Cross Spider
Macro image of a Cross Spider on its web in summer. Shot taken in the garden, in Cambridge Ontario Canada.
Macro image of a Cross Spider on its web in summer. Shot taken in the garden, in Cambridge Ontario Canada.
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Jan, 2017Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award 21
Winner in Insects, Spiders, Birds, Rats and Mice etc Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Virtuoso
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This Cross Spider had taken up residence underneath the back porch stairs at our house. I had been observing it for a number of days.Time
It was early afternoon around two o'clock, when I noticed the sun opening up the dark shadow underneath the porch steps. There was little or no breeze, so the Cross Spider was sitting motionless on its web.Lighting
The sun had opened up the shadow underneath the porch, where the spider was perched. The light was not direct, but gave a soft overall feel to the space. I supplemented that soft shadow light, with a flash fill for separation from the background.Equipment
I used a Canon 50D rated at ISO 400. The camera was mounted on my Gitzo Reporter tripod with a Gitzo ball head. My exposure was a half second, at f14, using a Tamron 90mm Macro lens. I supplemented the overall exposure with flash fill using my Canon 380 EX flash.Inspiration
I had been watching this spider for several days. On a whim I thought "lets see what this thing looks like through my macro lens". I was astonished at how very different they appear when magnified. Hence I thought, "I need to shoot this".Editing
I shot a raw file which I processed in Adobe Bridge. I then finished the image using Adobe Photoshop, were I applied a lightness channel two pass sharpening to enhance the detail.In my camera bag
In my bag I have two Canon 7D bodies. I always make sure I have my Canon EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. A versatile lens that I have had for many years now. I also have my Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SP Di VC USD as well as my Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 SP AF. My other lens is a Tamron 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD SP. I also use a Expodisc 2.0 for white balance, and a Color Checker Passport by Xrite for accurate color. I always keep a small emergency med kit and survival blanket in case of getting stranded in Canada's vast wilderness where I spend a lot of my time shooting.Feedback
First and foremost... patience. When shooting such small creatures at such close magnification movement of any kind is dramatic. Its similar to the issues you find using a long telephoto lens. You can find great photos anywhere. You just have to be looking for them. See the camera's viewfinder as if it were a picture frame, and not just a viewfinder.
