Closeup of a Corn Spider

[captpackrat]

I stepped outside and saw a large corn spider outside my window.  I was just thinking about taking a picture when a rather large bug flew into the web.  The spider pounced on it in an instant.  I ran into the house to get my camera, but it was so humid today the lens fogged up immediately.  I had to let the camera warm up before I could take any usable photos.

The corn spider, Argiope aurantia, is also known as the black-and-yellow garden spider, writing spider or zipper spider.  This is clearly a female, as the males are much smaller and have a narrow abdomen.  They are considered harmless to humans.

As always, you can click on the pictures to see a larger version.


The wide version.  I think I overdid the vignette.  I was trying to de-emphasize the bright background without affecting the spider's bright colors.  It looks alright in the full view, but in the thumbnail view it's rather obvious.


All the nope.

Comments

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

I had to let the camera warm up before I could take any usable photos

Hee! Yep, had that a few times back at a previous gig, if I ever hopped out quickly to take a shot while in wintertime - the lens'd fog up immediately on getting back inside. (One reason I'm so very pleased contact lens technology is where it is now =:) Still, sort of cool to see the vapor gradually vanish over the course of just a minute or two. But then, I am easily pleased. =:)

Maybe try a shallower vignette? I'm not much for such effects, I'll admit, but subtly done, I'd concede they can be quite surprisingly effective.

Regardless, a fairly striking shot. And yes, I think I'm more comfortable with mammalian (reptilian, avian) mouths. ^_^;

I'd sort of like to get into focus stacking, but TBH, it seems like such a drawn-out process - I've nothing against being painstaking, but my own style's very strongly spontaneous. Still, I do sometimes ponder astrophotography.