Giant Golden Orb Weaver

[Bobo Madar]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ttC0JakybeA/UKElCwpDBoI/AAAAAAAAM30/yWl1tSc35ss/s800/20121109_3238-1.jpg

Hello and happy new year everyone.

This is my first pic posted. It is of a female Giant Golden Orb Weaver. The male on the other hand is really really tiny - about 2-3 times the size of our smilies here.

5D3, sigma 150/2.8 @ iso 1000, 1/160, f5.6, HH.

C&C welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks.


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[Roman Kurywczak]

Welcome to the forum!
I like the angle and the way you've captured the web....but I think you missed the critical sharpness as it is by the near legs and not on the body....but it is close. The face/front of the spider is a touch dark and could have used a touch more light in the field by either using a reflector or another light source although given that you were HH'ing.....tough to do.
A nice first post and looking to more from you in the New Year.

[Bobo Madar]

Thanks Roman for the kind comments.

I hope to get better in technique, post and presentation. Compared to you guys I am a rank newbie but am a good and willing learner. :)

[Roman Kurywczak]

Being a good and willing learner is a great start! Do you have a tripod? By setting up on a tripod, you can use live view to critically focus and also the 2 second timer will allow you to hand hold a small reflector to help in lighting. Easy to recommend gear.....but there are plenty of homemade ways to make it work as well! Welcome to the forums!!!

[Bobo Madar]

Thanks Roman for the tips.

Yes I have the basic equipment - tripod, a home made reflector, flash etc, remote release, etc. Will try out your suggestions once the bugs return. High winter here. :)

This shot was taken in Hong Kong when I was there in October. Bug paradise....

I am somewhat surprised the focus is a bit off, pretty sure the focus was on the head. Possible that either I or the web moved a bit.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Bobo and welcome to the Macro forum! I like the low-level side view that also shows the web and a strand of silk extending from the spider's abdomen. Roman has some good suggestions above for you to consider as you refine your technique. The thing that strikes me about the image is the very dark "face." Using a reflector could help the next time you are in the field, but for this image you might try to selectively brighten the face in Photoshop (or whatever processing software you are using.) :S3: I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work!

[Bobo Madar]

Thank you Steve.

Yes, the face. Sometimes while kneeling and bent over 45 degrees makes one forget to look at all the pieces. :)

Could have used fill flash but was lightweight that day and did not have one with me.

Keep teaching guys, I absorb fast! The only thing I can return for now will be eternal gratitude (until one day when I too can pass on the things taught).

[Marina Scarr]

I love what you were going for here, no doubt about that, but you did miss the critical focus. Would love to see you give this one another try b/c I really like this rather unique perspective.

[Bobo Madar]

Thanks Marina.

Would certainly like to give this another go but my pp skills do not know how to fix a focus issue.

Perhaps better alternative is to go over the batch of pics that were taken and see if there are some with less of a problem.

About the perspective - normally they hang head down so I had to step to the side careful not to touch the long anchoring strands, behave like tripod and then bend over about 45 degrees, then turn towards her, focus and then take the shot. Pretty awkward position. Perhaps should have done a burst.

Anyway, I will be in Hong Kong again in spring and am pretty sure I will be able to find these again for a re-shoot.

Two other shots I quite liked - not up to the extreme quality here at BPN but...

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-C-YmihiuYEY/UInyjx-J5vI/AAAAAAAAMbI/qdjTF6Qg3vM/s800/20121023_1888.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qCEMZAZbZy0/UIyUaNYKcCI/AAAAAAAAMic/pVVYVybk_vQ/s800/20121023_2175.jpg

[Jonathan Ashton]

Bobo, with a spider like this you have a difficult task, on the one hand it is comparatively large but on the other it is difficult to get the relevant parts in sharp focus along with incidental parts that also need to be sharp. I see by your last post you have probably identified this problem and have therefore decided to try differing angles and also top go in tight and concentrate on an area as opposed to the whole insect.
I try to offer critique without looking at the text of other replies so forgive me if I am repetitive. The first thing that strikes me is the image is not a bad one at all but it does have a few weaknesses. Firstly the lighting is a little less than optimal, i.e. some area are well lit but possibly the most important part, the head is not. (your reposts however are well lit). A diffused flash gun will provide soft light and help fill in the shadows. Next the angle you took the image, I think you wanted something along the lines of a profile shot, this is OK but you would of course only get a part of the head, maybe if you were further round to the right you would have gotten the impression of the body and legs but better detail of the head. Very often spiders are obliging in which case I would urge you to use a tripod, in fact my mantra is to use a tripod at all times unless there is a very good reason not to. The use of a tripod will not only result in sharper images but allow you to use a smaller aperture because the camera and subject can be still in synchronicity and you only need a second or so for that to happen.

[Bobo Madar]

Your are right there Jonathan. I did want an unusual angle hence the contortions.

I am still learning though and will suck in any and all advice and suggestions.

Regarding a tripod - yes one would have really helped with this one. Would certainly have helped capture the male that is so tiny that I could not get a reasonable shot handheld.

[Bobo Madar]

Sorry about taking my time with the redo, have been pretty busy.

Here is the redo.
There was plenty of leeway in the raw to bring up exposure of the head so did that. Improved overall body sharpness slightly.

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful and very constructive/instructive comments. I have certainly learned a few lessons from that.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fZIEtyDZ31A/UQamPOFVJmI/AAAAAAAANrA/eetcFGA6wTc/s800/20121109_3238-4.jpg