a spider

this is not in the macro section, as i did not use macro. It was taken with my 70-300lens, and cropped. went exploring on the w/e, this was taken in the same area as the dragonflies. And i really don't like spiders!

1.

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Quite nice. I actually preffer the top one as it shows more of the subject.

wonderful shots, like the compo of both, but the first pic my favorite.

Cool spider pic... Can I squish it now? I hate spiders...

Excellent captures, your focus and depth of field are perfect. Well done, hope this one is not venomous!

I, too, like the first one better. Great close up.

wow those shots are outstanding! simply awesome

Great shots - also prefer the first. Do they bite?

What is that species?

thanks guys, appreciate your comments. I have absolutely no idea what it is, and i don't think it is venomous. It's web was strung between branches.

Superb shots. Looks like a type of Nephila.

RockOne wrote in post #2398381
Superb shots. Looks like a type of Nephila.

RockOne seems correct, this looks to be a golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus).

There is little real danger from an encounter with the golden silk spider. The spider will bite only if held or pinched, and the bite itself will produce only localized pain with a slight redness, which quickly goes away. On the whole, the bite is much less severe than a bee string. Typically, the webs are made in open woods or edges of dense forest, usually attached to trees and low shrubs, although they may be in the tops of trees or between the wires of utility lines (Krakauer 1972). Prey consists of a wide variety of small to medium-sized flying insects, including flies, bees, wasps, and small moths and butterflies (Robinson and Mirick 1971). We have also seen them feeding on small beetles and dragonflies. These spiders are not usually found in row crops, due to requirements of web support, but they were one of the two most common orb-weavers in citrus groves (Muma 1975) and have been recorded from pecan (Whitcomb unpublished). Small, immature instars occasionally make webs between rows in soybean fields (Whitcomb and Edwards unpublished).

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yeah, these beasties are pretty nasty. I went to a wildlife reserve with hundreds of them everywhere, in huge spider apartment complexes, with webs spanning the trees, trail, and all points in between.

it was the most stressful photoshoot of my life. I absolutely HATE spiders. But I photographed them all joyfully. I got at least 200 shots.

I'll try to post a couple of them here.

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thankyou for the info cgratti
great shots uttershutternut
thankyou all again.

Incredible pics Catsith... great color, clarity, and DOF! I think you've helped me make the final decision... I'm getting that 70-300 IS USM lens!