunnel (your lens iris) the long wavelength can't get in there, so your radio blacks out.
alternatively if you stood at the end of the tunnel with a vhf walkie talkie (short wavelength) you would be able to talk to somebody in the middle of the tunnel..

[Dragonslayer]

Now I like these shots and trust me I love the close up images also but these really rock here super job on the exposure and lighting, very nice DOF and wonderful compositions here...I find that very often subjects for macro you approach slowly so working shots while you inch in towards the subject is the time you work compositions, look at angles and backgrounds. Wonderful work here all top notch images.

[Ron Wilson]

Good shots. A great looking spider too.

[Ballen Photo]

I find that very often subjects for macro you approach slowly so working shots while you inch in towards the subject is the time you work compositions, look at angles and backgrounds. You mean I shouldn't just shove the lens in their face and fire? :lol: Seriously? This sounds like good advice. :D
-Bruce

[Dragonslayer]

You mean I shouldn't just shove the lens in their face and fire? :lol: Seriously? This sounds like good advice. :D
-Bruce

Well actually you can do that with some bugs, but not all of them will let you approach close many spiders are totally aware along with many other insects you are there some see you better then others but with a slow approach you are less likely to scare the off, I know I have scared many off trying to get in close and get that image. I know you are kidding but I have been shooting for years and some subjects you are better off trying to shove it into their faces and grab that shot. Some are better to deal with then others are.

[chemicalbro]

Now I like these shots and trust me I love the close up images also but these really rock here super job on the exposure and lighting, very nice DOF and wonderful compositions here...I find that very often subjects for macro you approach slowly so working shots while you inch in towards the subject is the time you work compositions, look at angles and backgrounds. Wonderful work here all top notch images.

thanks eric............ encouraging words indeed :)


I always seem to find spiders are willing "models" :)

[chemicalbro]

i just noticed something about this spider............. does anybody know if spiders can regenerate thir limbs if they lose them...... becasue its second leg on its right hand side is decideldly smaller and less hairy than the others............ (maybe he's just a jeremy beadle spider :))