The Christmas Spider

[Ironwood]

While I was cooking Christmas lunch, I spotted this male Cosmophasis Micans Spider on the handrail of the verandah.

He seemed to be doing a dance as he pranced up and down the handrail, it was difficult to keep him in the viewfinder as he was moving so quickly.

I used my Yongnou EX568 flash with a homemade softbox for these, not sure if I like this setup over the "onboard flash and Scott Murray diffuser" that I normally use. This setup gives more light, but is more cumbersome.
I need to do some more experimentation yet but not sure that I am getting the same level of sharpness with the larger setup ?

 

[Ironwood]

Some more.

 

[Ironwood]

Last lot.

 

[paul04]

Very good close up shots

 

[Ironwood]

Cheers Paul .

 

[hark]

Possibly a relative? Photo isn't mine (comes from this link).

 

[Ironwood]

That's a great story Hark. I haven't heard it before.

 

[Scott Murray]

Very nice, trying to improve on my design hey

 

[hark]

By the way, although I'm not into bugs, the blue/green iridescent color is quite intriguing! Nicely done if I do say so myself.

 

[Ironwood]

Very nice, trying to improve on my design hey

Cheers Scott. Always trying to improve Mate, I'm not sure I gained much here.
I am getting more light onto the subject, so can use a higher shutter speed, and not have to brighten up in PP, but for some reason the photos just haven't got that wow factor that I am looking for.
Not sure what is missing. And I am not seeing those sharp eyes for some reason.

 

[Scott Murray]

Cheers Scott. Always trying to improve Mate, I'm not sure I gained much here.
I am getting more light onto the subject, so can use a higher shutter speed, and not have to brighten up in PP, but for some reason the photos just haven't got that wow factor that I am looking for.
Not sure what is missing. And I am not seeing those sharp eyes for some reason.

You are using f/20?! Why? Maybe kick it back to f/16. Also with lots of light why not use ISO 100?

 

[Ironwood]

By the way, although I'm not into bugs, the blue/green iridescent color is quite intriguing! Nicely done if I do say so myself.

Cheers Hark.
I don't think I was really into the bugs either until I found I had such a diversity of Jumping Spiders in my backyard.

The colors on this fella were really glowing when he was in the patches of sunlight on the handrail, but he was moving so quickly on the hot patches, I didn't get any useable shots, all the ones I have uploaded are in the shade when he slowed down enough to get him in focus.

 

[Ironwood]

You are using f/20?! Why? Maybe kick it back to f/16. Also with lots of light why not use ISO 100?

I started out using f20 to try for more DOF, half way through I changed back to f16 as you can see on the last three shots.
I kept my usual iso200 to give me a faster shutter, maybe I"ll try dropping back to iso100 and sacrificing a bit of shutter speed to see if that improves things. With my usual setup I am using iso200 and 1/320 shutter speed, the photos with these settings are a bit underexposed, but I just lighten them up in PP, I get a bit of noise, but I can live with it if it isn't too bad.

 

[Scott Murray]

I started out using f20 to try for more DOF, half way through I changed back to f16 as you can see on the last three shots.
I kept my usual iso200 to give me a faster shutter, maybe I"ll try dropping back to iso100 and sacrificing a bit of shutter speed to see if that improves things. With my usual setup I am using iso200 and 1/320 shutter speed, the photos with these settings are a bit underexposed, but I just lighten them up in PP, I get a bit of noise, but I can live with it if it isn't too bad.

What flash are you using? I do not think your flash is firing 100% power! I could be wrong though.

 

[Ironwood]

What flash are you using? I do not think your flash is firing 100% power! I could be wrong though.

I am using a Yongnou EX568, I didn't check what it was set at, but assumed full power.
All my Eneloop's are flat and my charger is playing up, so I will have to wait to try again.

 

[STM]

Fear of spiders, like nearly all phobias (except for fear of great heights and fear of falling from such heights to which I can certainly attest!) are irrational fears. Spiders are absolutely fascinating creatures. Any animal which has remained essentially unchanged for millions of years and one cursed with very poor eyesight (except jumping spiders who have excellent vision) who can produce an often highly intricate web, even in darkness, is a most exceptional creature! I am absolutely fascinated by them.

 

[Ironwood]

I found some Duracell's with some charge in them, so I set off into the backyard to find a Jumper.

I think you were right Scott, the flash seems to have been set on -1(stop?), I changed it to full power for this set.

I took about 30 shots before the batteries died, only about 3 were acceptable enough to post, and these 3, I am not totally happy with.
They all looked soft, could be because of the leaves moving with the breeze, or the spider moving too quickly, or just because I am out of practice, I haven't been shooting much lately.

Anyway here is "The Boxing Day Spider" , it is also from the genus Cosmophasis, but I couldn't find a definite match.

 

[Moab Man]

This last set is really nice. Captured the texture really well.

 

[hark]

Fear of spiders, like nearly all phobias (except for fear of great heights and fear of falling from such heights to which I can certainly attest!) are irrational fears. Spiders are absolutely fascinating creatures. Any animal which has remained essentially unchanged for millions of years and one cursed with very poor eyesight (except jumping spiders who have excellent vision) who can produce an often highly intricate web, even in darkness, is a most exceptional creature! I am absolutely fascinated by them.

Perhaps it is an irrational fear, but I'm a female and DON'T like bugs or insects--except for butterflies. :surprise: And when I see one, it either gets whacked or sprayed with insect repellent. That's how I capture them.

 

[Ironwood]

I took these shots today with my original set-up with the onboard flash.

I think I prefer the look of these over the shots taken with the Yongnou flash. What do you think?