Training a Jumping Spider

[Stagecoach]

I thought I would try something different from my standard black background to emphasise my friendly critters come models that I shoot at night. So I set up with some greenery behind the stage and lit this separately using another flash.

Well, after an hour of trying to persuade this fella that I really wanted him to spend some time on stage being still rather than jumping onto my lens and climbing onto the flash and continually repeating the same circuit I just managed the one keeper

1/60s, f/16, ISO200, 105mm macro



At least it was a chance to test another setup.

Comments and suggestions welcome as always...........

Grahame

[IzzieK]

Grahame, what a nice shot this is -- he seems to be smiling at you behind that bongo pounding activity he is doing. Oh...that is part of his pedipalp (?)!!! I thought he has a bongo there to entertain you... What is he standing on? Did you use a 1:1 macro lens for this one? I am beginning to like him. I think he is a cutie...

[Brownbear]

He sure is a cutie. (And must be if Izzie thinks he is cute, too) I love the green background and your usual amazing focus on the eyes. Your critters sure sound friendly.

[FootLoose]

It was well worth the effort, Grahame. I like the way the lighter green falls behind the head and I wonder if the lighter section in the lower right quarter of the frame should be toned down a bit.

[flashback]

Grahame, what a nice shot this is -- he seems to be smiling at you behind that bongo pounding activity he is doing. Oh...that is part of his pedipalp (?)!!! I thought he has a bongo there to entertain you... What is he standing on? Did you use a 1:1 macro lens for this one? I am beginning to like him. I think he is a cutie...

Pedipalps. Someone. Is. Learning.
Grahame your shots are always amazing and elucidating. But then, how can you go wrong shooting a Salticidae?

[Jeffbridge]

That is beautiful! Excellent Shot!!!

[deetheturk]

Great shot Grahame,the background works great,keep them coming bud!

David

[Stagecoach]

Grahame, what a nice shot this is -- he seems to be smiling at you behind that bongo pounding activity he is doing. Oh...that is part of his pedipalp (?)!!! I thought he has a bongo there to entertain you... What is he standing on? Did you use a 1:1 macro lens for this one? I am beginning to like him. I think he is a cutie...

Hi Izzie, thanks for you 'imaginative' words. I used a round rough pebble approx 80mm diameter and he would circle this and at times come in view from the back and it's then panic to focus while he's on the move and click, a lot of luck really.

I used the 105mm macro with a 36mm tube and as he was around 12mm with his legs out the magnification would have been around 1:1 as I was not focussed in fully and this is not cropped at all.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

He sure is a cutie. (And must be if Izzie thinks he is cute, too) I love the green background and your usual amazing focus on the eyes. Your critters sure sound friendly.

Hi Christina,

That green is from a Sansivarius in a pot, not really sure how true the colour is but I do not normally bother about the WB on odd shots like this. Hopefully they are friendly and not just putting on a show for the camera

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

It was well worth the effort, Grahame. I like the way the lighter green falls behind the head and I wonder if the lighter section in the lower right quarter of the frame should be toned down a bit.

Thanks Greg, I have to admit my PP suffers from laziness in that all I did with this was black and white points and sharpen and had not considered the brighter area. I'll see how it looks toned down a bit.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Pedipalps. Someone. Is. Learning.
Grahame your shots are always amazing and elucidating. But then, how can you go wrong shooting a Salticidae?

Thank you Jack, I have to agree that with these get the eyes sharp and nothing else matters. It's the wispy hair on the head of all of these I find quite appealing.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

That is beautiful! Excellent Shot!!!

Thank you Jeff,

[Stagecoach]

Great shot Grahame,the background works great,keep them coming bud!

David

Cheers David, I seem to be spotting these guys everywhere at the moment but my challenge sometime over the next few days is going to be some small bees invading the flowers on one of my trees. I want a bee in flight

Grahame

[CaolIla]

Patience pays off. Very well done.
The green background was a good idea.

[Stagecoach]

Patience pays off. Very well done.
The green background was a good idea.

Thanks Mats, yes the patience plus the frustration make it worthwhile in the end.

[Shadowman]

Worth the effort though.

[John 2]

Doesn't need all of the RHS IMHO but a superb shot never the less. Great work.

[Stagecoach]

Worth the effort though.

Thanks John,

[Stagecoach]

Doesn't need all of the RHS IMHO but a superb shot never the less. Great work.

John, thanks for commenting and question of space around the critters I shoot is something I consider and generally try to get it how I want in camera which unfortunately makes framing and keeper rate even more difficult with moving subjects.

I also set myself a target in that any image I produce must be within an IQ standard that is acceptable to me when viewed at 1200 px width so this determines the cropping amount I can often do if any. With this image the detail of the spider is not the best and I feel that any crop and enlargement would reduce the IQ by too much.

Grahame

[Loose Canon]

I gotta hand it to you Grahame.

I really don’t see a lot of macro critter shooters using lighting the way you do. Maybe I need to get out more but I really admire that.

Just the fact that you lit the BG separately rocks this shot to my eye. The catch lights are awesome and make all the difference in the world.

I look at your work and try to see what parallels can be drawn with my own non-critter macro applications I have been shooting as of late. Very different yet very much the same. Very cool.

I wonder if you might be convinced to expound on your lighting/shooting setup?