Spikes Pacific Cousin

[Stagecoach]

Finally captured my first jumping spider and boy what a work up. I reckon he was a Canon fan as he spent so much time jumping on the camera These are going to be fun.

Shooting details - 1/250s, f/18, ISO200, 105mm with 20mm tube giving frame of 17.5mm, 1.35:1 magnification. Lighting with the single SB-R200 at lens front fitted with prototype diffuser. Images un-cropped.

No 1


No 2


Comments and suggestions welcome as always.

Grahame

[Kaye Leggett]

Great shots. I prefer no 1 as the dof works better I think.

[deetheturk]

Great images Grahame,and well done on your first jumper Now you know the fun we have trying to shoot them

Your diffuser has done the trick bud,highlights are non existent,well done!

David

[flashback]

Great shot Grahame, and #1 for me as well. Here is a challenge; getting images of the iridescent chelicerae of the jumping spiders. The colors are dazzling but, I suspect, not easy to capture in the appropriate light.

[bnnrcn]

I like #1 more ,#2 is an interesting posture though

[Shadowman]

Nice shots.

[IzzieK]

I like both of them but my vote is #1 between the two...btw, is that a string underneath its feet in #1?

[ClaudioG]

#1 for me Graham. Super images, especially as it's ya first jumpers.

[John 2]

Excellent.

[Stagecoach]

Great shots. I prefer no 1 as the dof works better I think.

Thanks Kaye, I agree about No 1.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Great images Grahame,and well done on your first jumper Now you know the fun we have trying to shoot them

Your diffuser has done the trick bud,highlights are non existent,well done!

David

Hi David, I suppose fun can be equated with spending so much time trying to get the critter from where he has jumped to back to where you roughly want him, exercise comes to mind as well

Have to disagree about the diffuser, look at the catch-lights in the eyes of No 1 I had not noticed but the deflector I had put just in front of the flash to push the light to the sides had come away and also the scrunched foil around the edge shows on the outer edge of the reflection in the catch-light. It needs some sorting and tidying up.

I'll get there eventually

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Great shot Grahame, and #1 for me as well. Here is a challenge; getting images of the iridescent chelicerae of the jumping spiders. The colors are dazzling but, I suspect, not easy to capture in the appropriate light.

Thanks Jack, that gives me a challenge. I was not aware of the iridescent chelicerae but am now thank you. I did not do a WB for these but I can replicate one next time I'm set up as I want to re process these two as the red area around the eyes is questionable, I have desaturated it somewhat.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

I like #1 more ,#2 is an interesting posture though

Thanks Binnur, No 2 was captured almost on the run.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Nice shots.

Thanks John, I'm pleased they are appreciated.

[Stagecoach]

I like both of them but my vote is #1 between the two...btw, is that a string underneath its feet in #1?

Hi Izzie, the string is part of a web that he seemed to fabricate when jumping between the leaf, camera and desklight at times, It's not a barrier I made to keep him in place

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

#1 for me Graham. Super images, especially as it's ya first jumpers.

Thanks Claudio, yes it was a first of these for me and I'm sure will not be the last. I have captured much larger spiders before but these are a real challenge.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Excellent.

Thank you John, I have some way to go yet to catch up with the competing 'Jumpers' here.

Grahame

[Brownbear]

Just a note to say that I truly appreciate that you take the time to share the details and how to's of your insect image I think that is really special, and I have no doubt that you will make a difference to many!

I know that I will be better prepared for the first insect I come across, just because I read your threads. Thank you.

[flashback]

Grahame & Isabel,
Most likely the string of web you see is what's called a drag line. The spiders will lay a drag line down so that, when it jumps, if it misses it has a web to climb back up. Most ground spiders in fact lay a drag line down as they go about their business.
[Keep posting spidey pics and everyone is going to learn a lot about spiders ;-)]

[Stagecoach]

Just a note to say that I truly appreciate that you take the time to share the details and how to's of your insect image I think that is really special, and I have no doubt that you will make a difference to many!

I know that I will be better prepared for the first insect I come across, just because I read your threads. Thank you.

Hi Christina,

Over the past months there have been a few threads/posts that have discussed the abilities of the various methods of obtaining close up/macro images so I am including the lens and tube info along with the size and magnification achieved as it may be of help to some. It's often difficult looking at close up images to appreciate the actual size of the subject whereas if we look at an image containing a human scale is obvious to us.

The magnification info is also useful to me in that I have now started looking at the physical size of a subject, having an idea of how and what I want to include in the frame without cropping and all of which will determine if I need to go greater than 1:1 and if all tubes will be needed to achieve my max capability of 2:1.

One area I must sort is my reference to the 105mm macro lens aperture and I always quote the indicated figure by the Nikon system but this does not equate to indicated aperture by such as Canon and Tamron lenses.

Grahame