Eight Great Legs

[Julie Kenward]

I'm checking up on you all while Roman is away. It's been too long since I found my way down here. I had a really nasty storm last weekend that I am still cleaning up after. The bad news is I lost a lot of tree limbs. The good news is some of them needed to come down and I didn't have to pay someone to do it! :D

I finally got outside for a walk in the woods this morning and ran into these long-legged spiders everywhere I went. This image had a lot of magenta and yellow in the BG (from leaves on the forest floor) and I really didn't like it so I used the brush/25% opacity trick to even out the colors so his long legs and red body 'popped.' Other than that, small crop and levels adjustment.

Canon 40D, EF 100mm f/2.8mm
f4 @ 1/250th, ISO 400
Manual mode, pattern metering, natural lighting
Processed in ACR/CS4

[Ian Cassell]

I like this, Jules. You might try cloning the leaves in the ULC which are a bit distracting.

BTW, I don't think this is a spider. A Daddy Longlegs is an arachnid, but in a different order (Opiliones) from the spiders (Araneae), scorpions (Scorpiones) and mites/ticks (Acari).

[Julie Kenward]

Thanks, Ian. I don't know my spiders very well because...well...I don't like them much! I was unsure about the leaves in the top of the frame so I'll definitely take another look at them. Thanks so much for the comments!

[Ian Cassell]

...well...I don't like them much!

But they are such nice macro subjects!

[Paul Lagasi]

Jules..good luck with cleaning...I like the image, I'm not crazy about them either but have to agree they do make good subjects...TFS

[Ken Childs]

Jules, this is a nice environmental shot but it's too bad it's facing away from us. Brushing out the other colors was the perfect thing to do. I think Ian's idea of cloning out those ULC leaves is a good one.

Your bug lesson for today. Ian is right that this isn't a spider but the problem with calling them Daddy Longlegs is that there is a group of spiders known as Daddy Longlegs so it can get confusing. This critter is more correctly called a Harvestman and they are usually found wandering around and don't build webs. The easiest way to tell the difference it that Harvestman just have the one body segment and spiders have 2.

[Ian Cassell]

To confuse the issue even more ...


When I was a kid, we called them Harvester Mites. They're not mites either :)

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Jules. Good to see you back here again. Good biology tips from Ken and Ian so I won't repeat. Never thought I'd see a "spider" image from you. :) :) I like Ian's idea of removing the leaves in the ULC - a crop from the left would remove most of them. With those very long legs, it's hard to get everything within your DOF - I think you did pretty well on that count - especially at f/4!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Julie, overall I like the way you handled the image. Not easy based on the subject matter. I do agree about taking out the leaves on the upper left which have a tendancy to move my eye in that direction.
Nicely muted backround with even lighting. I don't find the HA angle you shot this at a problem due to the insect not having much of a head....

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jules,
A spider (arachnid)....and I can't believe it is from you!!!;) Great advice given above and I too vote for leaf removal!

[Anita Bower]

Jules: I love the soft feel of this image. The greens are just lovely. Thanks for explaining your post processing, especially your treatment of the BG. I like how the BG greens complement the green of the leaves. The little critter adds a point of interest. The only thing that bothers me about the ULC leaves is that one of them is partly eaten, otherwise I like them up there--that is where one of the legs is reaching.

Sorry to learn about tree damage. Glad none fell on your house or car!

[Bob Miller]

Hi Julie....Like this as presented! Nice work on the bg with 25% opacity brush....I use this technique alot after reading your posts! TFS

[Julie Kenward]

Thanks, everyone. I know...a spider image from little old me...who'd a thought it? I think I only got close because he WAS turned backwards...you all know how I feel about these guys! :o

I see your point about the top leaves - I'll definitely crop the final version. I couldn't get over how long his legs actually were...amazing!

[Jay Sheinfield]

Not much I can add to the comments above.................I like the shot with or without the bug!