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LindieK

Tarantula

Oct, 2022

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at a Community Lodge deep in the Amazon

Time

After dinner we were sitting on the deck, discussing the day when I saw a movement from the corner of my eye on the bamboo rail skirting the deck. The lamplight was soft and golden and I couldn’t immediately compute what I was seeing. When I realized that is was a huge male Tarantula, I let out an almighty shriek and a bit of mayhem ensued amongst the dinner guests ( we were 4 at the table)

Lighting

I grabbed my camera ( I had been photographing flowers in the Lodge’s garden before dinner, so it was close at hand) with my macro lens on after a bit of scampering about, commandeered the lantern so I could see ( and focus !) better. I had to get very close ( too close for comfort….) to this hairy, scary creature, because of the macro lens on my camera.

Equipment

Nikon D500 with Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Macro Lens , freehand with only a lantern as light-source.

Inspiration

Fright inspired me, as well as a good dose of enthralled curiosity. The Cook came out of the kitchen checking the cause of the mayhem on the deck and told us only male Tarantulas ‘ walk around, looking for a female to mate with’ . The females stay in their burrows for most of their lives, only coming out to mate, disappearing again soon after.

Editing

I had to crank up my ISO in the bad light to get a reasonably exposed image and to try and counter any movement with the handheld macro lens. I did the usual basic editing in Lightroom, denoised it, but it was before AI denoising, so I lost a lot of texture in the hairs and body. I then exported to PS and set about sharpening the individual hairs on the body and legs.

In my camera bag

It depends where I travel to, but my 105mm Macro is always in my bag. Nikon D750 with 300mm lens plus 1.4 converter, 70-200mm f1.8 and wide angle lens are my favorites.

Feedback

The Amazon with its rich diversity is an awesome place to visit. Try and stay in a community lodge so the money will stay in the Amazon and benefit the local community. They have great guides at these lodges.

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LindieK

LindieK

Tarantula

Behind The Lens

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