erinolivera

Orb Weaver

It took pretty much everything I had in me to get this close to a giant spider. Aside from the lines, and the DoF, I am mostly proud of myself for even getting ...
Read more

It took pretty much everything I had in me to get this close to a giant spider. Aside from the lines, and the DoF, I am mostly proud of myself for even getting near it.
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Apr, 2016

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Behind The Lens

Location

There's a quiet little chunk of land in Doylestown Ohio called Rouge's Hollow my aunt has taken me to since I was a kid. It's the kind of small town where ghost stories come from and has been featured on just about every "weird ohio" list you can imagine. It's surrounded by hills and incredibly tall trees, and in the fall when the sun hits the leaves just right, it creates magic.

Time

I shot this photo during the coveted golden hour just before sunset. Living in Northeast Ohio, especially in the fall, days with little to no cloud cover can be scarce. So when the sun does decide to show its face, I grab my camera and run with it for as long as I can.

Lighting

The sun is behind the trees to create the bokeh pinpricks of light. I would have liked a more direct source of light. However, I'll take light from anywhere whenever I can get it! Natural light is my friend.

Equipment

I've been shooting with a Canon 60D and a EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for about four years now. No other equipment was used on this particular shoot.

Inspiration

I can't really say that spiders inspire me. In fact, I kind of hate them. I know...I am sorry to say, I am one of THOSE people. It literally took EVERYTHING in my power to get anywhere near this spider. But she was so beautiful. Her blood orange belly just lured me right in. I think I might have held my breath almost the entire time I was in her vicinity! But in the end it was worth it, and I might actually consider doing this again someday.

Editing

Because I choose to shoot in the most natural and bright light as possible, I usually don't have to do much with my photos except deepen the colors. I don't do a lot with post-processing. I still have a LOT to learn about post processing.

In my camera bag

Aside from my camera and lens, i just pack extra batteries and memory cards. It's so incredibly important to carry extra power and memory. You just never know when you're going to need it.

Feedback

Obviously a macro lens would have been so much better, but you can only work with what you have. In this case, I only had the 18-135mm lens so I made do. With little guys this small and intricate, the more detail you can show on them, the better your picture will come out. I really did get lucky on this day to find such a beautiful little creature who's color matched the palate I was working with on this fall day. Also, when shooting outdoors, you want light light and more light. Natural light really is your best friend.

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erinolivera

erinolivera

Orb Weaver

It took pretty much everything I had in me to get this close to a giant spider. Aside from the lines, and the DoF, I am mostly proud of myself for even getting ... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow erinolivera

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It took pretty much everything I had in me to get this close to a giant spider. Aside from the lines, and the DoF, I am mostly proud of myself for even getting ...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.