littlemphoto
FollowThis was the smallest jumping spider I have ever seen. Shot with a Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8.0MP at 4x zoom. So cute! A Heartshaped bottom....
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This was the smallest jumping spider I have ever seen. Shot with a Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8.0MP at 4x zoom. So cute! A Heartshaped bottom.
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robinalaniz
July 15, 2011
I love this! Congrats on feature. I would love to have this in my group "Look at Me"
elenayuyuanneimeyer
December 07, 2012
That's an extremely good picture, especially since you used a compact camera. I applaud you. Shows you don't need a fancy, adjustable lens after all.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in my own backyard in the High Desert of California. 99% of my photos are taken in my own backyard. This photo was very early on in my discovery of my macro setting and I have not stopped shooting macro since. It is surprising what you can find in your own backyard, if you just look down.Time
I shot this photo in the early morning winter sun. It was February and cold, once the sun comes out the jumping spiders begin to awaken and hop around to get the warmth of the sun and some breakfast hunting in. The morning is the most successful time to shoot the Jumping Spider, in my experience. The warm months are the best, but as you see in this photo, the winter still reveals a few of them.Lighting
I am obsessed with natural sunlight. I love to shoot in all hours of the day, especially at sunset which is my personal favorite as it casts that magical glow onto everything it touches. As it relates to jumping spiders specifically, I try to be conscious about what type of reflection will be seen in their eyes...a lot of my photos of them you can see my camera reflected back in their large center eyes. Sometimes I want that look and other times I want the solid black of their eyes with just a glint of the sun on them. The truth is, they do not post for you. You get what you get and if you are lucky, it looks great. Sunlight with a bit of shadow reveals the interesting texture of their markings. I shoot creatures in their natural state, never posed or moved out of their environment.Equipment
My equipment for this shot was simply my camera. A Canon PowerShot Digital Elph SD1100IS. I do not use a flash since I am in the daylight sun and I have never had an external lens or any other equipment. I do not have a tripod because I get down on the ground very close to my subjects and a tripod would just get in my way. My subjects (mainly jumping spiders and insects) are on the move, so I am never stationary for long. I still shoot with PowerShot Cameras, only now I have a Canon PowerShot SD970IS, it has better resolution and still has the "Digital Macro" setting that allows me to get this close to my subjects. I love not having any equipment to carry, but someday I hope to get a larger camera with an external macro lens and to take a photography class to improve.Inspiration
I was getting some sun, sitting on my back stoop when I saw this little guy. When I say little, I mean little...he was about 5mm and hopped out on a piece of wood next to me. Sometimes I see the shadows the spiders cast as they jump, before I see them. Their colors blend so well with the desert substrate that a tiny moving shadow is the best indicator of my subjects. This shot was taken very early in my photography, I had just recently moved from shooting plants and flowers to the insects that were on and around them. I quickly fell under the spell of the jumping spiders. The way they interact with you when you photograph them is a wonderful experience. The are curious and aware. They even jump right on your camera sometimes. Needless to say, I never resist photographing a jumping spider!Editing
I do not edit my photos. What I shoot, is what you get. I prefer the natural image, maybe because for me, I have an emotional connection to the moment that I do not want to alter. My photography is as much about watching animal behavior and researching what I photograph, as it is about the actual image. Each shot I take is a learning opportunity for me and I enjoy that so much. What results in the photo is hopefully a beautiful memory of learning.In my camera bag
What bag? Ha. No bag, just my camera in my back pocket of my jeans, ready to be pulled out at any moment I stumble upon a little, beautiful creature.Feedback
My advice to others trying to do close up macro work is simple...patience. Once you sit in a spot for a while you scan the area nearby...you learn to distinguish the movements of different insects and spiders. You learn the difference between a hop of a Jumping Spider and the mad dash of a Honeypot Ant, a flight of a Carpenter Bee versus a quick dive bomb of a wasp and you just let their world reveal itself to you. Capture what you like, get in close, crawl on the ground, don't be afraid to get dirty. Wear your play clothes. Anyone can do this macro thing, even with a small camera. My secret is to make sure your camera has the "Digital Macro" setting, which is different than just the regular "Macro Setting". Look deeper into the settings on your point and shoot camera, you just might have it already! Most importantly, have fun!