The Little Jumping Spider
A tiny Jumping Spider on a Begonia flower petal.
This particular fellow is smaller than a chocolate chip!
A tiny Jumping Spider on a Begonia flower petal.
This particular fellow is smaller than a chocolate chip!
Read less
This particular fellow is smaller than a chocolate chip!
Read less
May, 2015Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Featured
Nikon D100 DSLR Camera
Contest Finalist in Arachnophobia Photo Contest
Winner in Spiders Cute and Fearsome Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Pro Macro Shots Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Negative Space Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
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MDM24
August 01, 2015
what lens was used for this shot? If you don't mind sharing... By the way, Very nice shot!
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LindieK
November 05, 2016
I am smitten by the Jumpers, but they are motoriously difficult to 'get right' in Nature. They work better when transported home, but then they need transport back to where you found them, because they are fiercely territorial
aaroneyoung
March 26, 2018
Beautiful shot looks like Lucas the spider on YouTube cute little guy ????
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Behind The Lens
Location
I actually took this photo in my own backyard in Tewksbury, New Jersey, USA. Some of the most magnificent creatures can be found close to home if you just look around and give it a shot.Time
This photo was taken in the mid morning on a sunny day before it was too bright out, as macro images will tend to overexpose if the sun is high when you shoot them.Lighting
When shooting macro, especially insects, I only rely on natural light. For this reason you would think one needs to shoot between noon and 3, when daylight is the brightest. But, that is also when it is the harshest, and I prefer soft natural light so as to not overexpose the subject matter or it's environment. I also find the colors to be richer, and deeper, when shooting in the early morning or late afternoon as compared to other hours of the day.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7100 and a Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D Macro lens. No flash, and no tripod. Sometimes these insects move fast and you don't have time to fumble with a tripod. But you can use your body to anchor your camera by tucking your arms in close to your sides to steady your camera, or try propping an elbow against something to try to keep the camera shake to a minimum. Like your knee if you are crouching down to take your photo.Inspiration
What is not to love about a tiny spider with eight eyes looking right at you? This particular fellow, specifically a Jumping Spider, was having a great time crawling all over this Begonia flower. The hues of the flower petals offset his colors perfectly, and I wanted to try to capture this vibrance. The spider was also very tiny, smaller than a chocolate chip, and when they are so tiny it is hard to make out the details of their bodies and "faces" with the human eye while they are crawling about. Trying to capture the way they look in great detail is a quest of mine when I shoot macro. In the end though, after the photo has been taken and even if I am thrilled with the final image, it is nature and capturing it's beauty that had inspired me to even try to do so to begin with.Editing
The only post processing techniques I use regularly and on this particular photo as well, are tiny tweeks involving saturation or color, and if needed very minor adjustments to the sharpness of the image or parts of it. I love using Photoshop Elements 14 for my post processing, as it's an easy to learn application that has different skill levels you can work with whether you are a beginner or pro photographer. Bonus, it isn't too expensive either!In my camera bag
I carry one camera in my bag, a Nikon D7100. Along with this I'm usually toting around my Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D Macro lens, one telephoto lens which is a AF Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, and a standard AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm lens. Plenty of lens cleaning cloths are essential as you do NOT want to shoot any photo, let alone macro, with dirt, smudges, or specs of dust all over your lens. I personally prefer the Pearlstone Lens Cleaning Cloth with Grip. I also have a MC-DC2 Remote Release Cord tucked in there somewhere between my fruit snacks, granola bars and bottled water.Feedback
Insects are not the easiest subjects to photograph. Some of them sting, some of them bite, and they rarely sit still for long. When you shoot them with a macro lens, you are trying to photograph a living creature in it's environment, in it's day to day life, as close up as possible. Most of the time, you're going to have to shoot fast, because unless you are up with the sun and shooting a dragonfly or butterfly covered in dew drops, they usually will not sit still and wait while you adjust your camera's exposure. Take care of your camera settings before you start shooting, or just shoot on automatic. Believe it or not even though you might feel "unprofessional" for shooting on automatic, it will work when you are in a crunch for time because the lighting changed after your subject went under a leaf instead of sitting on top of it. Lastly, when shooting insects, move slowly. Then be still. Be part of the environment, not an intruder in it. Butterflies will accept you if you sit still, and bees will fly around you as if you are an air traffic control tower once they get used to you hanging around enough. Believe me I have been "buzzed" dozens and dozens of times, and haven't been stung yet. And finally, shoot them in their environment. Gathering nectar from a colorful flower stamen, climbing in their web, crawling up a leaf or a blade of meadow grass. Insects are beautiful, they are intricate, and they are magnificent. And your insect photos will be better when you respect, appreciate, and work with your subjects.
