Orb weavers

kyrontf · Oct 13, 2011

Some spiders I shot yesterday. With all the rain, many of them are thoroughly drenched.

1. This critter had just finished laying eggs and was taking a walk before returning to guard them.

2. Sadly I missed the focus on this one just a bit (I was aiming for the eyes) and didn't get the angle I wanted. The spider wandered off before I could get another shot at it.

3. Female.

4. A male on the borders of the same web as #3. Missed the focus slightly again.

5. Too much water? With a crop any less tight I found it so confusing I could barely figure out which parts of the spider were which.

CMfromIL · Oct 13, 2011

For me at least, I like #2 the best. The water droplets are interesting, add something to it. The lighting is great! With the tiny bit of silk inbetween the legs, I'm left wondering if it's falling?

#3 for me personally doesn't work. The few drops of water are more distracting than interesting.

#4 would have been my favorite save for #2! Love how it's outstreached, and the bead of water offering slight magnification on the body.

#5 is just too busy for my taste.

Awesome shots! Makes me want to find some spiders to shoot.

kyrontf · Oct 13, 2011

Thanks for the input!

Now that I look at it again, I start to doubt #3 as well. Initially I liked the delicate and precarious positioning of the droplets, but they aren't in an area of interest. I keep wanting #5 to work because of all those little droplets, but I have to agree. It is too busy, and I have to stare at it for a while before I figure out what's going on in it even with the crop. The eyes are completely lost in the droplets.

As for #2, the spider actually wasn't falling, though it does look a bit like that! The fine thread of silk it was moving on didn't show up in the picture.

NateS · Oct 13, 2011

I like number 5 the best. Too busy if you are trying to show the details of the spider...but us people who photograph hundreds of spiders a year get bored with spider details. For me, the abstractness (can't tell where eyes start and water drops stop) and business makes it stellar. It would be a wall hanger for me where the others wouldn't be (though I really love #1 too).