Finally! This is what I bought a macro lens for!

[scotttnz]

I just moved house at the weekend, and was wondering around our rather run down garden, pondering all the work needed to make it respectable when I came across this guy (or more likely girl). I ran inside and grabbed the camera (luckily it is one of the few things not still packed in a box), put the efs 60mm macro, and 420ex with omnibounce on and headed back out to find the not so little critter again. Luckily he was still there so I satrted snaping away. It turned out to be a very good model sitting still for long periods of time, and even letting me use a stick to 'pose' him/her.:D
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a310/scotttnz/IMG_4930-Web.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a310/scotttnz/IMG_4927-Web.jpg

There is something to be said for a run down garden. The place I was staying at previously had a very sterile garden, devoid of bugs, flowers and other interesting macro subjects. I'm going to go and find this guy again tommorrow and try using a tripod to see if I can get them sharper.

[Desertraptor]

yuck

She has a decent set of fangs :(

[scotttnz]

yuck

Nah, she's beautiful!

[Bald Eagle]

Great captures, the fangs really stand out in the shots, well done.:D

[sorashell]

Yikes! Nice set of choppers she's got there!

[dancinec]

Great results with a worth duo 60mm and the 420ex.

[scrumpy]

Great shots. While you still have a run-down garden, save a patch as your "run-down patch" and you'll always find bugs there - on your doorstep. :lol:

[Ballen Photo]

Nice shots Scott, WOW! This Spider DOES seem to have a mean set of fangs. :shock: I've never really seen them clearly in other shots. ;)
-Bruce

[sw2001]

Great detail and good close-up. I'm already looking forward at the result with the tripod.

[scotttnz]

Thanks for all your comments. I had another look, and the spider has very fine hair all over it, which is what is making the pictures look a little soft. They are actuallu pretty sharp. The jpg compression for the web is not helping either, theimages straight ot of the camera look alot better.
It is raining here today, but if there is a break in the weather I will go and have another go with the tripod.
I had problems with alot of the pictures in that the underside is very dark in colour and was not illuminated by the flash. I guess that is why people pay big money for dedicated macro flashes. I don't think a ring light would have fitted into the space I had, so I would not have been able to get as close with one. I might try experimenting with some reflectors.
Anyway, here is another shot of her beautifull face.....
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a310/scotttnz/IMG_4936-Web.jpg

[chemicalbro]

The jpg compression for the web is not helping either, theimages straight ot of the camera look alot better.

they always do :)

cool shots of this hairy girl, i always find spiders to make great models (they have great eyesight so maybe they just get interested in what the hell you are up to :)).......
as you say some of them will even let you prod them around a bit....

[malla1962]

When you get shots like that you know its money not wasted,Nice shots.:D:D

[CyberDyneSystems]

Great shots.. amazing detail :)

[megaweb]

watch out for the flash, it looks like too bright and hash. Try to use diffuser or compensate the flash slightly under. The spider looks a bit soft could be due to shallow DOF or slow shutter speed. Try to use smaller aperture like f16 or smaller and faster speed like 1/160sec unless u r using tripod.

[Leorooster]

Nice shot. Has a lot of detail. I too think the flash is a little too hash. Keep them coming.

[FlyingPete]

Might want to warm people before visting with those sort of beasts around ;)

My wife won't be comming any where near the place if she sees that!

Will have to try the off shoe cable as well, I am quite surprized the flash worked at that distance though, I would have thought the angle was too much.

[zacker]

nice shot, but i hate spiders.... Smash it, Smaaaashhhhh iiittttt!!!!!
Just kidding, i do hate spiders though!.
-zacker-

[scotttnz]

watch out for the flash, it looks like too bright and hash. Try to use diffuser or compensate the flash slightly under. The spider looks a bit soft could be due to shallow DOF or slow shutter speed. Try to use smaller aperture like f16 or smaller and faster speed like 1/160sec unless u r using tripod.

Apertrure is between 25-32 for those shots, 1/200 shuter speed. I think it looks soft because the spider is soft it is covered in very fine hair. The head on the other hand is black and shinny. I agree about the flash being a bit harsh, I did have the omnibounce on to soften it, but I gues at that range it is still going to be pretty harsh. I will experiment some more with different setings.

My wife won't be comming any where near the place if she sees that!
Kerry-Sue wanted to kill it straight away! I think I will have to relocate it, it would be a shame if Shona wouldn't visit anymore!

I am quite surprized the flash worked at that distance though, I would have thought the angle was too much.
With the omnibounce on the flash gets quite a bit of light over the end of the lens, and there doesn't seem to be a problem with lens shadow either. I guess that is one of the advantages of the 60mm over the 100mm macro lens. There is a lot of wasted light, but that is not a problem at this range.

Keep them coming.
I didn't get a chance today, but I will have another go tommorrow.

Smash it, Smaaaashhhhh iiittttt!!!!!
No! I will relocate it to save it from my bug hating wife.......she really doesn't understand my thing with macro photography....why would anybody want to get that close to something so ugly?

[Moppie]

Its not ugly, its soft and furry :)

Very cool photos scott, certianly a lot more interesting than poppies and bark.

How big is actualy?
I have one living in my front foor frame that is about 3cm accross the legs, which is about as big as most spiders here, with out it being an Avondale.

[BigAl-SA]

Nice capture. Did you try a bit of USM in your post-processing?

[Wazza]

Nice shots, just saw this. I know what you mean about soft images, but they're always good full size. To overcome that, I just oversharpen for posting on the web. Really makes them pop. I just saved one of them, and applied some USM. A couple of hits at (200%, 0.2, 0), and it really makes the hairs sharp, and looks good. :D

Didn't know you had a 420EX.. new?

[scotttnz]

Didn't know you had a 420EX.. new?

Bought it off trademe about a month ago. There was a bit of a flood of them just after the 430EX was announced so I got a good price withe the omnibounce included.