If you haven't read the first post from our Kanawha State Forest trip, check it out here.

This is the first of several shots of the same species of spider (I haven't been able to identify it yet) I took while wandering around the Kanawha State Forest outside Charleston, WV.

We saw this spider on our first day there, and I got several shots I liked, but still went back for more on Sunday. I found the same three spiders in the same locations and took a bunch more shots. Specifically one of the things I went back for was a vertically oriented photograph, and this is probably my favorite one from the set.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di SP LD 1:1 Macro, 1/130 sec at f/3.5. ISO 200. Dolica AX620B100 tripod. No post production. Kanawha State Forest, Charleston, WV.

Why This Photo: I really wanted a vertical shot of this spider, so I specifically went back to capture an image like this.

What Works: Focus is pretty sharp. I like the diagonal orientation of the spider within this vertical shot. And though I didn't specifically try for it, the background produces a nice frame around the spider within the frame of the shot, and very faintly keeps the web in the shot towards the bottom while also making the spider appear to be floating in mid-air.

What Doesn't Work: Unfortunately, to achieve the focus I did, I had to use a wide aperture which causes the spider's legs to not be in focus while the body is in focus. And the one tip of the leg on the right side of the frame just barely breaks the right of the edge of the image.

I have some more photos of these spiders to share later, but drop me a comment and let me know what you think of this one.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bill