Fly in a spider web
Apr, 2015Views
248
Likes
Awards
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my backyard. There is a huge Jasmine tree near the fence and when it's in flower is buzzing with bees and flies. For some time now we've had a spider resident living there. Golden Orb spiders are well known for the massive and intricate webs they built. This fly was trapped at the end of the spider's web.Time
I remember hurrying home from work to catch some light and see if I could find something to capture in the garden. I live in Gold Coast, Australia and the sun is very strong, but at about 5.00pm when this was taken, the sun was starting to come down. I had to move around a few times to make sure I didn't have the sun in the lens and also there was no glare on the fly. I had no tripod, so I had to lean against the wall to reduce shaking. This was taken on April 8, 2015.Lighting
I used natural light, but had to find the right angle to avoid reflections on the fly's eyes. The sun is coming from the right side of the picture.Equipment
I use a Canon EOS 50D with a Macro lens Canon EF 100mm 1:2.8. No other equipment was used for this shotInspiration
Every time I have a chance and there's natural light I go around the garden and see what I can find. Macro photography is my passion and I never cease to marvel at how different plants or insects look up-close. This particular day I went around the Jasmine tree where I can always find this huge spider, but some movement at the end of the web caught my eye. This poor fly was trapped and it must have swung around a few times because the head was completely entangled and it could only move its body and the legs. I felt compassion for the fly, but I also knew I couldn't do anything to release it. The "death trap" provided a natural prop to capture the head closely, so I went for it.Editing
I used Lightroom to adjust the contrast, clarity, sharpening and reduce the noise a little. I adjusted the green hue to more yellow to give the picture a more natural background. I wanted to keep the warmth for this imageIn my camera bag
I always carry the Canon EOS 50D with a Macro lens Canon EF 100mm 1:2.8. No matter where I am I can find the opportunity for a Macro shot. Recently I have purchased a wide angle lens Canon EFS 10-18mm and a Hoya polarizing filter, so they were added to my basic pack. Occasionally I add the Canon Zoom lens EF 75-300mm. Also, I have the tripod in the car.Feedback
Macro photography requires a lot of patience and practice. My first shots were terrible, with hardly any focus. The first thing I had to learn was the right aperture priority for each situation. Once I was comfortable with that, it took a lot less tries to get the image in focus, so I became more confident. I noticed with small insects that I have to wait around for them, rather then walk-in and walk-out of a setting. I learnt that when I go near a tree or a flower where bees are collecting pollen, I am entering in their space, and so I take my time and let them get used to my presence in their space. I try to respect their perimeter. If they fly away while I'm approaching, then I sit still and usually they return to the same flower/tree.
