Just a quick post today, I'll provide more background on this later...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM with Yellow 12 Filter and unknown extension tubes, 1/120 sec at f/5. Image Stabilization on. ISO 800. Canon Speedlight 580EX II flash in auto mode and special fluorescence excitation filter. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

- Bill

Ok - just a quick easy poll here... do you like the original vertical orientation or the horizontal cropped orientation of this spider?

Original Vertical

Cropped Horizontal

Cast your vote and leave me a comment why you chose what you chose.

- Bill

I have to admit that this first image here was a happy mistake. I wasn't planning it, but the one flash head of my twin macro flash was hidden behind a leaf and thus caused this dramatic side-lit shadow.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/11. Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

After working with this spider for a few minutes, I realized how cooperative and calm it was being, so I figured I could try a couple more experimental shots with this little guy. I have one more that I will share tomorrow, but here's a rather fun angle for a spider shot...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/11. Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

- Bill

As promised, here are a couple more of this cool little spider.

I don't know whether there is something about this spider or whether I was being inconsistent in both my photo captures and processing, but it certainly seems like the results of these photos are wildly varied. Today's set, you will see, are much brighter and the colors stand out better - particularly the red. Perhaps it was an angle of the light kind of thing, or perhaps just user error on my part. Regardless, I think these shots show off this spider a bit better than the previous one.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/11 (except first image at f/16). Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing and cropped in Adobe Camera Raw.

The parade of spiders will continue as I have a couple others to share, so stay tuned!

- Bill

I haven't ever seen a spider around here with such a bright red, so when I saw this tiny little guy (I will have to get the size later when I process one of the 1:1 images) and that red almost looked like it was on fire. So I quickly grabbed it to bring home for a photo session. I found this on the internet, and it appears to be Habronattus coecatus, regardless it sure is a beauty!

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/11. Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw, additional modifications in Photoshop CS5.

I have more photos of this and some other jumpers that I still have to process, so stop back soon for them.

- Bill

We took a day off this week and went to the spring flower show at Phipps. I captured this abstract shot of some pollen stamens and processed it a couple different ways... First the straight exposure, then I pushed the exposure up a bit for a bit of a high-key look, and then I thought they might look nice with a B&W conversion.

Original	Slight High-key	B&W

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 1/250 sec at f/16. Canon Speedlight 580EX II flash in auto mode and wireless control. Image Stabilization on. ISO 100. RAW processing and cropped in Adobe Camera Raw, B&W processing done with Nik Software's Silver Efex.

- Bill

Ok, I know this shot has some blown highlights, but I just think it looks funny if you think about a spider opening a cup of yogurt... :)

Technical DataCanon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/11. Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

Tomorrow we'll look at some birds, so those of you not liking the spiders should stop back then...

- Bill

Yay! It will soon be spring, and that means spiders!!!

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/8. Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing and cropped (mouseover for original) in Adobe Camera Raw.

More to come soon!

- Bill

Ok - nothing spectacular here, but I managed to find two spiders yesterday and bring them home for a quick photoshoot (the second one I actually carried in my hand because I didn't have containers). I have just been thinking that I haven't been using the camera much recently, so I am excited to start finding spiders again!

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/8. Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250 sec at f/16. Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX in ETTL mode. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

That second guy is at 5x magnification, so he was pretty darn tiny.

- Bill

Just like yesterday's nudibranch assortment, what would a restrospective of this blog be without some spider photos. However, we'll take a little twist with it and look at a couple that got away and aren't as good as I would like.

This first one is another fairly early shot, and despite being a rather classic photo is one I don't have many of (in fast, this might be the only set of photos that includes some). Even this one isn't as good as I would like (there's a bit of motion blur involved), so this will serve as a reminder to seek this kind of shot out in the future and try it again.

Technical Data: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro1:2 at 300m, 1/60 sec at f/5, ISO 400. No post production.

Here's another that I wish I could retake. This little guy was jumping around all over the place on this little nature walk Anya and I took not too too long ago, and so I only managed a couple shots of him before he disappeared back into the underbrush. I like this shot enough to keep it, but I missed the focus point just a tad and the spider is a little blurry. He came into this positioning a couple times while on this dead stem, but after I took this shot, he didn't do it again, so I missed my shot to get the pose that I wanted.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 1/30 sec at f/5. Image Stabilization on. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

Oddly enough, I saw a spider on my walk home the other day... in temperatures in the 30s no less! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch him to bring it home to take photos of. I'll have to remember to always carry my containers with me no matter what temperature it is!

Regardless, I'm sure there will be plenty more spider photos here in the future!

- Bill